Introduction: When It Won’t Stop Raining
Lately, it feels like it’s been raining every single day here in the Midwest. And while rain is a blessing — it waters the land, nourishes crops, and symbolizes cleansing — too much of it can start to wear on the spirit, or at least my spirit. My family and I are currently trying to build a house, and we can’t even dig the basement because the ground is saturated. It’s a small thing in the grand scheme of life, but it still weighs on me. Every week that I look at the forecast I am disappointed by the weather.
This morning, our pastor preached a message that stirred something in my heart. It reminded me that the same God who controls the rain is also the One who made a covenant with Noah and the promise of a rainbow. It reminded me that God is not only present in our storms but faithful after them too. These storms may look different to everyone and even different in every season of life that we walk through. But remembering who is in control reminds us that God always has our back and will remain our firm foundation. As the song goes “He’s never let me down. He’s faithful through generations. So why would He fail now? He won’t!”
Bible Verse Study: Genesis 9:13
“I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.” — Genesis 9:13
After the flood that covered the earth, God made a covenant with Noah and with all creation. He promised never to destroy the earth with a flood again. And as a sign of that promise, He set a rainbow in the sky. It’s a beautiful symbol, not only of God’s mercy but of His trustworthiness. He didn’t just say it; He gave us a visible reminder. Something we can see, even today, after a storm clears.
Devotional Thought: The Rainbow After the Rain
God never promised that we would avoid storms. But He did promise that He would be with us through them — and that after the storm, there would be purpose, restoration, and hope.
The rainbow reminds us that even if we feel like we’re underwater so to speak, God is still in control. He sees the bigger picture because he created it. He knows how long the rain must last, and He knows how much we can bear. It’s tempting to want everything now — the house, the progress, the sunshine; oh boy does that sound nice! But God’s timing is perfect and it’s a hard truth to live by. He may be building more than a foundation in the soil. Maybe He’s also building faith in our hearts.
Sometimes we need to pause and ask:
What is God trying to teach me in this season of waiting?
✍️ Journal Prompt:
Take a moment to reflect on your own life and write this down:
What is one promise from God that I need to hold onto right now, even though I can’t yet see the outcome?
Maybe it’s a promise about provision, peace, healing, direction, or salvation. Whatever it is, write it out. Then write a short prayer asking God to help you trust Him with that promise. Speak that prayer out loud.
Bonus Reflection:
Think back to a time in your life when you were waiting on God — and He did come through. How did it shape your faith? Write about that too. Sometimes remembering God’s past faithfulness is the key to holding on in the present. I know I often need reminders.
Self-Reflection: What Do We Do in the Waiting?
Waiting is hard. Especially when it feels like everything is on hold. I find myself asking God, “Why can’t it just stop raining?” And maybe your version of that question sounds different: “Why can’t I get this job?” “Why is my family struggling?” “Why am I still waiting for healing?”
But what if the waiting isn’t wasted? What if this season is preparing us for something better than we imagined? What if, like Noah, we’re called to build in faith even before the clouds break?
It’s not easy to surrender our timelines, our dreams, or our blueprints. But it’s what faith asks of us — to believe in a God whose promises are sure even when the skies are gray.
A Personal Note: Trusting God
Every day the rain continues, I feel a little more frustrated. I want to get going on the basement. I want to see progress. But I also know that this home is not just our plan — it’s part of God’s plan too. I can’t see what He’s doing with every delay. But I can trust that He’s doing something.
The same God who placed a rainbow in the sky thousands of years ago is still speaking through the clouds today. He is faithful. Every prophecy He spoke has or will come true — and if He kept His word in the past, why would He stop now?
And especially when I think about all the Bible’s fulfilled prophecies — from the Old Testament through to real-world history, like Israel’s restoration and the six-day war in the 1900s — I’m reminded that God never misses a promise. He won’t start with the one about Christ’s return. Every promise of God proves true (Proverbs 30:5), and that includes the ones we’re still waiting to see with our own eyes.
Closing Prayer
Dear God,
Thank You for being a promise-keeping God. When the rain feels endless and the waiting wears heavy, remind us of Your faithfulness. Thank You for the rainbow — a sign that You see us, that You remember us, and that Your mercy endures. Help us to trust You not just after the storm but in the middle of it. Give us the patience to wait, the strength to endure, and the faith to believe in Your timing.
Let Your will be done — in our lives, in our families, and even in the simple things like building a home. We believe Your promises are true, just as we believe Christ will return one day as You said He would.
Until then, we trust You — rain and all.
In Jesus name, Amen.
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