Title Follow the Rainbow
Contents
Hymn: 394 "Those Who Long for the Lord"
Meditation: Nothing God has given us is as good as our hope for the future.
Confession of Faith: Apostles' Creed
Text: “I will make a covenant with you, and I will never again destroy every living thing by a flood. There will be no more floods to destroy the earth. And this is the evidence of the covenant I make between me and you and every living creature with you, from generation to generation, for ever, said God. I have set my rainbow in the cloud, and this is the proof of the covenant between me and the world” (Genesis 9:11-13).
Word: You saw a rainbow. The rainbow is a symbol of dreams and hopes. Have you ever seen a rainbow as a child and ran towards it? The Bible says that the rainbow is a gift from God.
After the flood killed everything on the earth, Noah's family came out of the ark. We worship God. At that time, God said he would never judge the earth with water again, but a rainbow hung in the sky. Just imagine that scene.
The whole world was destroyed by water. What about the view after the water is swept away? The land that is drained of water is wretched and miserable. How did Noah's family feel? It would have been cumbersome. He must have been full of worries about how to buy. Just then, a rainbow appears. It spreads out so that it hangs all over the sky. A double rainbow may have appeared then.
There is something important in the text. It is a record that the rainbow is God. “I have put my rainbow in the clouds.” The rainbow is a symbol of dreams, goals and visions. They belong to God. God is holding it. To have it, you must be close to God.
God is a God of justice. He sees sin and punishes him. But there are things that you must do while punishing. Consolation and encouragement. "cheer up. it's ok now I can live well!" He is the one who punishes, but also promises dreams for the future.
Adam and Eve sin and are punished, but God makes skins for them and puts them on them. Cain kills his brother and is punished by exile, but God gives Cain a mark that he will not be killed. Parents scold their children when they make mistakes, but then they encourage them. I hope that you are convinced of God's love for this kind of love, and even if you make a mistake or fail, you will have the strength to live again.
Prayer: We thank God for giving us new strength and hope. Help me to live according to your vision. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Lord's Prayer