Some time ago, a friend who lived on a Caribbean island
emailed me a photograph of double rainbows she had captured while living in the
tropical paradise. As I gazed at the radiant colors, I thought of what the
rainbows symbolized—God’s promises, particularly the one never to destroy the earth again by
flood.
Later, my friend sent me another rainbow photo from which her mother created a leaded glass ornament that now hangs in my office.
When I see the ornament, I think of this verse, “God always does what he says, and is gracious in everything he does.” (Psalm 145:13b The Message), and I try and ask myself, Am I living as someone who really believes God’s promises?
When I scrolled down to the bottom of the picture, however, underneath
the rainbows, the photograph showed an unexpected tangle of weeds,
roads, houses, and utility wires. The y
were a sharp contrast to the beauty of the rainbows.
At the time, I was experiencing anxiety from financial
and career concerns. As I studied the picture, I realized that instead of remembering, “And my God will meet all your
needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19),
I’d been
focusing more on the problems than promises.
The more I'd lost sight
of the truth of God, the more difficult things had
become. God used the photograph to help me keep my eyes on the beauty of His
promise, not the tangle of concerns. Later, my friend sent me another rainbow photo from which her mother created a leaded glass ornament that now hangs in my office.
When I see the ornament, I think of this verse, “God always does what he says, and is gracious in everything he does.” (Psalm 145:13b The Message), and I try and ask myself, Am I living as someone who really believes God’s promises?