PEACE IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM

It had stormed all day in Tennessee. The daytime television shows were preempted by the Network Weather Team, the sirens on the weather radio screamed at regular intervals with new alerts, torrential rain accompanied by thunder and lightning poured from the menacing skies. Suddenly the rain stopped, a glimmer of sunlight peaked through the clouds and calm descended over East Tennessee. I stepped out onto the front porch to check out the skies and survey any damage and there peeking through the trees was a rainbow. Although I knew the storm wasn’t finished and possibly, the worst was yet to come, God’s promise portrayed in the rainbow brought peace to the situation.


In Genesis 9:14, God told Noah, “And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud.” In verse 16, He continues, “And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.” Science teaches us that rainbows are created when rays of light pass through drops of rain at various angles, bending and separating the light into a beautiful spectrum. But to the believer it is so much more than light, rain drops and angles; it is a promise direct from God. According to the Word of God, when we see a rainbow, we should remember the EVERLASTING covenant between God and every living creature on the earth. To me the little rainbow peeking through the clouds reminded me that God is in the midst of every storm.

There are times that life becomes stormy. The adversarial winds blow against us with such force that it is difficult to take even the next step let alone continue the journey. Our eyes are blinded by the torrential rains and if that isn’t enough, icy pellets of hail begin to wound us, and we wonder if the storm will ever stop. Suddenly, in the midst of our storm, Jesus steps in and we feel a calm spirit descend over us. Through the clouds we catch a glimmer of light, past the trees a hint of a rainbow appears. The storm may not be over and the worst of it may still be ahead but I hear a soft whisper, I feel a hand holding mine, I take the next step and there is peace in the midst of my storm.