God expects much from His followers, because the world expects much from us. October 2002 my husband and I traveled to Vermont expecting to be greeted by a glorious display of God’s artwork in the vibrant color-drenched, God-painted autumn foliage for which the area is so famous. Instead we found leaves turned brown and falling to the ground, but very little of the colors we anticipated.
As we explored a little woodcrafter’s gallery, the owner shared, “I have lived in the area 37 years, and I believe this is the worst fall season for color I have ever seen.” With no rain all summer, the showstopper display didn’t stand a chance. We kept our disappointment to ourselves, while we oohed and ahhed over his sleighs, tiny wooden jigsaw puzzles and other fine hand-crafted items. He felt a need to apologize for his little part of the world not showing off for its residents or visitors.
God’s Word tells us when the world looks at Christians they are expecting to see a beautiful radiance of God-colors in our lives just as we had expected to see in Vermont’s fall foliage.
For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.”
~Romans 8:19 (NASB)
The world longs to see something in us that stands out, shows off, and says, “JESUS,” to them in all COLORFUL CAPITAL LETTERS. This Scripture from Romans implies their deep disappointment when those God-colors are not evident in us. Rainwater during the growing season provides the foundation for vivid hues to appear in the autumn trees. True for Christ followers, too. Ample supplies of Living Water grow and mature us in Jesus. We display the intense hues of His glory and presence. The world is watching and looking and anticipating the beauty.
We need Living Water for our mature God-colors to appear. Baby leaves are green. Only the leaves of trees that have soaked up the rain water all summer mature to reveal a vivid flaming autumn forest. Jesus said,
I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”
John 6:35 (NASB)
Spend time with the Bread of Life. He’ll supply His Living Water. When storms blow through my life and my roots are shaken, let it be because of the praise of angels and God Himself dancing and singing and shouting over me. When I stand through the storm on the solid foundation of Jesus the Living Water my life reflects His in glorious God-Colors-Alive. The world sees His rainbow in my life.
[bctt tweet="When I stand through the storm on the solid foundation of Jesus the Living Water my life reflects His in glorious God-Colors-Alive. The world sees His rainbow in my life."]
Our culture asks us to honor the rainbow this month. Not for the reasons shared here, but constant reminders I see on social media remind me of the scene in that carpenter’s shop and the truth about the rainbow from the Holy Bible.
“I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.” And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”
~Genesis 9:11-16 (NIV)
Copyright 2019, Lynn U. Watson