Rainbow Bubbles

Several days ago, I had 6 kids at my house playing with bubbles.  They quickly ran out of bubble juice and I had to pull out the ½ gallon jug of extra stuff.  My 5-year-old isn't so good with the pouring of the ½ gallon into the smaller containers and she made a mess all over the toy box.  I reminded her to ask for help because it was wasteful to pour out the liquid like that, plus it made a mess all over the box and deck where the kids stepped in it and then stepped into my house.

I intended to clean up the mess, and every time I looked out my back window I could see the sticky juice splattered across the lid of the toy box.  But I never found the time...

Today the rain woke me up early.  It was a thunderous downpour that lasted for most of the day.  The downpour impacted many of my friends that were out and about or waiting in the rain.  One friend was rather aggravated with the situation and I was tempted to offer a consolation that sounded like, "But remember, the rainbow of promise is sent only after the rain."  But I never got around to that either...

The rainbow of promise after the rain.  The rain can be the cleansing that comes down on us as a downpour or an obnoxious never-ending drizzle.  But there is always a rainbow of promise afterwards, right?

I'll be honest, though.  This purifying rain; it never seems to stop; it never seems to end. And in the process, I keep messing up and wonder when it will ever be finished.  When will my little world be cleansed to the point where I can start fresh?

I stared out the back window at the downpour and thought, Oh good, at least it will wash off the bubble juice now.  But as I looked at the mess on the toy chest, I noticed it was dotted with large rainbow-reflecting bubbles.  Rainbows.  God sent the rainbows even while it was still raining.

What?  Is He allowed to do that?

Isn't that just like Him, though?  I'm sitting here, in the downpour, wondering when He's going to send His promise and He's laughing as He sprinkles more cleansing raindrops on the earth.  Because from His vantage point, up in the glorious heavens, He can see every rainbow that is sparkling down on us.  He's laughing because He's so happy that He has the authority to make and keep promises on such an active level.

I'm not saying that it was a good thing that my daughter spilled the bubble juice all over the toy chest.  She made a mess and should have sought assistance from an adult.  But Jesus used the opportunity of that mess to create a beautiful piece of art, something so simple and beautiful that it made me smile for a good portion of the morning.  Something so lovely that I waded out in the downpour to capture a photo of the moment and the promise.

There are probably more insights that I can glean from this little object lesson but I'm too tired to ponder them at this time.  I'm just still so happy about the rainbow in the rain from the mess.

The rainbow in the rain from the mess...

God is so good to us.

A Quick Return

I heard a “sermon” a couple of weeks ago where the guest speaker made a comment about Jesus’ words: I am coming quickly.  The speaker asked, “Was it just a sick joke?”  

The question was left unresolved and the rest of his sermon seemed unrelated to this question.  But it suddenly struck me that many people have made similar statements about Jesus’ promise.  

But I think this statement has been quite misunderstood by so many.  Jesus didn't say he was coming "right away."  He said He would come "quickly."  In other words, when it is time for Him to return, it will be a swift arrival.  

Here's the evidence to substantiate such a claim:

ἀντιδίκῳ σου ταχὺ ἕως ὅτου

I rest my case.  See you tomorrow.  

I know.  I know.  That just looks Greek to you, doesn’t it?  

It’s because it is Greek.  

The original Greek word for “quickly” is ταχὺ.  

That same word is used only 12 times in the New Testament.  And every time it’s used, it implies swift action that takes place all at once; right away.  

Matthew 5:25.  Make friends ταχὺ [quickly] with your opponent.  

Matthew 28:7  Go ταχὺ [quickly] and tell His disciples…

Luke 15:22  He said to his servant, go ταχὺ [quickly] and bring him a robe.

Every one of these verses gives me the visual that a command is issued and then it must be followed through very quickly.  Like, no more delay. 

Isn’t Jesus waiting for His father to command these words?  It’s time.  Go and bring my children home.

But about the day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Matthew 24:36; Mark 13:32

When God the Father utters the command, Jesus will NOT delay.  He will move swiftly!  There is no need for delay.  Why dilly-dally at this point?  Do it fast!  Move!  Bring them home!

THAT is what Jesus was saying!  And John knew it.  That’s why He wrote it down over and over and over.  

Revelation 2:16.  I am coming to you ταχὺ…

Revelation 3:11.  I am coming ταχὺ…

Revelation 11:14.  Woe is coming ταχὺ…

Revelation 22:7.  I am coming ταχὺ…

Revelation 22:20.  I am coming ταχὺ.  Amen.  (2nd to last verse in the Bible, by the way.)

If you were waiting for your bride, would you delay?  When God, the Father, says, Go!  Go get your bride!  Would you dawdle?  No!  You wouldn’t.  

Jesus is awaiting His Father’s word to come back and restore His bride to Him.  And He will do it VERY swiftly.  Rapidly.  Suddenly.  Hastily.  Hurriedly.  He can hardly wait!

When the time comes for Him to return, we won’t have time to think about whether we will defend Him or stand for Him or whether our relationship with Him is sufficient.  There will be no more time to make decisions.  We are rapidly coming into that time when there will be no more time. 

I promise that those who have accepted His promise of a relationship with Him will see that promise as the most promising promise that we could possibly imagine!  Wow, that's a lot of promises.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus.  (Rev. 22:20)