 Sunday: Peace in Promise
I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant
between me and the earth.
Genesis 9:13
It is one thing to experience the calm after the storm. It is something else
altogether to find peace. Sometimes I wonder how long it took Noah and his
family to find peace. The ordeal on board the ark lasted much longer than
most people realize. Scripture tells us that during the flood, rains fell
on the earth for forty days and forty nights. Water flooded the earth for
150 days before the ark touched ground. Two or three months later the mountain
tops could be seen. A couple of months after that, Noah celebrated the new
year by taking the cover off of the ark. Finally, after nearly two more months,
the ground was dry enough to leave the ark.
Noah and his family had entered the ark “on the seventeenth day of the
second month.” They left the ark on “the twenty-seventh day of
the second month” the following year—just over a full year later.
Everything had changed. Everyone was gone. The storm that flooded the earth
was over, but where could Noah find peace? God provided the answer. God said,
“Don’t worry. This will never happen again. Here’s my rainbow.
When I see it, I will remember.” When we see it, we can remember, too.
On this third Sunday during Lent, look to the skies. If the skies are blue,
admire its beauty and thank God. If you see a rainbow, rejoice in God’s
promise. If you see only clouds, remember that this is where God has set
His rainbows. The rains will stop. The clouds will part. The light will shine.
God has made His covenant, and God is always faithful. From before the Christian
era to the present, from eternity to eternity, God never fails. Hallelujah!
Holy God, you are the god of peace. You give peace after the storm. You
give peace between people. You give peace to my soul. Thank you for your
promises. They are precious to me. They give me comfort. They give me peace.
Make me ever mindful of your promises which are revealed in creation all
around me, and fill me with the calm assurance that you care for me day by
day. In your Son’s holy name I pray, Amen.
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