UNICORNS
AND RAINBOWS
What comes to mind? Cotton-candy pink clouds, fairies taking
flight watching unicorns prancing below, leprechauns burying their pot of
gold. Lovely, isn’t it? Linked together
it forms a colorful picture. But is it a fable or truth?
Unicorns. Do we really believe they exist, or once existed?
Many tales handed down through the years say they are real, but there’s no
proof. We’re curious, but whether or not unicorns are or ever were real doesn’t
affect our lives. Fable or fact, unicorns, UFOs, Sasquatch---probably not worth
time and energy we give them.
On the other hand, rainbows are a visual confirmation of one
of God’s promises to us, teaching us how seriously He hates sin, demonstrated
when He destroyed the world by flooding and His promise never to repeat this
act. Ask Noah. He was there.
Our judgment is required to discern true from false in order
to live well.
The Bible is filled with promises, to teach us about Him, teach
us to love Him, to describe the rewards of becoming His child, and the horrors
of punishment for those who reject Him. The world offers many fairy tales and
fables, disguised as truth. The world is filled with false promises, offering
freedom, fun and frivolity that please us today but offer the substance of
cotton-candy, sweet for the moment but with no staying power, no nourishment to
help us stand after the new wears off the fun we’ve had (leaving us with cavities in our teeth, so to speak) and boredom sends us
looking for bigger thrills.
Satan has a few tricks that usually deceive all of us
sometime, and some of us every time. He wraps a lie in a big bundle of truths or almost-truths and, just
like our pet dog who won’t accept a pill yet gobbles it down wrapped in cheese
or peanut butter, we swallow his whole tale. For us, the outcome won’t be good:
the pill we just swallowed wasn’t from the Great Physician.
God is patient, but His rainbow, along with His promise
never to use flooding again to purge a sinful people, also warns that He will
not delay forever a great cleansing of His creation. Through Jesus’ sacrifice,
He offers good times that will last, friends who won’t fail, life filled with
love, forever.
No contest, when you compare with eyes and heart wide open.
