Advent Devotional Nov 29
Week One:
Creating Shalom means Bringing Hope
Tuesday, November 29, 2022
“The Rainbow’s Gift” – Read Genesis 9:1-17
God said, “This is the symbol of the covenant that I am drawing up between me and you and every living thing with you, on behalf of every future generation. I have placed my bow in the clouds; it will be the symbol of the covenant between me and the earth.” (vv.12-13, CEB)
In the fall of 2021, my husband and I took a 25th-anniversary vacation to England, Scotland, and Ireland. One afternoon walking around Dublin, we turned a corner to see a stunning, bright, double rainbow! Could anything be more perfect to see in Ireland? Of course, I recalled the tale of finding a pot of gold at the end of a leprechaun’s rainbow. More importantly, I thought of the promise from God: “The bow will be in the clouds, and upon seeing it I will remember the enduring covenant between God and every living being of all the earth’s creatures” (v. 16).
Noah and his family had just lived through a terrible ordeal. Imagine being on a crude, giant ark with thousands of animals during what would have seemed like an endless storm. The wind and rain battering the ship would have made it hard to distinguish between night and day, with restless animals constantly making a fuss. It would have been hard not to be completely consumed with hopelessness. When the darkness and rain seem to envelop your world in a constant state of noise and chaos, what do you remember?
The gift of the rainbow was not only God’s promise to never again allow floodwaters to destroy the living (v. 15), but it was also a gift of hope. The gift of the rainbow tells us that in the most tumultuous times, God is still there, in the darkness, waiting to share a promise of hope in the light of a new day.
Lord, help us to remember that you are ALWAYS with us. Even in our darkest times, you are the hope and the rainbow that never fades. Amen.
Rebekah Hasty, Associate Director of Connectional Ministries
Programs and Development, The Oklahoma Conference of the UMC
“The Rainbow’s Gift” – Read Genesis 9:1-17
God said, “This is the symbol of the covenant that I am drawing up between me and you and every living thing with you, on behalf of every future generation. I have placed my bow in the clouds; it will be the symbol of the covenant between me and the earth.” (vv.12-13, CEB)
In the fall of 2021, my husband and I took a 25th-anniversary vacation to England, Scotland, and Ireland. One afternoon walking around Dublin, we turned a corner to see a stunning, bright, double rainbow! Could anything be more perfect to see in Ireland? Of course, I recalled the tale of finding a pot of gold at the end of a leprechaun’s rainbow. More importantly, I thought of the promise from God: “The bow will be in the clouds, and upon seeing it I will remember the enduring covenant between God and every living being of all the earth’s creatures” (v. 16).
Noah and his family had just lived through a terrible ordeal. Imagine being on a crude, giant ark with thousands of animals during what would have seemed like an endless storm. The wind and rain battering the ship would have made it hard to distinguish between night and day, with restless animals constantly making a fuss. It would have been hard not to be completely consumed with hopelessness. When the darkness and rain seem to envelop your world in a constant state of noise and chaos, what do you remember?
The gift of the rainbow was not only God’s promise to never again allow floodwaters to destroy the living (v. 15), but it was also a gift of hope. The gift of the rainbow tells us that in the most tumultuous times, God is still there, in the darkness, waiting to share a promise of hope in the light of a new day.
Lord, help us to remember that you are ALWAYS with us. Even in our darkest times, you are the hope and the rainbow that never fades. Amen.
Rebekah Hasty, Associate Director of Connectional Ministries
Programs and Development, The Oklahoma Conference of the UMC
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