Every rainbow you see from the point of view of earth looking heavenward is also seen by God looking down from heaven through the spectrum of colors to see what he has created. And as he peers through the manifold colors of the rainbow, he is reminded of his love, and his undying hope that what he created will love and honor him in return, and his unbreakable commitment to show mercy and offer grace until they do.

The Journey // Focus: Genesis 9:12-17

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. When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth.” Then God said to Noah, “Yes, this rainbow is the sign of the covenant I am confirming with all the creatures on earth.”

We usually think of the symbol of a covenant—a wedding ring, a marriage license, a Memo of Agreement, the Bread and the Cup of the Eucharist—as a personal reminder of what we hold dear and to that which we have committed to another our life, our fortunes, and our sacred honor. These symbols can be powerful tools to keep that which is of utmost importance in the front of our mind and of the highest priority.

Here in Genesis 9, as God confirms his covenant with Noah, and by extension, to all of life on Planet Earth, we find that God actually does the same as we do. Or more accurately, when we observe the symbol and remember, we are simply doing what our Creator does. God set a rainbow in the sky as a regular reminder of his covenant to never again destroy life on earth by a flood. Of course, when we see a rainbow, we should look up and rejoice, for God is yet again providing the most splendid refresher of his sacred honor. A rainbow is a forever reminder of commitment as seen through the most colorful and beautiful prism of God’s love.

But did you realize that the very rainbow you see from the point of view of earth looking heavenward is also seen by God looking down from heaven through the spectrum of colors to see what he has created. And as he peers through the manifold colors of the rainbow, he is reminded of his love, and his undying hope that what he created will love and honor him in return, and his unbreakable commitment to show mercy and offer grace until they do.

Thank God, every time a rainbow appears in the sky, God is looking at it too, from the other side, and remembering what he loves enough to have sacrificed his very own Son to attain.