The Heart of Heaven

While hanging laundry on our rooftop, I was wonderfully shocked by this beautiful rainbow.  

It reminded me of the story of Noah and the Flood--a story which I understood better after recently reading it in our children's Bible.  

In the days of Noah, the world was filled with hate instead of love.  God knew He had to stop people from destroying themselves, each other, and the world.  So He sent a great flood, but saved Noah and his family.  God promised he would never destroy the world again...

"And like a warrior who puts away his bow and arrow at the end of a great battle, God said, "See, I have hung up my bow in the clouds." 

And there, in the clouds--just where the storm meets the sun--was a beautiful bow made of light. 

It was a new beginning in God's world. 

It wasn't long before everything went wrong again but God wasn't surprised, he knew this would happen.  That's why, before the beginning of time, he had another plan--a better plan.  A plan not to destroy the world, but to rescue it-- a plan to one day send his own Son, the Rescuer. 

God's strong anger against hate and sadness and death would come down once more--but not on his people, or his world.  No, God's war bow was not pointing down at his people. 

It was pointing up, into the heart of Heaven."

--Genesis 6-9, as told in The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name