The first thing Noah did was to thank God for rescuing them, just as he had promised.
And the first thing God did was to make another promise. "I won't ever destroy the world again." And like a warrior who puts away his bow and arrow at the end of a great battle, God said, "See, I have hung up my bow in the clouds."
And there, in the clouds - just where the storm meets the sun - was a beautiful bow made of light.
It was a new beginning in God's world.
It wasn't long before everything went wrong again but God wasn't surprised, he knew this would happen. That's why, before the beginning of time, he had another plan - a better plan. A plan not to destroy the world, but to rescue it - a plan to one day send his own Son, the Rescuer.
God's strong anger against hate and sadness and death would come down once more - but not on his people, or his world. No, God's war bow was not pointing down at his people.
It was pointing up, into the heart of Heaven.
*a passage from "The Jesus Storybook" by Sally Lloyd-Jones
