Today's reading records the story of the great universal deluge that transformed the beautiful antediluvian earth into the largely inhabitable globe we now occupy.
Memory gem: "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith" (Hebrews 11:7).
Thought for today:
The covenant of the rainbow is really a promise of God's grace to sinners everywhere--to us today. Think of the hope that this token of the rainbow shining in the clouds must have brought to Noah and his family. Even with the world devastated by the Flood, the evidence of the effect of sin, they could see in the sky the token of God's promise of forgiveness. It was really a message of grace, the unmerited favor of God to us sinners here below.
With this assurance given to Noah is linked one of God's most precious promises of His grace, which we read in Isaiah 54:9, 10: "As I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee."
Here on this earth we see only half of the rainbow in the clouds. This is no doubt a type of the imperfectness of our present experience. The children of God are still here, subject to sorrow, sickness, and death. But someday, by God's grace and to His glory and praise, we shall see encircling the throne, the complete bow and rejoice in the immortal land. So the rainbow here on earth is the symbol of our eternal deliverance.
My friend--whoever you are, and whatever your troubles in life may have been--remember God's rainbow promise; it's for you. The rainbow is seen only when there is a storm. But there is also sunshine. In the darkest experiences of life, there is hope in God. It shines as the light transfigures the darkness.