June-19

June, 19

Dear Friends,

Have you ever had one of "those" days. You know, "those" days. The kind of day you just want to get over with. I have. On this particular day, work had been unusually stressful, problem laden, exhausting and disappointing. Another day in months of days, each more taxing than the one before. Now, at last, I was headed home to eat, to rest, to rise, to do it all over again the next day. However, at this moment there was only one thought in my mind . . . getting home. I was in total agreement with Dorothy: "There's no place like home. There's no place like home." I just wanted to go home.

The sky looked ominous. Massive, dark, billowy, threatening clouds stood between me and my destination - home. As much as I wanted to go home, I did not relish the thought of driving through the storm. I started my car. I headed home dreading the drive ahead of me. The closer I came to my house, the blacker the clouds appeared. The nearer I came to reaching my goal, the darker my pathway became. The wind seemed to beat a steady allegro gusting to match the speed of my travel. Lightning flashed. I flinched. Thunder crashed. I jumped. Sighing deeply, I peered up into the clouds. Looking. . . for what? I didn't know. Then . . . Something caught my eye, something so wondrous and magnificent that I pulled my car into a parking lot, turned off the ignition and gazed in rapt amazement. Before me arched two of the most brilliantly beautiful, perfectly splendid rainbows, I had ever seen. . . .

God said to Noah, "I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant (Genesis 9:13,14 NIV). . . ." For Noah, the rainbow was a reminder of God's faithfulness, He keeps His promises. For me, on this day, the rainbow was an assurance. The Lord is faithful. He will do what He says He will do.

Struggling with the stresses and strains of our daily lives, we often forget the promises of God. We forget His faithfulness. We forget what the writer of that old hymn "Amazing Grace" knew: "The Lord has promised good to me. His word my hope secures." I thank the Lord, that when we forget He has a way of reminding us. Gently and lovingly, He reminds us that He has and will continue to faithfully keep His promises to us. He lets us know that we can believe Him when He says, A. . .lo, I am with you always, even unto the ends of the world (Matthew 28:20). We can trust that he A. . . will not leave us comfortless. . . (John 14:18). We can believe as the Apostle Paul did:

". . . my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

(Philippians 4:19)

On this day, I saw two rainbows. I remembered. I rejoiced. With a smile, I started my car and headed home.

In the Master's Love,

The Preacher