I was driving across town on Wednesday afternoon when I looked up into the cloud-darkened sky to see the most spectacular free show. I had to simply stop and thank God for it:
A small flock of ordinary pigeons was flying back and forth in front of a partial rainbow. The birds were all different colors, but the pure white ones, especially, stood out against the dark background of the clouds. As I looked at the underside of those white wings, late afternoon sunlight hitting them, sharply contrasting with the dark sky and colors of the rainbow, I thought of Noah. and his family, staring at the first rainbow and soaking in God's promise to them, never to destroy the earth again with water.
When I arrived home, my 17-year-old son was wiping smoke off the kitchen ceiling from a small grease fire that had started when he was getting ready to fry tortillas. After he finished airing out the house and cleaning up the kitchen, which was unharmed, we drove to church together. I told him about the pigeons and the rainbow.
"Maybe it was God's way of telling you that no one would be hurt in the fire today," he speculated.
Maybe so. The ancient world was judged and destroyed by water. The modern world will be judged and destroyed by fire someday. But not last Wednesday.
"...long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire. being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men." 2 Peter 3:5-7 (New Internernational Version)
So, in the meantime, we work with God, "who is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." Let's keep at that job, brothers and sisters--sharing God's love with people, giving them an opportunity to repent!
--Posted by Mama O.
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