One Single Rainbow

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Genesis 9:12‭-‬13 ESV

This week a group from our church made a trip to the Ark Encounter in Kentucky. It was interesting how they came back with wonderful stories of their time together and just a little bit about the Ark itself. I thought that fitting as the idea of finding the Ark of Noah has been embedded in the imagination of countless generations of both Christian and non-Christians alike. But even if one day someone finds the actual wooden structure of the ark it really wouldn’t change a thing. Believers would still believe and unbelievers would still be doubting.

You might think that a bit harsh but consider that God did leave us a sign of His faithfulness in the clouds. It is called a rainbow. Everyone over the age of five has seen at least one rainbow in the sky in their lifetime and few remember who put it there. God left us this beautiful yet fleeting sign of His eternal love and kindness. How many will see it and believe? But it is still a great experience to go take a trip to the Ark encounter for yourself. You won’t be sorry ( and be sure to check out the nearby Creation museum.) It is a trip worth taking, but far less spectacular than one single rainbow!

Kick-the-Can

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You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 ESV

On late summer afternoons when I was a kid, our favorite thing to do was play “kick the can.” For those unfamiliar with the game, it is a hide and seek with the seeker working from the middle of the street with one foot on a tin can. He or she goes off to find people, then rushes back, puts one foot on the can and shouts, “123! I see Johnny behind the bush!” Then the found one must come and sit on the curb and this goes on till everyone is found. But if the seeker gets just a bit too far from the can, some child inevitably comes running full speed ahead from their hiding place and if they can get to the can to kick it before the seeker gets back, then everyone goes free! On those afternoons as the shadows deepened it grew easier and easier to hide and we never wanted to quit. But eventually our parents would begin to call us. I can still hear their voices in my mind; “Louie! Wally! Peter!” At first, we would pretend not to hear because we hoped for another chance to sneak quietly towards the can at the center of the street with the longing to rush out one more time kick it over!

God is also hidden sometimes, but the darkness that hides God is not a part of a game He plays. That is the darkness of own hearts when decide to ignore His voice as He calls our names. But there is hope for anyone who will hear Him. There is hope when we become seekers for Him because God is already looking for us. There is hope because God does not want to be hidden. He has been looking for us since Adam and Eve tried to hide from Him in the garden. We have hope because when no one heard His call, He still came to the manger of Bethlehem, to the blind man at the fountain and to the woman caught in the act of adultery. God calls, God comes, and God is our hope no matter how dark the night!  

God is great and we are not!

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!” But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord , do not delay!
Psalm 70:4‭-‬5 ESV

I love taking pictures of all kinds of birds, so when I came upon some newly hatched ducklings I was delighted to kneel in the grass and capture a few shots before mother duck escorted them away. Maybe these tiny birds remind me again of why a Great and Holy God would have any interest in such small, boring and ordinary people like you me. How can the God of the universe, who spoke and light shined out of darkness and who traced out the Himalayas with His fingers be interested in us? O that is the greatest mystery of all! It is the mystery of the great love of God who at the cross unveiled its power and spoke to us and the light of Jesus Christ shone in the darkness of our hearts!