Verse from Genesis

Whenever the rainbow appears . . . I will . . . remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures. Genesis 9:16

Owen was on holiday abroad when he received a disturbing message from a colleague: “The boss is looking to replace you.” Deeply upset, he prayed one morning at dawn and asked God, “Where are You?” Then he went to the window to open the curtains—and spotted a huge, beautiful rainbow suspended above the lake outside. Immediately a comforting warmth gushed over him. “It was as if God was simply telling me, ‘It’s okay; I’m here,’ ” he recounted later.

In Genesis 9, God promised not to destroy the earth through a flood again. He promised, “Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth” (v. 16). This covenant was everlasting and unconditional. It depended totally on God’s protection and provision, not on humanity’s performance. And it was just the first of many promises God would make to His people. Jesus, too, said, “Surely I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20).  

God doesn’t promise that we won’t suffer. But He does promise His ever-present comfort and personal presence. We may not get “rainbow answers,” but we have His assurance that no matter what happens to us in life, He’s always there for us, and we can draw on His strength, comfort, and presence.

Verse from Exodus

You shall not misuse the name of the Lordyour God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. Exodus 20:7

The vintage photograph from World War II, taken outside a town’s Nazi headquarters, carries a warning for all of us. In the photo, a comfortably dressed woman is crossing the street. A man in a suit walks down the sidewalk, while another has stopped to read a bulletin board on the corner of the building. All seem oblivious to the large banner hanging above the headquarters’ front door, half as long as the building. It reads, “By resisting the Jew, I fight for the work of the Lord.”

This kind of treachery is what God had in mind when He commanded, “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name” (Exodus 20:7). This command covers misusing His name when we curse or when we carelessly shout God’s name when we stub a toe or smash a finger. It also includes perversion—using God’s name as cover for evil.

Verse from Isaiah

Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Isaiah 53:3

Most people avoided George Chase. He lived in a twelve-foot square shack in the woods where New England’s Pawcatuck River meets Little Narragansett Bay. To the locals, it was obvious George didn’t have a bathtub. They could smell the evidence. 

One day a hurricane brought the Atlantic Ocean rushing over the seacoast, washing away the beachfront with its attractive homes. Survivors pulled themselves from the bay and began searching for refuge. Eleven of them, soaked and shivering, found it in George’s cabin. He gave them everything he had: water, milk, ginger tea, and shelter. After the hurricane of 1938, the townsfolk had a far different opinion of George Chase.

It’s sad when we make superficial judgments about others, yet it’s our nature to do so. We do that with Jesus too. We might picture Him as He’s portrayed in old paintings, serenely handsome. But the prophet Isaiah said of the Messiah, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him . . . . like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem” (Isaiah 53:2-3). Yet this man gave us everything He had. “He took up our pain and bore our suffering” (v. 4). He offered His life for ours.

It’s tragic when we miss the humanity of our fellow human beings. How much more tragic to miss the divinity of the One we despised

Verses from John

Among you stands one you do not know. . . . the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. John 1:26-27

John was tasked with pointing people to Jesus as the Messiah—the one who fulfilled God’s promise to send a rescuer. But John garnered so much attention that the religious leaders wanted to find out exactly who he was. In response, Scripture records that John “confessed freely, ‘I am not the Messiah’ ” (John 1:20). Even when they pressed him, John was clear that his role was to announce Jesus’ arrival (vv. 21-23). Jesus was the one they’d longed for (v. 27).

This aspect of humility—not taking more credit than is due—is a way we can keep a proper perspective regarding our accomplishments while recognizing others for the assignments or roles they’ve been given.

Verse from 1 Thessalonians

“in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”

‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:18‬ ‭

In the suburb where Lawrence lives, he often complains about the constant power outages. They can hit three times in a week and last up to twenty-four hours, plunging the neighborhood into darkness. The inconvenience is hard to bear when he cannot use basic household appliances.

His Christian neighbor often asks, “Is this also something to thank God for?” She is referring to 1 Thessalonians 5:18. He always say, “Yes, of course, we thank God in all things.” But the half-hearted manner in which he say it is contradicted by his grumbling every time the power goes off.

One day, however, his belief in thanking God in all circumstances took on new meaning. He returned from work to find his neighbor visibly shaken as she cried, “Thank Jesus the power was off. My house would have burned down, and my family and I would have perished!”

A refuse-collection truck had hit the electricity pole in front of her house and brought down the high-tension cables right over several houses. Had there been power in the cables, fatalities would have been likely.

The difficult circumstances we face can make it hard to say, “Thanks, Lord.” We can be thankful to our God who sees in every situation an opportunity for us to trust Him—whether or not we see His purpose. 

Verse from Psalm

Why, my soul, are you downcast? . . . Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. Psalm 42:5

In Psalm 42, the psalmist feels like a deer running for its life. However, he also says, “These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng” (v. 4).

The singer’s memories of worshiping God encouraged him to praise, even in the midst of pain (v. 5). Remembering who our God is—and that we are His—can help us move beyond the painful past we can’t forget.

Verse from Matthew

In addition to Paul’s warning in 1 Thessalonians to reject false teaching (5:20-22), the New Testament warns elsewhere against untrustworthy leaders in harsh terms. Jesus warned, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” (Matthew 7:15). 

False teachers teach what is contrary to the “sound instruction” of Christ and “are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy [and] strife” (1 Timothy 6:3-5; see Romans 16:17-18). 

They “pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:4). 

We can recognize good teachers by their “fruit” (Matthew 7:16-20). They teach the doctrine of Christ and exhibit the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). The evidence of a loving relationship with Jesus is apparent in their lives. The Spirit can give us discernment to recognize false teaching and live for Christ.