Updated Edition 6/12/2017
I know that most of us are facing various trials, and it is easy to let them overwhelm us. Life is hard, but try not to let it get you down. Find something positive to focus your attention on to counter the negatives in life.
I want to focus on hope today. My family and I love rainbows. It is almost a game for us to try to be the first to spot a rainbow when all the needed conditions are met. We like rainbows because not only are they beautiful, but for us, they remind us that the first rainbow was a sign from God. They bring us hope and joy when we see them. It is the one thing that we still see that was created in Noah’s time. It is just awesome to behold such a wonder in the sky knowing that an ancestor from thousands of years ago got to witness the first one.
Rainbows give me hope. A few years ago when my family and I were on our way home on Pentecost, we were discussing all the great edifying things we learned over the weekend. We also were encouraging each other about the trials we were facing here and there knowing God will see us through. Then we looked, and low and behold, we were blessed to see not just one rainbow but double rainbows. I may sound weird, but it gave me goose-bumps and increased my hope. Then the following day, the kids and I got to see a fully complete all the way across the sky rainbow. We could see all the colors. It was awesome! I just wish I had a good enough camera to have captured it.
I know that we can explain rainbows through science, but to me, they are more spiritual. It is a sign of a promise from God Himself, and when I see them it brightens my day and gives me hope. Hope is a God thing. It is a beginning force that keeps us moving forward toward our goals. We cannot have faith without hope first.
Now faith is the assurance that what we hope for will come about and the certainty that what we cannot see exists. (Hebrews 11:1)
Hope leads to faith, and without faith, we cannot please God (Hebrews 11:6). Hope begets faith and faith gives God pleasure. Therefore, if we don’t have hope, we don’t have faith, and we displease God. Thankfully, hope is one of the fruits of the Spirit. God’s spirit in us ignites the hope within us, which then leads to the beginning faith of a mustard seed. Everything works hand in hand like a well-oiled machine. Therefore, don’t ever lose hope. Hold fast to it, and enjoy the wonders of God’s mighty hand in your life and in creation around us.