A Rainbow Behind the Fog

When Light Meets Water

The more I thought about the rainbow, the more I thought about what actually creates one. A rainbow forms when sunlight interacts with water droplets in the air. The light enters those droplets, bends, reflects, and bends again as it leaves, separating into the colors we see.

Light and water.

And that sent my thoughts straight to the beginning. In Genesis 1, before there was anything we recognize as our world, Scripture tells us that “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.

Water. Light. Both present at the very beginning of creation.

And throughout Scripture, both continue to point us toward God. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12). Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

Light reveals. Light guides.

And then there is water. Water throughout Scripture represents life, cleansing, renewal, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus told the woman at the well that the water He gives becomes “a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14). And in John 7:37-39, Jesus invites those who are thirsty to come to Him and drink, and Scripture connects that living water with the Holy Spirit.

The more I thought about it, the more beautiful the picture became. A rainbow happens when light meets water. And Scripture gives both light and water a meaning that goes far beyond what our eyes can see.

Jesus is the Light. He offers Living Water. And perhaps that is why the rainbow caught my attention so deeply.

When We Can't See Clearly

Then there was the fog.

Fog is also made up of tiny water droplets suspended in the air. Those droplets scatter light and reduce visibility. The fog doesn't make everything disappear. It simply means we can't see as far.

And maybe that is where this became personal. Because there are seasons in life when we can't see very far ahead either. Not necessarily because something is wrong. Not necessarily because God is absent. We simply don't know what comes next.

We may sense God leading us somewhere without knowing where we're going. We may have a desire, a dream, or a quiet conviction that we believe is from Him, but we don't have the whole picture.

And that's where I think about the Holy Spirit. Jesus said the Holy Spirit “will guide you into all truth.” (John 16:13).

Guide.

More often than not, the Holy Spirit leads us without showing us everything at once. Most of the time He gives us the next step without giving us the entire journey. That can be difficult. We want clarity. We want answers. We want to know where the road ends.

But Scripture tells us to trust God even when we don't understand. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5). And 2 Corinthians 5:7 reminds us: “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

Faith isn't always seeing the entire picture. It's trusting the One who can.

A Promise in the Cloud

And, of course, I couldn't think about a rainbow without thinking about the first one mentioned in Scripture. After the flood, God tells Noah: “I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.” (Genesis 9:13).

The rainbow became a reminder of God's promise. And I love that it was placed in the cloud. The cloud didn't have to disappear before the reminder could be seen. The promise was right there in it.

That's something worth remembering when our own lives feel unclear. We don't have to wait until everything makes sense before we trust God. His faithfulness doesn't depend on our ability to see. Hebrews 10:23 says, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”

He who promised is faithful.

Look Again

Yesterday morning, I wasn't sure there was a rainbow. I had to look again. And when I did, I saw it.

That little moment gave me more than a beautiful view on the way to work. It gave me joy. It gave me today's blog. And it gave me something to carry into another year of my life.

I've said recently that turning 46 didn't feel especially significant to me. But perhaps every year is significant simply because it is another year God has given. Another year to trust Him. Another year to listen. Another year to learn. Another year to notice.

And perhaps that is what I want to remember from yesterday morning most of all. I don't have to see everything to trust God. I don't have to understand everything to follow Him. I don't have to have the whole picture to know that He is faithful.

I simply need to look again.

If you think God may be showing you something, keep looking. If you think He may be speaking, keep listening. Bring it back to His Word. Pray. Wait. And trust Him with what you cannot yet see.

The fog may limit our view, but it doesn't limit God's. And sometimes, right there in the middle of what we cannot clearly see, there is a little bit of color waiting to be noticed.