“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” John 16:13
Jesus looked down from heaven onto His creation.
“Look at them,” He said to His brother Noah. “My people live among immorality like in your day.”
“Yes,” Noah stroked his long white beard. “But unlike my day, there are more than a few good men.”
“True.” Jesus patted His brother’s shoulder as they turned from the window to the world.
Walking along the streets of shimmering gold, they passed an emerald forest where a great lion lay next to a tiny lamb. The lion nudged the lamb’s pink nose, and the small sheep nuzzled into the lion’s furry mane.
“Lovely creatures.” Noah sighed with gratitude. “Unlike the days on the ark.”
Jesus laughed. “You had your hands full on the ark. And did a wonderful job.”
“If you hadn’t shut the lion’s mouths, none of us would have survived. There’s nothing worse than an angry lion.”
“That’s why scripture warns, ‘the devil prowls around like a roaring lion’.”
“True, so true.”
“In your days on earth, our enemy had made great progress corrupting My people. Except for you, Noah.”
“Thank you for protecting me, Lord. And for a fresh start.”
“I know it wasn’t easy for you.”
This time Noah laughed. “No. Lord.”
“As My Father destined, you and your descendent Abraham repopulated the earth. Over thousands of years since, Satan has corrupted My people again.”
“But now there are billions on earth. Many call on your name, Jesus. Unlike my day, good men, women, and children count into the millions.”
“It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us.” 2 John 1:4
“Yes.” Jesus smiled as they stepped onto a gleaming marble bridge that spanned a sparkling waterway. At the apex, Jesus paused, looking out at the river that divided the great forest from the God’s Holy City.
With a furrowed brow, Jesus turned to his brother.
“Yet My people are afraid to take a stand for truth. They divide their loyalty between serving Me and serving the enemy. Money and pleasure are prioritized above worship. Sexual depravity is socially accepted. Killing babies is sanctioned by law. And heads of state, those given authority under God, extort, torture and murder their own people.”
“Nothing is new under the sun,” Noah quoted Ecclesiastes 1:9 with a sober nod.
“As they have for ages,” Jesus agreed. “My homeland, Israel struggles with wars and rumors of wars. Even the most prosperous nation on earth, the United States of America began as a Christian country but has deteriorated into debauchery. The devil’s destruction has made the land of the free into a land full of fear.”
“Where is their faith?” Noah asked.
“Indeed. Who is in control of the earth? Who controls every virus and pandemic?”
“But why, Lord?” Noah begged with sincerity.
“People fear sickness and death more than they fear the Lord. They trust men, and indeed their own intelligence more than they trust Me.”
Without answering why, Jesus’ response sounded like the virus was a punishment.
Jesus looked at Noah and sighed. He began walking to the end of the bridge.
Beside Him, Noah knew the Lord read his thoughts.
Stepping off the bridge onto the golden street, Jesus turned toward Noah’s grand mansion, silhouetted by a towering green mountain.
“This virus,” Jesus continued. “Medical professionals, scientists, and media moguls speculate – how it began; where it will spread; who it will affect; when it will end; and what to do in the meantime.”
Noah pondered as they walked.
“And why You allowed it.”
Jesus remained silent as they approached Noah’s heavenly home.
Near the top of the mountain behind his house, a trickling stream flowed into waterfalls that cascaded to a lagoon. Rising from the mist, a brilliant rainbow glowed in the sunshine over Noah’s vast lawn.
This eternal reminder showed him the answer.
“When Your people don’t have the answers, they finally turn to You.” Noah said.
“Yes, dear brother. As you did, Noah. When the world looked bleak and My Word sounded impossible, you trusted and believed.”
“It had never rained before. I couldn’t imagine the things You told me would happen.”
“But you believed, Noah. You trusted Me.”
Noah’s questions fell away. Building the ark had taken long years and hard toil. The days inside the ark felt like eternal misery.
“You brought my family out of the ark safely. Thank you, Lord, for this beautiful rainbow to remind me to trust You completely. Even – and especially – when I don’t understand.”
Jesus faced Noah, smiling with great love and approval.
“You allow trials so Your people will turn to You. Your people need to trust in You.”
With a nod, Jesus motioned toward the rainbow. The colorful light shone upon the nail scar in His hand. The undeserved pain and suffering, rejection and betrayal of this perfect Savior far surpassed any human trials and suffering.
Noah bowed at Jesus’ feet. He never felt more loved.
“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” Psalms 145:18
God loves you no matter what.
To read Dianne’s stories, The Crystal Falls Series, CLICK HERE.