The rainbow that sealed God's covenant with Noah is a beautiful picture of our Lord Jesus, God's witness to his people. But when can we expect to see this sign of the covenant? Here's the key: a rainbow only appears painted across a cloud.

When your conscience is dark with storm clouds, when you remember your sin and mourn before God—that is precisely when Jesus Christ reveals himself as your covenant Rainbow! He displays all the brilliant colors of God's character and speaks peace to your soul. And for the believer caught in trials and temptations, how sweet it is to see our Lord Jesus Christ—to see him bleeding, living, rising, pleading for us! God hangs his rainbow right over the cloud of our sins, our sorrows, our deepest pain, and it prophesies deliverance.

But a cloud alone doesn't make a rainbow. There must be raindrops to catch and reflect the sunlight. In the same way, our sorrows must not merely threaten—they must actually fall on us. Listen carefully: there would be no Christ for us if God's vengeance had remained only a threatening cloud. The punishment had to fall in terrible drops upon our Surety. Until you feel real anguish in your conscience, there is no Christ for you; until the chastisement becomes grievous, you cannot see Jesus.

And there must be sun! Clouds and rain alone create no rainbow without the shining sun. Beloved, our God, who is as the sun to us, always shines, though we do not always see him—clouds hide his face from us. But here is the promise: no matter what drops are falling, no matter what clouds are threatening, if he does but shine, a rainbow appears at once.

They say when you see the rainbow, the storm has passed. And it's certain: when Christ comes, our troubles flee; when we behold Jesus, our sins vanish, and our doubts and fears subside. When Jesus walks across the waters of the sea, how profound the calm!