I woke up yesterday morning to the faint sound of thunder, so I went first thing to my favorite window and saw this:
What a beautiful sight any time of day, but to me a special morning blessing! It only got better a short time later when I went outside and saw a faint second rainbow in the sky.
Before long, the lightning got brighter and the thunder was louder. Then came the rain.
And after the rain, our rainbows reappeared.
The same scenario repeated itself as soon more rain fell.
I was up and down, inside and outside, and enjoying the rain with Gary as we watched from inside the garage. Some of the lightning was close and scary. Some of the thunder was loud and unsettling. But we were safe. And we were thankful for the rain, which brings growth and nourishment to our yard and gardens.
I was especially touched as I read once again the verses from Psalms that I had just read the day before:
“But as for me, I will sing about Your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about Your unfailing love. For You have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress.” Psalm 59:16
The rainbow that I first saw reminded me of the fact that it’s vital for me to have a grasp of God’s promises before the storms hit. It’s so important for me to have that knowledge of what God has to say to me, found in the Bible, tucked into my brain and my heart.
I need to be reading His Word, remembering His promises, and learning WHO God is…..and doing this every day. Days add up to weeks, then months, then years. Looking into His Word, listening to God, talking to Him……just like looking up every morning and seeing a beautiful rainbow that catches my eye and grabs my attention. That’s what I need to be doing with God’s Word.
Then one day…..BAM!!! The storm hits, in whatever form that takes, and even though the beauty of the rainbow may be hidden by clouds, I can still trust that it’s there. I can still trust that God is there, with His promises that are highlighted in my Bible and hidden in my heart. I don’t need to be afraid, distressing and exhausting though my situation may be. That’s because I’ve gotten to know God intimately over those days and weeks and months and years.
Not it’s time to put into practice what I’ve put away. It’s not the power of positive thinking. It’s the power of God’s promises…..of God Himself!! He will give me comfort and safety in the storms. He will be my place of safety in my distress.
And I could also sing this old wonderful hymn this morning in church:
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above.
Join with all nature in manifold witness,
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided.
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.
At the end of the day, I can see God’s hand all over my life.
He Said What?! 