2 minute read.
Daily Reading: Zephaniah 1:1-3:20 ESV, Revelation 10:1-11 ESV, Psalm 138:1-8 ESV, Proverbs 30:11-14 ESV
Daily Verse: “Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire.” (Revelation 10:1 ESV)
IRIS (2463): “This rainbow “round about the throne, like an emerald to look upon (Rev 4:3), is emblematic of the fact that, in the exercise of God’s absolute sovereignty and perfect counsels, He will remember His covenant concerning the earth (cf. Gen 9:9-17). In Rev 10:1, “a rainbow,” suggests a connection with the scene in Rev 4:3.”[1]
Remembered covenant.
John’s mention of the rainbow as part of his vision reinforces God’s sovereign character. In Genesis 9:9-17, God made the rainbow a symbol of His agreement with humankind and all beasts of the earth; never again would a flood destroy the world.
God remembers His promises to us and keeps them. And scripture records over 7,400 promises God makes to humanity. The Creator cares for us intimately, and God does what He says.
Stable God.
In a world of instability, God offers stability. As Solomon reminds us in Ecclesiastes, nothing new exists under the sun. Technology may change, but the human condition doesn’t.
Visiting a small church on vacation, we sang songs from the hymnals. Singing “More Love to Thee,” written by Elizabeth Prentiss in the 1850s, made me think about her. She wrote the song after losing two children. Thinking about her grief as I sang the lyrics gave me a glimpse into her faith:
“More love to thee, O Christ,
More love to thee!
Hear thou the prayer I make
On bended knee,
This is my earnest plea:
More love, O Christ, to thee.
Losing a child carries a heartache only mothers can know. Yet in her grief, Elizabeth turned to God and begged Him to help her love more, knowing stability came from the Creator and no one else.
Life’s journey involves unspeakable heartache. But when we ground ourselves on the solid rock of Christ, He helps us weather the storm and find divine comfort, creating an unbreakable, eternal bond, one God never forgets.
[1] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 122) Thomas Nelson
