On the drive into church this morning, the skies were cloudy but still calm—until I noticed something unusual. Just above the horizon, barely visible through the mist, was a faint rainbow. It wasn’t bold or vibrant—just a soft arc of color stretching gently across the sky. And then, almost without warning, the downpour began. Sheets of rain slammed against the windshield, and visibility dropped to almost nothing. It became hard to see, hard to drive, hard to think. But even through the storm, I kept remembering that rainbow. That faint sign of promise gave me hope. It was as if God was reminding me—before the storm hit—“I’m already here.” Sometimes, He shows us the rainbow not after the storm, but right before it begins, to remind us that He is still in control, still working, and still faithful—no matter what comes next.
In my own life, I’ve experienced moments where God gave me a beautiful glimpse of His peace, His provision, or His presence—right before everything around me seemed to fall apart. And I couldn’t understand it at the time. Why would He show me something so good only to allow something so hard to follow? But later, I realized: the rainbow wasn’t a false hope. It was a faith marker. A divine reminder that even the storm was part of His plan.
The Red Sea Storm
We often talk about the Red Sea miracle as a moment of divine deliverance—and it was. But have you ever noticed that God didn’t part the waters in calm, quiet stillness? Exodus 14:21 tells us, “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land.”
A storm came first. A howling, relentless wind that blew all night long. I imagine the Israelites standing there, weary and afraid, with the Egyptian army behind them and a storm stirring up the sea in front of them. It probably didn’t look like a miracle. It probably felt like chaos. But the wind—the storm—was actually part of the miracle.
God was working in the storm, using it to make a way where there was no way.
Sometimes, we pray for God to make the path clear, and then a storm rolls in. But maybe that storm is the answer to our prayer. Maybe the very thing we’re begging God to remove is the thing He’s using to move us forward.
Storms That Serve a Purpose
Storms don’t mean God is absent. In fact, storms often signal that God is doing something deep, something powerful, something eternal.
- Noah faced a storm that destroyed the earth—but it preserved his family and birthed a new beginning.
- Jonah found himself in a storm not because he was doing the right thing, but because he wasn’t—and even that storm was God’s mercy, steering him back to purpose.
- The disciples once battled a storm on the Sea of Galilee, and Jesus came walking on the water, proving that what threatened to take them under was already under His feet.
And maybe you’re in that place now. Maybe God showed you a “rainbow”—a dream, a promise, a new beginning—only for a storm to blow in out of nowhere. Let me encourage you: Don’t dismiss the rainbow just because the skies turned dark. The rainbow is still true. The promise still stands. The storm isn’t the end—it’s the means.
God Goes Before the Battle
One of the most comforting truths I’ve learned is this: God prepares us for what He’s prepared for us. Sometimes He does it with blessings and breakthroughs. Other times, He does it with wind and waves.
The rainbow might come first to remind us that God already knows how this ends. And the storm? It’s not punishment. It’s preparation. It’s protection. It’s provision in disguise.
You might not understand the “why” right now. You may feel like the Israelites—pressed on every side, staring into an ocean of uncertainty while the wind screams all around you. But don’t let fear drown your faith. The same wind that sounds like chaos is being directed by the hand of a God who never loses control.
Psalm 77:19 says, “Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen.” That’s how God works. Even when we can’t trace Him, we can trust Him.
Holding On to the Rainbow
So, if you’ve seen your rainbow—if God has spoken a promise to your heart, given you a glimpse of joy, or whispered hope into your soul—don’t let the storm convince you it wasn’t real. Hold onto what He showed you in the light, even when everything around you feels dark.
Storms are often the transportation to the promise. Let the storm do its work. Let it blow through everything that needs to be cleared. And trust that when it’s all said and done, you’ll walk on dry ground into a place of victory you never imagined.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the rainbow moments that anchor our hearts. Help me to trust that even when storms come, You are still working behind the scenes. Teach me not to fear the wind but to see Your hand in it. Give me faith to believe that what looks like a setback is really part of Your setup. I choose to hold onto Your promises—even when skies grow dark—because I know You are faithful. Lead me through the storm to the other side, where Your glory is waiting. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Life-Giving Words of Hope & Encouragement 
Leave a comment