It was 5:30 a.m. on a Sabbath morning in July. The sun was quickly rising as I settled onto my couch to begin my devotional time. My mind had been preoccupied on the dreaded "time of trouble" promised in bible prophecy. I desperately feared that I would not stand for Jesus if I were to live through that time.
As I began my prayer time, I turned and looked out my big west-facing window to see a storm looming over the horizon coming toward me. The clouds were dark. Lightning flashed. I heard the low rumbles and sharp cracks of thunder. A Midwest thunderstorm would soon be here.
Brilliant Rainbow Out of Nowhere
I closed my eyes and said a few words to Jesus. Then, in the middle of my prayer, I turned to look out the window again. To my amazement, suspended in between me and the coming storm, I saw a brilliant rainbow glowing in the morning sun! There were two things that were unusual about this rainbow. First, there was no rain to mix with the sunlight to create it; and yet it was there. And it was as brilliant and vivid a rainbow as I had ever seen. Second, it appeared before the storm, not after. I gazed at the rainbow for a long time. Here was this symbol of all of God's promises standing in between me and the coming storm. Yes, the storm was coming. It was something that I would have to go through. But God's promises are sure! They are alive and eternal and they are meant for you and for me — they stand ready to carry us through all of the storms of life.
I believe that very soon there is a storm coming upon us. Those of us who choose to be faithful to God will be hated and persecuted in a way we cannot even fathom. And yet our God is faithful! He will deliver us! "The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold" (Psalm 18:2).
When you read about God as your shield in this verse, think about what He is shielding you from. No one can say whether God will deliver any one of us from physical harm or danger. But He has already delivered us from the condemnation of our own sins. With this reassurance in our minds, what do we have to be afraid of? Yes, we must go through the storm. But our souls will be safe in the care of our Maker, our Shield! "The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock" (Psalm 27:1, 3, 5).
Call to Action
That brilliant rainbow I saw on that stormy Sabbath morning was a beautiful reminder of the surety of God's promises. But it wasn't just for me. It was for you too! Commit your heart to Jesus today. Live inside His will for you today. Do the work He has for you to do today. And when the storm comes, His grace and His promises will carry you through!
All scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
