Colors of Hope

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. I'm Kirsten Holmberg, and I called our reading Colors of Hope. On September 11, 2023, the 22nd anniversary of the attacks against the United States, a stunning double rainbow graced the skies above New York City.

Home to the former Twin Towers, this city suffered the greatest losses in the attacks. More than two decades later, the double rainbow brought a sense of hope and healing to those who were there to see it. A video clip of the moment seemed to capture the rainbows emanating from the site of the World Trade Center itself. Rainbows in the sky have brought an assurance of God's faithfulness since the days of Noah. In the wake of God's judgment of sin, which resulted in unimaginable destruction, he set the colorful beacon as a visual reminder of the everlasting covenant between himself and all living creatures. After 40 dark days of rain and months of flooding, one can only imagine how welcome the rainbow, the sign of the covenant, must have been to Noah and his family. It was a reminder of God's faithfulness that never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth. When we face dark days and tragic losses, whether due to natural disaster, physical or emotional pain, or the plight of disease, let's look to God for hope in the midst of it. Even if we don't catch a glimpse of his rainbow in those moments, we can be assured of his faithfulness to his promises.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Genesis chapter 9, verses 11 through 17. I established my covenant with you. Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood. Never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth. And God said, This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come. 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 between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.

So God said to Noah, This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth. Let's pray. Father God, thank you for the assurance of your presence with us in the dark and difficult days of our lives. Please help us to see you in the midst of whatever our struggles might be today. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today. My name is Kirsten Holmberg, and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.