A few weeks ago we had some rain pass over our area.  It began breaking up not long before sunset.  I had this beautiful opportunity to take these pictures of the sky around our farm.  Unfortunately, the images captured do not do justice to seeing it in person.

Wow.  What a moment to give pause and just soak in what I was seeing.  Neither view lasted very long at all.  They quickly fleeted out of sight and into the darkness of night.

A rainbow and light.  These images have been on my phone since I took them.  I keep looking at them in quiet stillness.  It has been as if they had a message for me and I wanted to make sure I was listening.

It is amazing how something so beautiful could follow a gray and dreary rain.  The rainbow made me think of God’s promises to us.  Sometimes His promises are so vibrant, nearly blinding, like the summer sun at noon reflecting off a lake.  Other times they shine through the clouds after a rain or storm.  Not blinding us, but still shining for us to see.

It seems like their has been a lot of rain in my life lately, leaving me soppy, soggy, damp, and a bit muddy.  It also seems that there has been quite a bit of rain, and even some pretty heavy storms, in the lives of those dearest to me as well.  Perhaps you have been feeling the dampening rains in your life too?

Think about standing in the rain in a t-shirt, thick cotton sweatshirt, jeans, and tennis shoes.  Every moment spent standing in the rain the weight of the rain soaked apparel gets heavier and heavier.  Sometimes life feels that way – soggy and heavy, weighing us down.

I find during the soggy, heavy, rainy times that I am most in need of a reminder of God’s promises.  I need to remember what He has already done for me, remember who the Lord is for me, and remember the power of the Holy Spirit that is always with me.

“Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus.
In him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen,
God’s Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident.
God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ,
putting his Yes within us.
By his Spirit he has stamped us with his eternal pledge—
a sure beginning of what he is destined to complete.”
2 Corinthians 1:20-22 (Message)

What do you need to remember when the rain is coming down upon you?  What promises has the Lord given you that you can proclaim and hold on to?

Beloved Lord,

Please open our eyes to see Your promises in our lives.  Lord, help us to remember all that You have given to us and done for us.  May we be captivated and drawn to You, even in the rains and the storms.  May we be ever led by Your light.

Lord, please bless all of those weighted down by the rains of life.  Comfort them, draw them near to You, and generously meet each of their needs. 

In the name of Jesus who shines with eternal promises of goodness, amen.