A rainbow appears in the mist of Old Faithful Geyser
There is something special about rainbows. They’re rare enough where I live that when one appears, it’s a reason to rejoice. It’s also a reminder of the goodness of God, and His love to all of us.
A Niagara Falls Rainbow Sunset
I recall last summer when, on our first day at the beach, a rainbow appeared above the canal behind our rented house:
Rainbow over the canal
The faithfulness of God was so evident, miraculously getting us through a number of sticky situations when our van broke down. Then on our last night, the rainbow appeared over the canal a second time:
A second rainbow over the canal
And the next day, with the van finally fixed, driving down the highway, another rainbow appeared, touching down on the highway in front of us. Mile after mile, the rainbow ran on ahead of us.
In that situation, it was easy for our hearts to cry out, “God, You’re so good! You’re so faithful! You’ve taken us through so much, and now You’ve sent Your rainbow in the clouds to remind us of Your unfailing love.”
Rainbow in Bridal Veil Falls, Yosemite National Park, California
But even in the meanwhiles, when nothing seems to be happening besides life-in-general, a rainbow is the reminder: “God, You’re so good!”
A rainbow in a wave at Cape Perpetua, Oregon
It’s something that happens with the natural world in general – our hearts responding to the goodness of God – but rainbows pull it to the front of my conscience more quickly than most natural wonders. Maybe it’s because when God sees it, He, too, remembers that He will never again destroy all of His creation with a flood (see Genesis 9:11, 14-16), and He can rejoice with us in the joy of that covenant.
