Rainbows are caused by the refraction (bending) of light through raindrops. The water droplets divide light into the seven basic colors of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, but actually many other minor colors as well. Primary rainbows appear between 40 and 42 degrees above the horizon, with the center of the ark directly opposite the sun. Because of this, you cannot see a rainbow at noon, when the sun is directly overhead (David S. Kidder and Noah D. Oppenheim, The Intellectual Devotional, 2006, p. 235).

I cannot verify that I have never observed a rainbow at noon, but I have observed that the rainbows in my life don’t come in the noonday hours of good times. God gave the rainbow as a token of His covenant after the flood, promising that he would not again destroy the earth by a flood. “And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth” (Genesis 9:12–13).

The Lord says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30). The yoke he offers is to be yoked with Him. His yoke is easy because He pulls the extra weight in our lives. In the midst of the storm, this is often hard to see. But when the storm passes, new rainbows of joy and comfort come into our lives.

I can trust the future because I have experienced His loving care through the storms of life. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,” because I know the Good Shepherd is with me, and that with His rod and staff He will comfort me (Psalm 23:4). The rainbows come—but only after the storm. “Jesus loves me this I know.”