Through the Pain... we find the Promise

I was driving through Charleston one beautiful day last week preparing to lead worship for a Women's event.  It was one of those days when the beauty of that city absolutely took your breath away.  The sky couldn't have been bluer.. full of white puffy clouds.  Clouds I could jump in.  Clouds I could snuggle in to.  Crossing over bridge after bridge.. the water sparkling.  The water fluttering.  The water waving.  Waving up to me.  "See how beautiful!"  I am moved to speak aloud, "Thank you Lord, for this beautiful, beautiful day."

Then little rain drops out of nowhere begin to sprinkle.  Not pelting rain.  Not even a shower... a sprinkle here and there.  As if someone were casting seeds of rain from high.  The sun is shinning brighter than ever.  There isn't a gray cloud in the sky.  So I begin searching hard.  It's what I always do when there is rain and sun together.  I look for the rainbow.  I know it's somewhere.. and it usually is.  And when I find it on these rare occasions I think, And there is the Promise.  A covenant the Lord has made with His people... to never destroy His world by water.

I glance underneath to the oceans of river I am crossing.  This will never rise too high and swallow me up because you said so, Lord.  Your promises are true and forever.  I think on His other promises.  True and Forever.

Why in the rain of our lives do we not begin searching for the rainbow?  The Son is ALWAYS shinning.  His light is always penetrating the darkness... He is bringing the darkness to the light.  Why in the pain of our lives do we run toward fear.. and feelings of abandonment...our idols for comfort?  We LEAVE our Comforter.  We flee our Father and Defender.

Only through the rain do we grab glimpse of the rainbow.  It is the pain that draws us to the Promise.

So in the pain.. seek hard, my friends.  It's there.  It's written deep on and in our hearts... the Promise.  He is faithful.  He is good.  He is love.  Real love.  Love that pursues and fights and never settles.  Never changes its mind.  Love that is never conditional... quite the opposite.  Love we can't comprehend... but it's there.  It's here.  Calling our names.  Our names which have been written on His hands before we even came into being.  We are His... forever.

Look!  I almost reach my destination and there it was:  His bow...the Promise.

"Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass."

Joshua 21:45