In our neck of the woods, we are most likely to see rainbows in the springtime after a long winter. The conditions are just right. The unsettled weather of spring brings intermittent showers and sunshine, often at the same time! One minute the sun is shining; the next, it's raining; the next, it's raining in the sunshine. We get that beautiful display of rainbows when the sun shines through the rain.

Rainbows are another reminder of winter's death and spring's rebirth. And so, it is fitting to see rainbows this time of year. It is particularly pertinent when we consider the winter/spring, death/resurrection comparison with Easter—and the resurrection of Christ.

Death and resurrection are a cycle that is seen throughout the Scripture. In God's infinite creativity and kindness to communicate to His creation, He has woven that message throughout nature and the Bible's stories.

One such place is the story of the great flood. God destroyed the world because of the flagrant and rapid proliferation of depravity on Earth. God brought judgment on the Earth for the out-of-control rebellion of mankind. But God always preserves a remnant of His people, and so it was with the rescue and redemption of Noah and his family.

In this, we see death and resurrection. After the flood, which brought death and cleansing, new life emerged when the waters subsided. He brought judgment for sin and new life for those with whom He made His covenant. There was a fresh start, new life, and a new Earth. With this "resurrection" came a promise, a covenant by God in which He said, "I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth" (Genesis 9:11). And as a sign of the covenant He said, "I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the Earth…When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth" (Genesis 9:13, 16).

This spring, do not miss the rainbow. Look for it, for it is a sign of the faithfulness of God. It is also a continuing reminder of the cycle of death/life, judgment/resurrection, which we celebrate at Easter. Truly, the rainbow is another symbol of the hope of Christ’s resurrection.

He has given us the rainbow, but He has also given us other testimonies of these cycles, which show forth His unfailing love and faithfulness.

In the story of Noah and the flood, we are also given this poetic promise post-flood:

While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
And cold and heat,
And summer and winter,
And day and night
Shall not cease. (Genesis 8:22)

These words, I'm sure, are what inspired William M. Runyan to pen this line from that great hymn, "Great is Thy Faithfulness":

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.