The Rainbow

Lesson One • Amen
Devotion 2: The Rainbow
Sierra Combs 

I vividly remember a moment, many years ago, when a rainbow stopped me in my tracks, overtook me with awe and wonder, and left me weeping both tears of sadness and tears of hope. Many months prior, I had lost what would have been my second child. My first pregnancy had gone so smoothly that I never had any worries about it the second time, and yet, just as I was entering my second trimester, our new source of life had come to its end. I was left completely heartbroken over the loss of my child and the loss of a dream. There were so many months of crying out to the Lord and asking why it had to be like this, ridden with anxiety and sadness. It was a difficult time, but life found a way, and not long after, the Lord blessed us with another child. While the sadness was exchanged for joy, the anxiety seemed uncontrollable. I was so afraid that the same thing was going to happen again. 

Then, one day, as I was driving down the freeway, I looked out of my rain-soaked windshield and saw the most stunning double rainbow I have ever seen. While all rainbows are beautiful, this one was intense in its full colors, spread wide across the sky, and was not just one but two! It was spectacular. At that moment, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace that could only come from the Holy Spirit. While I already knew it, I was suddenly overcome with the fact that God is faithful. He will never leave me, and He is a promise-keeper. I could not know how things would turn out with my pregnancy, but I knew at that moment that whatever happened, it was all going to be okay, and I could trust Him. Over a decade later, I can still see that rainbow in my mind, and it still makes me smile. While rainbows are indeed awe-inspiring, they are so much more! They are a stunning reminder of God’s covenant with humanity, reminding us of His mercy, faithfulness, and promises even in the middle of life’s toughest storms.

Most people have heard the story of Noah and his ark. The Bible tells us that in the days of Noah, God was grieved by the wickedness of humanity, and He decided to send a great flood to cover the Earth and destroy everything and everyone. However, there was one man, Noah, who found favor in the eyes of God, and God chose to spare his life and use him to start fresh. He told Noah to build a boat for himself, his family, and representative pairs of every living creature. Once the ark was complete, God sealed them in, and the rain started to fall. Not only did the rain fall down, but the water gushed up from the Earth. Everything in the entire world, outside of that ark, was destroyed. Not only did it pour down rain for 40 days and nights, but it took 150 days for the waters to recede enough for Noah, his family, and all the animals to be able to exit the boat and get on to their new task of repopulating the Earth. It was then that God made a promise to Noah and every future living creature: “Then God said, ‘I am giving you a sign of my covenant with you and with all living creatures, for all generations to come. I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth. When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear in the clouds, and I will remember my covenant with you and with all living creatures. Never again will the floodwaters destroy all life’” (Genesis 9:12-15, NLT). 

What a comfort that rainbow must have been for Noah and his family. While they knew that God had just done a great deal in order to save them, it still must have been a frightening ordeal. They exited the boat to an entirely new Earth. Everyone they had ever met, aside from each other, was dead. There were now only eight people on the entire planet! Their towns and their homes were destroyed. The landscape was completely different. Among all the other new things, now a new weather pattern called rain had entered the mix. I imagine that the first rainfall after the flood would have been quite traumatic. Yet, after the rain came the rainbow, and every time Noah saw that bow, he would be reminded of God’s faithfulness, mercy, and the promise of salvation amidst judgment. As He did with Noah and the ark, God offers us salvation through Jesus Christ, the “ark of salvation.” Just as God sealed the boat doors shut, keeping Noah and his family safely inside, He also seals in those who put their trust in Him. 

Thousands of years later, the rainbow covenant still stands, magnificently reminding us of our amazing promise-keeping God. Its bright and vibrant colors remind us that the world is still under His care, and it remains a sign of hope and new beginnings against the backdrop of a storm. It has been 14 years since my special rainbow moment, and yet its effects will stay with me forever. I went on to have a healthy pregnancy and deliver the most incredible daughter, my little “rainbow baby,” who brought so much joy and hope after such deep grief and loss. Life’s storms did not stay away long, and I would go on to lose two more babies over the next decade, followed by one last rainbow baby. In both sunshine and rain, God remains faithful through it all. Whatever storm you are currently facing, rest assured that a rainbow is not far behind!