Embracing the Beauty of Rainbows as My Song of Praise

It was December 1995, and I was on a mission trip about 3 hours drive south of Sydney. Each year during the southern hemisphere summer holidays from December 27 to Jan 6, Scripture Union Family Missions (SUFM) arranges for teams of volunteers to hang out in caravan and trailer parks all around the Australian coastline to organically join community and share the news of Jesus with holiday makers. The teams arrange different activities depending on the age demographics in the camp, often with a kids program in the morning, hang out with the parents in the afternoon, a late-night teen hangout opportunity and a family friendly activity each evening.

Evenings were often the prime opportunity to engage campers after dinner was done, these activities were a fun way to enjoy community, make friends and celebrate the summer holidays. This particular year, we have invested a lot of effort and resources into a big bush dance on one evening and the event had been advertised as the feature for the entire mission. But two hours from the start, a vicious summer storm swept through our

campground, turning the site into a swamp. Our forty-strong team were very discouraged as historically this event was a fantastic way to connect with many. Our godly SUFM leaders, called the team together for prayer and committed our hopes to God, though even hearing each other praying was difficult with the rain pounding down on the hollow tin shed we used as our base.

We prayed for God to end the rain and dry and surrounding ground so that we could do what we believed was His will for the evening. After fifteen minutes of partitioning God, it seemed like the rains were subsiding. It felt a little like Noah as someone poked their head for a litmus test and suggested that we keep praying as the answers was coming. Soon after the rain stopped and we took that as a sign to start setting up for the evening. While the ground hadn’t dried completely, we did race around the campsite with the good news that the event was happening. Soon after the music started and everyone was having fun at the country music dance, the most double beautiful rainbow appeared in the western sky.

Later that night, I took some time to wander the beach and ponder what had happened. This occurrence marked me that the Lord of all would consider our humble prayers significant enough to hold back the rains for such a time. I couldn’t help but praise God’s sovereign control of the elements for His love to be lived and shared. I’m definitely not a song writer but as I walked, lyrics dropped into my heart as a personal song of praise and

months later a musically gifted friend helped a melody line to the work. It really did feel like God’s rainbow that broke through the grey skies and burst new life in living colour for Noah and his family to celebrate after their epic boat ride which decimated all of mankind.

Rainbows

Verse 1 From beginning to end, You’re always there, the steadfast living Word

You’ve revealed Yourself to us in love as the God who really cares

Then You gave Your One and only Son as our perfect sacrifice

Chorus And Your promises shine like rainbows through the dark and stormy times

So I lift my hands to praise Your name for You are my Lord and King

Yes You are my Lord, the God of faithfulness

Verse 2 As my closest friend, You’re always there, in everything I do

So I trust You Lord, to lead my on, that I might reach the prize

So that when that final trumpet sounds, I will finally see Your face

Bridge You said You’d never leave me and You’d give me strength to fly

And now I find You give me grace to look into Your eyes

Oh Lord I want to give to You, everything of what I am

That You may show the world through me, Your perfect faithfulness

God can and will give you a song, or a verse, or a thought etc. to comfort and guide you through the dark nights where it is difficult to even see any light. And this is where our praise to and for God can pierce the darkness and bring hope to the hopeless. Pastor and author Louie Giglio has testified this truth on behalf of so many for as God gave him a promise for a deep depression that kept him paralyzed for months. In Job 35:10 he shares that God gives songs of praise in the night (Legacy Standard Bible) and I would encourage you to watch the four-minute interview .

Our God is for you irrespective of what surrounds. Speak His name in faith and allow His praise to lead you through.