Chasing Rainbows

Once upon a stormy day,

I saw a rainbow bright

I moved to gain a closer view,

But found it quite the fight.

I found with every step I took

The rainbow moved apace 

With spritely strides and playful gait,

It led a merry chase.

At last, I knew not what to do,

This rainbow had me beat.

I sighed, with a dull, defeated air

And took a mossy seat.

'Twas there, amidst the dew and sun

I sat to mourn my grave defeat

And found I had not yet begun 

To see the rainbow's beauty sweet.

I learned that day a wondrous truth

Whilst in that sedentary truce,

For sitting there, I gained a view

Which chasing never could produce.

Precious in His Sight

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints"
Psalm 116:15


I had always assumed that this verse spoke of God's compassion on dying Christians, as He looked upon their final suffering, but recently I realized that the death of a believer is precious for a different reason. The suffering of a dying child would indeed evoke the Father's compassion, but I believe that the preciousness of a saint's death has entirely to do with the joy of being in perfect fellowship with that child, for to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. (2 Cor. 5:6-8)

For those who have confessed their sins to God and asked for His forgiveness, to die is to be instantaneously translated to the glories of heaven and the presence of the Lord Himself! This is a precious transition for the believer, one to be looked forward to with great anticipation.

When a loved one is absent from us, we may communicate with them, but we still miss them. However much we are in contact with them, we still long to see them in person.

This verse makes me think that it is the same with God. We may communicate with Him in prayer, but He still desires to have us present with Him. Thus, when one of His beloved children passes into glory, it is a precious thing to Him.

What a wonderful thing it is to be counted precious by the God of the universe!