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I love rainbows! The colors are absolutely gorgeous. No two are ever exactly the same. We can see them from such a variety of perspectives. The times I've seen a double rainbow are particularly breath-taking. Have you noticed that no matter the setting or the view point, everyone seems to stop what they are doing to take the time to notice, and point it out to others around them?
As Believers, we have a particular fondness, and appreciation of rainbows. After the flood, God told Noah:
Genesis 9:12-17, "This is the sign of the agreement between me and you and every living creature that is with you. I am putting my rainbow in the clouds as the sign of the agreement between me and the earth. ....Floods will never again destroy all life on the earth.... I will see it and I will remember the agreement that continues forever between me and every living thing on the earth.' So, God said to Noah, ' The rainbow is a sign of the agreement that I made with all living things on earth.'"
After a time of rain, there is always something cheerful and comforting about seeing a rainbow. Seeing a double rainbow doubles our joy. Whether or not we are consciously aware, rainbows are soothing for our souls.
Artists know that if they mix all the colors of paint together, they will end up with the color black. With light, they will end up with a very opposite result. When all the colors of light are mixed together, white light is seen.
We enjoy looking at light that is refracted by anything that acts like a prism, which creates rainbows. God is light according to 1 Tim. 6:16; 1 John 1:5. In Him there is no darkness. Christ is Light: John 1:4-9, 3:19-20, 8:12, 12:46. Psalm 119:15 tells us His word is light. And light is used to indicate the presence of God: 2 Cor. 4:6, Ephesians 5:8-9; 1 Peter 2:9.
There is only one "Light of the World!" That Light can manifest in a multitude of ways. By looking at the individual characteristics of that one Light, we are not creating more Light, only looking at its make up.
Science has shown us that light can be separated into distinctly different and unique colors. Each of these colors can serve as a tool to enable us to see a larger picture of the character of God. These distinct characteristics can be something with which we remind ourselves when we are going through some challenging circumstances, and stormy times in our lives.
The Bible tells us that there are seven spirits of God. These are God and not God divided into seven parts. Nor is this implying that there are seven "Gods." God is simply expressing Himself as each one of these. These seven spirits are listed in Isaiah 11:2-3, and mentioned in Jeremiah 33:14, and Rev. 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6.
Isaiah lists them as follows: The Spirit of the Lord, The Spirit of Wisdom, The Spirit of Understanding, The Spirit of Counsel, The Spirit of Might (Strength), The Spirit of Knowledge, The Fear (Respect/Awe) of the Lord. All of these equals ONE God.
This perspective is being shared for encouragement, and not for theological debate. The rainbow is a very literal sign, but it also can be a symbolic tool that can help us be reminded of Who God is and to remember that He dwells in fullness within each of His children.
When we experience some tough things in this life, we can be reminded of the rainbow. Just as it is a sign to remind us that God will never again bring destruction by flood, we can use the various colors of the rainbow to remind us of the fact that God's Holy Spirit lives inside of us. When we need wisdom, we can be reminded that HIS Wisdom lives inside of us. When we need courage and strength, we can be reminded that HIS Might lives in us. The same is true for Knowledge, Understanding, and so on. Christ in us is our Hope (confident expectation for a good outcome)!
