As people who follow Jesus, our lives are covered by the promises of God.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember my
everlasting promise to every living animal on earth.”
Genesis 9:16 God’s Word to the Nations

Colorado Springs, Colorado

I had just pulled into the parking lot of our local grocery store, and as I looked for a parking spot I noticed people pulling out their cell phones and pointing them to the sky. It doesn’t take a person with a doctorate in human behavior to know that there was something significant in the eastern sky. As I turned my head to see what had caught my fellow shopper’s attention, I noticed the most brilliant double rainbow I have even seen.

I was on sensory overload. This rainbow arched high into the early evening sky. Every color was on rich display. The north end of the rainbow was only 100 yards from me at the east end of the parking lot. It was as if I could see the pot of gold.

Unfortunately I had shopping to do, so I picked up the items on my list believing that I would only see the remnant of the bow when I returned to my car, but it hadn’t disappeared. The rainbow lasted long enough for me to drive home, grab my camera (and dog) and walk to an open spot where I nailed this sight on my camera’s sensor.

This rainbow was so large I could only capture it in a panorama, and even then I couldn’t seize the entire spectacle.

Dorothy might sing of somewhere over the rainbow, but it is what was under this rainbow that caught my attention. There were homes, auto dealerships, an athletic club, stores and a hospital under this rainbow.

No matter where we are, we’re under the grace of God’s promises.

God has kept his promise to never destroy the world through a deluge again. His promises can be trusted, even his promise to never destroy us because of our sin. However, instead of a rainbow as sign of this promise, God gave us a cross on which his Son covered our sins.

Life is different when we live under the cross.

Copyright Douglas P. Brauner