Fun God Story--- 7 Beautiful Colors

(Side note--- I've been wanting to write this and have been praying about it... and I saw SO many THESE ;) today... ALL the pictures I took and posted here... ALL (EVERY single one of these pictures was taken today... awesome God!)

    
      About 3 and 1/2 years ago, I found myself (not thinking) and walking into a store with my Bible in hand. I remember wondering why in the world, I would grab it from the seat of my car and start to bring it into the store to pick up groceries. When I realized what I was doing, I started to head back to my old car to put it back in. As I got to my car, I opened the door and tossed my Bible on the seat.

      Later, after shopping and putting my purchases away, I looked over to the seat where my Bible was. It lay there opened up. A car had pulled up next to mine and the sun reflecting on the car's paint and through my window had created a rainbow on one of the pages. I looked over to see what verse the rainbow was colorfully placed over.  I couldn't believe it! It was the verses in Genesis talking about God's covenant and His creation of the rainbow! I was amazed!!! I know, that I know, that I know--- it was placed there by Almighty God! (It related directly to what I had been talking to Him about earlier that day.) I praised God!

This story doesn't end there though! Oh, No. There is more!

Because soon after this took place, some days later... I was on my knees.. CRYING out to God about something taking place in my life. I opened up my Bible to read it and when I did... a verse jumped out at me. It was Jeremiah 33:3. The verse says: "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know." I started to pray this verse, desperately wanting to see God and have Him physically hold me through the pain my heart was going through.

I was in a fairly dark room in a basement, with the lights off and as I opened up my eyes from praying and crying... the sun pierced through the high widows behind me... creating DOZENS of beautifully, bright, colorful rainbows all around me on the ground of this dark room. It took my breath away... so, so, so beautiful. Truly, God was showing me something great. I was on holy ground. Not only did I know He was (is) in my heart, but I knew He was also all around me. My awesome God!

My hand colored in a rainbow today.

Recently Little J (the 3 year old I nanny for) pointed out a rainbow being cast on the ceiling of a room. God reminded me of these past moments I've had once again. I've now been seeing rainbows everywhere and daily. It's awesome! (I'm not talking about pictures either, but the real thing... whether it be cast through a window, reflected from a glass of water, or in the sky!) Each time I see one, I think of God and how He is near me all the time and always ready to listen. I love it and oh my, oh my, oh my-- do I love Him.

Stepping into a rainbow in the living room today.

     A rainbow is made up of 7 colors. White light is really made up of 7 colors AS IS, but we don't see the colors AS THEY ARE until they are sent through either water or some other sort of prism to unveil them before our eyes.

This one was cast on the ceiling today.

     A few weeks ago I was welcomed into a Bible Study group, as soon as I got there, it just so happened that they were talking about the rainbow and God's covenant. I realized then that these stories are too fun, not to share. God is good and loves to surprise us with things. A rainbow set up in the sky is a beautiful promise from God Almighty. Rainbows also represent something else very important ... the likeness of the glory of the Lord.

This one was cast on the wall today.

     

     Rainbows in this culture are used to represent several things... the true image of them is distorted... It's no wonder the enemy of this world would be out to deceive the TRUE meaning of them... since after all they are the very likeness of the glory of the Lord.     Beautiful white light that's really 7 colors!


     From the first time and every time after I heard the "Revelation Song" by Phillips, Craig, and Dean... the lyrics that jump(ed) out at me was/were: "clothed in rainbows of living color." Truly our God is clothed in living, bright, beautiful, color!

   "Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord." -Ezekiel 1:28


     When Ezekiel saw this, he fell on his face and (after he did) heard the voice of God speaking. How awesome is that!?!? (I encourage you to read more of Ezekiel--- God's Word is amazing!)



             Holy, Holy, Holy is our Lord God Almighty. 
                   Who was and is and is yet to come!


     

 

Thoughts from a 2-year old

 Anyone who knows me... knows that I love kids.

I love to imagine and dream with them.

I especially love to teach them.

How fun is it when little ones discover things for the first time?! There is a wonder for everything, especially nature.

And the faith of a child... WOW it is great! They are trusting. They simply believe in God and what He can do!!!

Way, way, way (out of this world) greater is the faith of a little one vs. an "adult/educated" mind who reasons everything and can't accept miracles.

I am a nanny for two children. Two boys. The little one (for internet safety since this is a public blog we'll call---Little J)... anyways Little J loves watching a particular movie: the Veggie Tales version of Jonah.

About 3 weeks before I was to head to Haiti last year, I went to Tuscon with the family, and on that trip- he would keep asking me "Why didn't Jonah want to go to Nineveh?"

Back of Little J's head at the zoo looking at a real crocodile

He's 3 now, but when he said it he was only 2! So the word "Nineveh" coming out of a 2 year old's mouth is kind of funny to hear.

I had thought the answer was merely because Jonah was afraid to go. Then when I came back and (a God-story in itself) got into Moody Bible Institute. One of my professor's had the class study Jonah in-depth, VERY in-depth for 8 weeks. (That was no coincidence.) Of course the answer to Little J's question doesn't require much in-depth studying to see... but I was still amazed to discover how there was much more to what I originally thought.

Jonah was afraid that God would be merciful to the people of Nineveh, if they repented. In the true story, the people of Nineveh do repent and God was merciful to them by saving them from punishment.

As many of you may know, Jonah sulked and was oh so VERY angry that God would be merciful to the people of Nineveh. What he was afraid would happen in the first place did! God showed great mercy to them. (After all Jonah thought they should be punished!.... That they deserved it!)


Jonah had JUST been saved by God for his own disobedience when he got angry about this! We can all be sad about the way he acted, but have you looked at yourself lately? When I was studying it, God showed me somethings. Ouch.

Do you want mercy withheld from anyone? Are you struggling to forgive someone?

Forgive them today! (And ask God to forgive you for holding that against them too... no matter what it is!) Right now--- truly don't delay. It's a simple choice that we make into a difficult thing, but it is a choice, don't be deceived. We drink our own poison and expect the other person to die, but we end up just hurting ourselves by not forgiving.

God used a then 2 year old to remind me once again...


Luke 6:35-36: "But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.  Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful."

I am so undeserving of His mercy, but from the mercy He has given me... I've learned how to be merciful to others who don't deserve it either. 


Mercy is showing compassion or forgiveness towards someone whom you have the power to harm or punish. 

It's not because you pity them. 

Nor is it because they deserve it. 

It's a choice. It's a free gift. Just like He gives beautiful, free, undeserving mercy to us, daily.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Jonah is a short book in the Bible, so I encourage you to read it if you never have before! Even if you have read it before, God says so much within those few pages... He could show you something that speaks to you today.. you never know ;)