Ordinary Signs of Extraordinary Promises

"This the the sign of the covenant I am making between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life." Genesis 9:13-15

Ordinary Signs of Extraordinary Promises
By Rev. William Dohle

I love summer! Really... I do.

I love the sound of the cacadas singing in the trees. I love the frogs croaking along the riverbank. I love the peacefulness you get when you sit down next to a lake, a fishing pole in your hand, just being there with nothing else to do. I just love it!

Nature means something because, for me, I find it pointing to God. When I look out at nature, I see God's fingerprints all over the place. I hear the birds chirping in the trees and I remember...
"Sing to the Lord a new song..."

I see the wind moving through the trees and I remember...

"...the Spirit of God moved over the face of the waters."

I see the storm approach from the west and I'm moved to feel...

"Praise the Lord from the earth...lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding."

All creation can become a sign, pointing to God!

But ever wonder what God thinks? Ever wonder what God feels when He looks upon creation? What are His thoughts? What does nature make God do?

In this well-known section from Genesis, we hear God's thoughts. And they are surprising...

When God looks at the rainbow in the sky...God remembers!

Creation itself, a rainbow in the sky between the clouds, reminds God of his promise. It reminds God that He has promised never to send a flood that will destroy all life. It reminds God that there is to be an end to the storms. That day might follow afterward. And that hope lives on.

This is a powerful powerful reminder.

In the midst of Katrina...God remembers...hope must live on.
In the middle of the storms that destroyed Joplin...God remembers...hope must live on.
And from the darkness of every storm...God remembers...hope must endure.

God's remembrance is our hope for, as we wait through whatever storms that come upon our lives. Be they storms of disease, storms of sin, or literal storms of rain and snow, we know there is a rainbow to come. Our God has not forgotten us and will not abandon us. Creation itself assures us this is true.

Heavenly Father, you have put your bow in the clouds to remind yourself of your promise to us. Give us signs in all of nature that we may remember all that you have done, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.