Encircled

I am not long back from a fantastic trip to South Africa which included ministry and rhinos, though not at the same time! There were some unforgettable moments, and this was one of them.

The image is of me taking the photo - not an angelic vision! It is known as a Brocken Bow which happens when the magnified shadow of the observer is projected onto a cloud. What makes it so special is that the figure is encircled by a rainbow of glory. That’s what spoke to me.

God likes rainbows. Did you know every time there is a rainbow, God remembers his covenant promise to the earth? (Genesis 9:16). This is good to know as we watch missiles colliding and wars erupting. We can trust God’s care and can turn our fears to prayers.

When I saw that rainbow surrounding me, I was reminded God encircles us with his covenant promises. Psalm 32 tells us we are surrounded by songs of deliverance, surrounded by unfailing love. Can you see God’s covenant promises encircling you?

God has made mighty promises to surround us. Here is one to encircle us in shaky times:

Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

Isaiah 54:10

Can you take a moment today to see yourself encircled by God’s promises, his presence, his rainbow glory?

Of course, there aren’t always Brocken Bows to be seen. My life is littered with mundane moments – cleaning the stinky food bin, repainting a leaky ceiling, the relentless cycle of brushing up after my endlessly moulting dog! But when we ask God to open our spiritual eyes, there are moments when the sky breaks open, rainbow light shines through and we remember we are children of eternal promise, created by the Lord of glory.

Even Wikipedia describes the Brocken Bow as “GLORY”. As I gazed at it, I thought of how when Moses saw God’s glory, he saw his goodness (Exodus 33).

Isn’t that wonderful? God’s glory isn’t a cold light - God’s glory is the same goodness that underwrites his loving promises and when we catch even a glimpse of it, our mundane grey clouds are parted by a rainbow surrounded by golden light.

“Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And I fell facedown”. (Ezekiel 1.28).

May God remind you today that you are in Christ, held by his love, surrounded by his promises, encircled by glory.