“I have placed my bow in the clouds; it will be the symbol of the covenant between me and the earth.”

When Noah and his family left the ark, God made a covenant with the earth through Noah’s family.  He said He would never destroy the earth by a flood again and the sign of the covenant was a rainbow in the clouds.  Why wasn’t God’s Word enough?  God had said it would rain and it did.  God had promised to deliver Noah and his family and the animals and He did!  So, why wasn’t His word enough?  Why do we need a sign?

Just yesterday, I had one of the greatest privileges: God allowed me to baptize one of our children in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  God has done and is doing a great work within her heart and life; she is learning to follow Jesus and to love God and others.  She has committed her life to God as a follower of Christ and promised to serve Him in the church and in the world!  She made promises to God and God made promises to her.  God said: “I will be your God and you will be my child.”  And as a reminder, a sign of that new promise, I applied water to her head and proclaimed: “______, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”  Why do we need a sign?

One day, a boy was walking along with his grandpa and the elderly man said: “Son, always remember I love you.”  That really warmed the boy’s heart and he thought about it for a moment and said: “Grandpa, how can I remember that you love me.  I’m just a little fella and sometimes I forget.”  And Gramps said: “Well, sometimes I take you fishing; sometimes we go hunting together; and sometimes we just sit and talk.  So, every time you think about those things, the things we do together, I want you to remember how much I love you.”   The boy needed a sign.

At times, I need a sign too – a sign of God’s love, a sign of God’s faithfulness, and sign of God’s constant presence and care.  And God has honored my need for a sign.  One day a pastor applied water to me and baptized me in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy spirit and whenever I begin to doubt or whenever the cares of life threaten to choke out my memory, I remind myself – as did Luther – but Tucker, you are baptized.

See!  I have put my bow in the clouds!  See!  I have put my seal upon you!  You are mine and I am yours!  So be it!  Amen!