Have you ever seen the beauty of a double rainbow? A single rainbow alone can be a delight to see, but a double rainbow? That is far more uncommon!
I always consider a rainbow as a reminder of God’s promise to Noah to never cover the entire earth in another flood. To me, a rainbow reminds me that God will always make a way for His people, just as He made a way for Noah and his family.
You could say that a rainbow is a reminder of God’s presence and perfect plan. Rainbows are a thing of beauty and perfection.
Live with Hope
Rainbows typically appear after a storm. They are a reminder that God is in control and that He never forsakes His people. Rainbows are a symbol of blessing, a reminder to always live with hope.
The Bible reminds us time and time again to be filled with hope, to be encouraged because our hope will not be disappointed. Hope is precious and something that we must guard and encourage. The world and fear will do their best to squelch our hope, our expectation, that God has wonderful plans for us. If we want to live the life God has for us, we must ignore and reject the voice of fear that seeks to destroy and discourage.
Living with hope is a daily decision and effort. Even being aware that the world promotes things in opposition to God’s ways, I’m frequently surprised at the lies that slip through and attack the promises of God. God is a God of abundance, and yet I find myself struggling to get by. He promises more than enough to His people! So I need to reprogram my mind. Identify the fear that is holding me back and claim and declare the provision He generously supplies to His people!
Confidence in God’s Plan
But even knowing full well that God is a God of abundance and provision, this doesn’t mean it will ever be completely smooth sailing. And I think a lot of Christians – myself included – get confused by this. We think opposition or discomfort or hard times mean we are doing something wrong. But that is not the case! We are not promised a life of ease if we follow Christ! If anything, we might should be worried if things are too easy!
Contrary to what we women think, we will never get a perfect schedule together that does not get interrupted, canceled or rearranged. We can set goals and do our best – which we absolutely should – but just know, life has a way of throwing curve balls and a perfect schedule won’t lead to zero disruptions. That is a fantasy. So learn how to navigate the interruptions better. Learn how to roll with the punches. Do not let your attitude or outlook be affected by something called life. This is the time to learn flexibility and endurance. We’ve got this!
God’s plan is never going to look like our plan. We are human and have such a limited perspective. But God knows and sees all. Don’t give up the hopes He has put in your heart. Don’t let another talk you out of the dreams He has planted. God is so enormous and vast He has a relationship with each of us personally. He did not contact your sister to have her let you know that your dreams are canceled. No, if those dreams aren’t His plan for you – and you are sincerely pursuing Him – He can and will shift your dreams towards what He has for you!
So put on the full armor of God, stand strong, be encouraged, and run your race well! When we listen to fear and outside inputs, the way becomes murky and confusing. When we pay attention to God’s Word, our way is easy and our burden is light. Just like seeing a rainbow after a storm, God’s promises have a way of cutting through the confusion of the enemy.
Double Blessings
Now consider the beauty of a double rainbow – it’s a symbol of blessing, provision, good plans and a beautiful future. It doesn’t mean there won’t be more storms. But rather it is here to fill you with encouragement for what’s ahead. And that’s just how God works. He’s with us always, in us, strengthening and guiding us. When we ask, He gives us wisdom. He has filled us with the Holy Spirit so we can better determine the path ahead.
Do you know a double rainbow is simply a reflection of the first rainbow? Notice how the color sequence mirrors itself. How violet/blue is always at the very smallest arc and red stretches the widest on a regular rainbow. And then when reflected, the opposite is true! I could go on about light refracting through raindrops, but rather, I think we can use this symbol of double blessings to learn to better understand God’s incredible plan for each of us.
Whether or not we can see it, there are so many elements in our lives that God goes above and beyond what we can even imagine to guard and protect us. And also to bless us in a myriad of ways! Just consider, if He can use light and water to form a rainbow and remind us of His presence and perfect plans, don’t you think we can have confidence in Him to direct our steps?
It’s time to quit listening to the voice of fear – yes, even when it’s in the form of being “realistic”. That is a crutch that is holding you back from all that God has for you! Now remember, it doesn’t mean life won’t have challenges and trials. But when your focus is on God, He will equip you every step of the way!
Identify and refute the enemies lies today – here’s a few to get you started:
- there are no good men left out there – cancel that! God made man for woman and woman for man, and He’s a God of abundance! Thank Him for always generously providing and reprogram your thinking.
- you have to be certain of something before you take the first step – cancel that! This is where faith and deference enter in. Definitely do your due diligence, be alert and cautious, but more than that, be bold and courageous! God isn’t setting you up to trip you up! Have more confidence in His provision than that! Fear of the unknown will keep you from ever developing faith and it will block you from living boldly for God.
- this is all there is, I’ve been overlooked and forgotten – cancel that! I read a quote that said something along the lines of when we follow God we can be sure the best is always yet to come! And I think that’s a fact! When it comes down to it, the only reason to be overlooked or forgotten is to be forgettable or not worth thinking twice about. So sorry, but the ball is in your court. Refresh your mind, refresh your attitude, and reprogram your thinking! If God still has you on this earth, it is your Christian duty to light a fire under yourself, level up and figure out what He has for you to do!
- are you sure God promised you that? – valid question! Is a strong inclination the same as a promise? I don’t know. But so long as I have a fire and a belief in me for something that honors God, I’m going to trust Him to work out the details and do my best to do my part along the way. Don’t let someone questioning you make you undermine what you believe. Definitely evaluate the validity of the questions, but have the strength and the spine to understand what’s meant for you isn’t meant for everyone. And vice versa.
- And the list goes on – enter the fears you deal with and consider how you can reframe them to encourage your heart and strengthen your faith!
Isn’t it funny how the beauty of double rainbows led into digging deeper into our faith and identifying and refuting our fears? That is the incredible beauty of God’s creation – the complexity of it all mirrors Him and His incredibly perfect plan!
Until Next Time!
Hope.
PS. Keep reading: https://www.theamericanlady.com/2018/04/11/your-plans-my-dreams/