Funny how adults can still learn significant lessons from children’s bible classes. I’m glad that God still teaches me humble lessons through simple ways. Children’s bible lessons can have profound lessons for adults to learn as well.
I was sitting in the primary sabbath school class with my kids and the teacher showed the Gracelink video about Noah coming out of the ark entitled “The Rainbow Promise.” It started by asking if kids have ever felt stuck at home because the rain wouldn’t stop pouring outside. Some kids can’t wait for the rain to stop and play outside again. That must have been how Noah and his family felt after being locked in the ark for more than a year.
Once all the water was gone and it was safe to disembark, Noah and his family tried to live their lives as normal as possible but of course everything was different. The land looked different and the world was quiet. The earth was unrecognizeable. They have never experienced rain and flood before and now they are seeing the devastating effects of it.
Just imagine the anxiety that Noah’s family initally experienced post flood when it finally started to rain again. “Oh no! Not again!” “Do we need to run back into the ark?” “There’s that water from the sky again! Take cover!” These are some phrases I imagine went through their heads. They must’ve had some sort of PTSD every time they saw rain, something that was now going to be a common occurrence.
Despite all the rain, however, there is a rainbow. The promise from God that he will never flood the entire world ever again. Sure, there may be local destructive flooding here and there but the entire earth will never be cleansed through water again. That tells me God cares about our mental health. He provided this bright multi colored circle in the sky to help Noah and his family not focus on what happened but what will not happen – another major flood. The rainbow provides hope and comfort to an anxious mind. Not only is it beautiful to look at, you can’t help but smile and feel at peace seeing it in the sky.
The rainbow still shows up everytime it rains to this day. It has been hundreds of years – a very, very, very long time since the first one appeared – and it never fails to show up anywhere in the world. God’s promises never fails. God never fails. Let’s surrender all of our cares and anxieties to God. May He give us the peace that passes all understanding. “Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you,” 1 Peter 5:7. “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken,” Psalm 55:22.
I have been personally asking God to send me a counselor to help me deal with mental health issues that have been coming up recently. And this is one of God’s answers to me – look at the rainbow. And ultimately, look unto God; for He is my Rock and my Salvation, the source of everything I will ever need in life.
I think... 