I have been hearing a lot of reports from friends and on social media lately of people who have seen spectacular rainbows in the sky. Most describe them as the most vibrant rainbows they have ever seen, stretching from one end of the sky to the other and often forming a double arc. Given what is going on in the world currently, I’m not surprised.
God has always used beauty to speak to us, to reveal Himself to us. And not just beauty—extravagant beauty. Genesis 2:9 says, “And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food…”
Beauty is not needed for life–it is a gift from God, a reflection of His glory.-@sarajdavison Click To Tweet
The psalmist asserts that, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1, ESV). If you have ever looked at pictures of space taken through the Hubble telescope, you know that the beauty that exists in the heavens is beyond description.
On our own planet, breathtaking vistas are everywhere, in every country. All around us, from the vastness of the galaxies to the array of color and variety beneath the surface of the ocean, all of creation reveals God and His presence with us.
The beauty of creation resonates deep in our souls, because it reminds us of how things used to be and how they will be again.-@sarajdavison Click To Tweet
Rainbows are not only beautiful, they are a reminder of God’s covenant to humanity. His promise that, “I will never again curse the ground because of man … Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease” (Gen. 8:21-22).
When I watch the news, I can’t help but wonder if God is feeling toward His creation the same way He felt when He contemplated the world in the days of Noah. I am so thankful for Psalm 103, one of my favorite passages in the Bible, which states that, “As a Father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust” (13-14).
God has not destroyed the planet again, not only because of His covenant with us, but because, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” The rainbow is a sign of His patience and mercy toward us.
It may feel as though the world is spiraling out of control, but God is still sovereign and on His throne.-@sarajdavison Click To Tweet
He is watching over us and nothing can thwart the plans He has for us.
The beauty in creation all around us and the awe-inspiring rainbows spreading across the sky are reminders that God has not abandoned us. They are a message from our Creator, a spectacular, visual affirmation of Jesus’ promise that, whatever is going on in the world and in our own lives, He is with us always, even to the end of the age.
Sara Davison is the author of three romantic suspense series, The Seven Trilogy, The Night Guardians Series, and The Rose Tattoo Trilogy. She has been a finalist for ten national writing awards, including Best New Canadian Christian Author, a Selah, a Carol, and two Daphne du Maurier Awards for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. She has won both a Word Award and a Cascade Award. Davison resides in Ontario, Canada, with her husband Michael and their three children, all of whom she (literally) looks up to.
Looking for a good summer read? Before Summer’s End is a collection of seven stories of faith, forgiveness, and family by seven different authors.
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