I saw a rainbow today. I saw it multiple times, actually. And yet, every time it appeared, I stared and wondered if I was imagining it. I’ve never seen a rainbow so faint. The colors were barely visible at all, but I could still see the arc of it.

As usual, I started thinking. Rainbows speak of God’s promises. I suppose they are a reminder of the specific promise that God won’t completely flood the earth again, but in the centuries since Noah first saw a rainbow, they have become a symbol God’s faithfulness to all of His promises.

How many times have I doubted God’s promises? The faint rainbow I saw today made me think of the times when I have looked over and over again to determine whether I had imagined God’s promises. Some of the promises I’m still waiting to see fulfilled seem faint some days, and I begin to wonder if I really heard or saw them. Perhaps I just imagined them; maybe I wished so much that I came to believe God said…

Some of the promises God has spoken seem almost nonexistent when I look with my natural eyes. I can see the faintest glimmer but can’t make out even one color of the rainbow. Does that mean the promise is any less sure? Is God less faithful because I can’t see His answers yet?

Of course not!

Are there promises you are waiting to see fulfilled as we embark on 2017? I don’t know your circumstances. Maybe it looks like nothing is happening in the natural. Maybe there isn’t enough sunlight in your situation to see even a faint arc… God is no less faithful in the dark circumstances.

Thankfully, our ability to see the vibrant colors of His work on our behalf doesn’t dictate what is happening beyond our viewpoint. It is with eyes of faith that we have to see.

I hope that when you look ahead at this new year, you can see vibrant colors and know God is moving in your situation. If that isn’t the case, I hope that the eyes of faith will see beyond the clouds and still know God is faithful to His word.  The year 2017 is full of promises, and I intend to keep my eyes open to see them!