Listen

God said to Noah and to his sons with him, “I am now setting up my covenant with you, with your descendants, and with every living being with you—with the birds, with the large animals, and with all the animals of the earth, leaving the ark with you. I will set up my covenant with you so that never again will all life be cut off by floodwaters. There will never again be a flood to destroy the earth.”

God said, “This is the symbol of the covenant that I am drawing up between me and you and every living thing with you, on behalf of every future generation. I have placed my bow in the clouds; it will be the symbol of the covenant between me and the earth.”

Genesis 9:8-13

Think

God sets a bow in the sky. Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Tutu spoke of the rainbow people of God, recognizing the colors in the rainbow and the colors of all the people around the world. Wouldn’t the world be a better place if we could see ourselves as members of the family of God in all our diversity? The colors of the rainbow invite us to dream of what can be. We can hold onto the hope of the rainbow and the covenant with God that reminds us that God will always be with us. The rainbow is a sign of hope that things will turn around for the better. We love this story of Noah because it reminds us to hope for the rainbow after the storms of our lives. It reminds us to believe that even amid a tempest, a new tomorrow awaits us. The message of hope is so critical as we deal with illness and war and rumors of war. Sharing God’s message of hope will get some of us through our darkest days.

Sandye A. Wilson

Question to Ponder:

What brings you hope? Where do you look for hope when you’re going through a tough time?

Pray

Dear God,

Help me live my life remembering that no matter how dark and difficult some days may be, the sun will come out tomorrow. And as the sun comes out, may I be blessed by the gift of the colors of the rainbow. May my joy be contagious.

Amen.

Go

Go now in peace, go now in peace. May the love of God surround you, every day and everywhere you may go.