A Rainbow!
“Look at that beautiful rainbow!” These were the words uttered on our recent vacation. We were traveling through Illinois when the most beautiful rainbow arched from horizon to horizon. A clear, bright beautiful rainbow.
You may wonder why all this excitement over a rainbow. You may even agree that, yes, they are beautiful to behold. That you also enjoy seeing them. But for me they are more than just something beautiful that decorates the heavens. A rainbow is a reminder that God is personally speaking to me. It is a reminder that, yes, God is alive! He is real! And in this rainbow, God is speaking to me.
I am reminded of the story of Noah. You remember the story. God had created a perfect world, a place where man was to live in complete unity and harmony with God. But – sin was introduced into the world through disobedient actions of Adam and Eve.
Time passed. Evil became more prominent. In Genesis 6:5-7 we read, “The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart. And the Lord said, “I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will destroy every living thing – all the people, the large animals, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and even the birds of the sky. I am sorry I ever made them.”
“BUT, Noah found favor with the Lord….Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time and he walked in close fellowship with God.” vs. 8-9
God told Noah some rain was coming. So much rain it would destroy everything on the earth. He instructed Noah to build an Ark – a HUGH Ark, large enough to accommodate all the animals and birds that would be spared. Noah obeyed. He started building. The people laughed at the sight. They laughed at his foolishness. They laughed right up to the day the rain started falling. As the rain fell, their laughter became less. As the Ark set sail, there was no one left to laugh, and the rains continued to fall.
When the rains ceased and the land began to dry, the Ark finally came to rest on solid ground once again. All that remained was Noah, his wife, his 3 sons and their wives – along with the animals and birds. Genesis 7:23 – “God wiped out every living thing on the earth…..”
Once on dry ground, Noah built an altar of worship to God. It was during this worship service that God made a promise to Noah. He said, “I will never again curse the ground because of the human race, even though everything they think or imagine is bent toward evil from childhood. I will never again destroy all living things. Genesis 8:21
And to seal this promise, God said, “I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth. When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth.” Genesis 8:13, 16
A rainbow in the heavens is God speaking to us. That rainbow, viewed from God’s perspective, is a great big colorful smile. He is saying “I remember”. I will never forget my covenant. Thanks, Father, for showing me of your presence, your words, your love, your faithfulness.
Spaghetti Pie
1 lb. Spaghetti
4 strips bacon, chopped
1 large red onion
1 15-oz. ricotta cheese
4 large eggs
2 cup milk
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt
2 cup frozen peas
Preheat oven to 350. Cook Spaghetti. Cook bacon, until crisp. Transfer to paper towel to drain. To fat in pan add onion. Cook 4 minutes. Whisk ricotta, eggs, milk, cayenne, half of Parmesan and ¼ tsp. salt. Drain Spaghetti well. Stir into ricotta mixture, along with peas, bacon and onion. Spread in even layer in 3 qt. baking dish. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan on top. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until set.
