2013
I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Gen 9:13 (NIV)
It was covenant day in our church today, which I should’ve known about, but I always forget to bring the weekly newsletter home so was unprepared.
The sermon amazingly linked in with my post yesterday, “resolute”. Godincidence? Well it gets better, in my on line journal at typepad.com I spent a quiet hour writing for today at three in the morning. Although primarily not about covenant, the saying “you can’t enjoy the rainbow without enduring the rain” came up which led me to Noah, rainbows and a memory from this year, when I was having doubts.
When I have doubts they are not about God’s existence or anything like that. It’s about my place in it all, when I am incredulous about what he’s done for me and then start thinking. That’s where my problems lay, too much thinking into the molecules of a topic. One day I was driving in West Cork on my way to a meeting, I was talking to God telling him, how worthless I was. It was a very grey day, heavily raining since leaving Kerry, my mood was matching the weather and then I turned one of those 90 degree turns and right in front of me was a glimpse of a rainbow. Godincidence? Now I am not so egotistical to think he put that rainbow there just for me – thee must have been others in the area in need of seeing it. It did the job for me, my spirits immediately went back to joy, I was again without doubt. Unworthy, yes I was still that, but no longer feeling worthless.
Sceptics of Godincidence can say it is New Year of course resolutions are going to be mentioned from the pulpit and covenants are generally renewed in January so it was subconscious nudges. Well I have experienced so many of these events all my life and I also know my mind, they were resolutely Godincidences, without a shadow of a doubt.
Covenant renewal is a time for us to remind ourselves of the promises we have made to God and the promises he has made to us. It is an eternal binding contract if we keep to our side of the covenant. Our assurance is we know that God is keeping his side of the contract. If we keep our focus on the Lord we can everyday keep in covenant, i.e. a yearly reminder is not necessary, because we are in a mature healthy relationship with him.
However, as my earlier memory shows it is easy to think yourself out of that focus. By doubting our place we are disrespecting the boundless love, grace and mercy that flow from our Lord. The onus is on us to not over think, to think with the heart as well as the mind, and when tough times come turn to Jesus first before doing or saying anything, he will get us through.
Rebuilding Community 