Grace of Many Colors

       

       Contemplate the kaleidoscope of hues which color our world. We live on a blue planet, in the light of a yellow sun, with green grass and brown dirt beneath our feet. We can look across the fields and behold black cows, chestnut horses and white sheep. We can visit the orchards and find red apples, green pears and oranges which are...well, orange. We can look up after the rain falls and witness a heavenly arch of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. As I look outside, I see a "rainbow" of flowers - orange, yellow, purple, white. Only look around and you will see God's true colors!
       In Colombia there exists a river known as the Liquid Rainbow, flowing with hues of red, yellow, green and blue. The island nation of Mauritius is host to a small group of sand dunes featuring seven distinct colors: red, purple, violet, blue, green, yellow and brown. Within China can be found unique landforms, consisting of vibrantly colored sandstone.
       The country known for red, white and blue has its fair share of organic colors to offer. Visitors to the famous Yellowstone National Park can behold the polychromatic prettiness of the Morning Glory Pool and the Grand Prismatic Spring. The former boasts dazzling hues of orange and yellow, and the latter is colored with a virtual rainbow of pigments. Arizona is home to a desert that looks "painted," while Colorado has the colorful rock formations known as the Paint Mines. God is the ultimate artist and we live on His canvas.
       The yellow canary sings in his cage. Flocks of pink flamingos grace our beaches. Our backyards are visited by red cardinals and blue jays. The secretive rainbow snake slithers and swims in its aquatic habitat. The rainbow trout navigates the cool, clear waters of North America. Let's go deeper. There is a whole world of breathtakingly beautiful colors hidden from view in the blue oceans of our planet.
       The brushstrokes of the Creator's hand can be seen beyond our blue rock, in the vast expanse of outer space as well. The universe, according to scientists, is beige in color - not black as we might suppose. The accepted term for the hue is "Cosmic Latte." The Milky Way galaxy is appropriately named, white in color. Stars may appear white as well, but in actuality white is only one of the emitted colors. Based on their surface temperatures, stars can also shine with blue, red, even gold-colored light. Although our own galaxy is snow white, the cosmos is dotted with blue, red, orange, pink and purple galaxies. "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork." (Psalm 19:1)

Did You Know? In 2012, astronomers described the Milky Way's hue as resembling "fresh spring snow in the early morning."

COLORFUL GRACE

       Back on Earth, colors are cast in the story of grace. Jesus left the golden splendor of Heaven to sacrifice His life on a brown cross stained with redeeming red blood. Our Savior was mockingly adorned with a purple robe and a brown crown of thorns. The silvery gray tip of a Roman soldier's spear pierced His side. He was laid in a stone-gray tomb from which He arose three days later by the white light of God's resurrection power. He ascended back to Glory where He is seated at the right hand of God's emerald-colored throne which is surrounded by a rainbow (see Revelation 4:3). One day He will return in the blue sky, riding triumphantly on a white horse, at which time Satan will be thrown into the orange flames of the Lake of Fire.
       Even as Jacob blessed his son Joseph with a "coat of many colors," so our heavenly Father has blessed us with grace of many colors (see Genesis 37:3). Think of individual colors as representing different dimensions of God's all-encompassing grace.

SYMBOLISM OF COLOR

       Colors have symbolic meaning. To see evidence of this, look no further than our everyday language.
       When we are feeling emotionally low, we say we are feeling blue. We assign the color green to envy - a person is said to be green with envy. Shakespeare coined the term green-eyed monster in reference to jealousy. A person who is new or inexperienced in a thing is also said to be green.
       The color yellow is the hue of cowardice in our language. If you are accused of being yellow, your courage is in question. This symbolism also shows up in the phrase yellow-bellied coward - not the most flattering name to be called.
       On a more positive note, pink points to health. A person who is in the pink of health has reason to be thankful indeed. A pink complexion usually indicates good health, whereas a pale look signifies an unhealthy condition. Pink is also the signature color for breast cancer awareness.

Did You Know? A computer monitor displays more than 16 million colors.
       

       This idea of many-colored grace has a biblical basis. The New Testament was originally written in the Greek language. And the Greek word chosen to describe the grace of God means "many colored." (More on this in Chapter Two.)

THE GRACE RAINBOW

       Grace is many-colored! The same God Who created a rainbow "bridge" in the sky also created a multi-colored bridge to His blessings. That bridge is grace. The diversity of colors represents the different facets of grace.
       Every time you see a rainbow in the sky, you are witnessing the perpetual promise of God's grace. According to the Bible, the rainbow exists as a visual reminder of a divine vow to never again flood the Earth as in the days of Noah (Genesis 9:12-17). Think of the various colors in the rainbow as representing the various blessings of grace. Each color represents a different blessing. To find your way through the Maze, just follow God's rainbow of grace.
       There is grace to calm the REDNESS of anger, wrath and strife. "Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them." (Psalm 119:165)
       There is grace to overcome the BLUES of hopelessness, depression and discouragement. "...the joy of the LORD is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10) Grace can transform mourning into joy and heaviness into praise (Isaiah 61:3).
       The sunshine of God's grace can pierce the GRAY clouds of the bleakest day. "...unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings..." (Malachi 4:2)
       There is grace to replace the paleness of sickness with the PINK of robust health. "Bless the LORD, O my soul...who healeth all thy diseases...who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed..." (Psalm 103:2-3,5) "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and BE IN HEALTH, even as thy soul prospereth." (3 John 2, emphasis mine)
       There is grace to attain the GREEN growth of Christian maturity. "...neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow...you are God's field..." (1 Corinthians 3:7,9, New International Version)
       There is grace to illuminate the BLACK night of spiritual darkness with the bright light of God's Truth. "For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness." (Psalm 18:28) "The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD..." (Proverbs 20:27) "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened..." (Ephesians 1:18)
       There is grace to escape the ORANGE flames of eternal damnation and to ignite the fervent fire of the Holy Spirit. One blaze is a source of torment; the other is a source of empowerment (Luke 16:22-24; Acts 2:1-4).
       Because of grace we can enter the BLUE, PURPLE and SCARLET veil of God's holy presence. The sacred Ark of the Covenant - upon which God Himself descended (Exodus 25:22) - rested behind a curtain in "the most holy place," stitched with these colors. The partition pointed to none other than the Savior, by Whose precious blood we gain bold entrance into "the holiest" (Hebrews 10:19-20).
       Grace gives us a GOLDEN future. "...the city was PURE GOLD, like unto clear glass...and the street of the city was PURE GOLD, as it were transparent glass." (Revelation 21:18,21, emphasis mine) Heaven is the original and ultimate "Graceland"!

Consider This: Angels play an essential role in God's ministry of grace. In Revelation 10:1 we are introduced to a very colorful angel. John the Revelator records that this heavenly being, wrapped in a cloud, has a rainbow over his head. Furthermore, the angel's face radiates a sunshine-like brilliance and his feet glow with the orange appearance of fire. This latter feature is unsurprising - God makes His angels "a flame of fire" (Hebrews 1:7; Psalm 104:4).

© Matt Decker

» This post is excerpted from my book GRACE IN A MAZE: How to Make it Through (available as  eBook  and  paperback.)