I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.

~Genesis 8:13 NKJV

I did not intentionally ask for the rainbow to appear, but in retrospect I knew I had.

I was attending a conference—a revival, of sorts—and we were spending hours on end worshipping. A speaker reminded us to stay attuned, saying some of us would experience the Lord’s presence best when we got alone with Him at our hotel rooms, so to be open to encounters. I whispered, “Lord, let that be me.”

Returning to my hotel room, exhausted, the massive queen bed with its soaring bedposts and overstuffed mattress welcoming me, I asked Jesus to continue to do in me whatever He desired. I wanted to be fully His and for every part of me to be devoted to Him. Song of Solomon was my current Bible read-through, and I reflected on a verse expressing this sentiment, “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine” (Song 6:3a). I yearned to deepen my relationship with my Lord Jesus Christ.

I began to fall asleep.

Gently, almost imperceptibly at first, I noticed wisps of magenta, indigo, and sky-blue colors at the bedposts. This color array intensified, and a gold sparkle began to move through them, the glowing colors making their way over both sides to the top of the headboard to meet as a rainbow.

I was afraid! I headed to the powder room.

Peeking from my hiding place, I saw the rainbow had disappeared, so I lay back down. As soon as I started to settle in and pray again, the rainbow reappeared. I would like to say I was delighted, but I was terrified, so I retreated again. I’ll fetch a pillow and sleep in the bathtub, I thought. Switching rooms also seemed a viable option, but what would I say to the desk clerk? “Due to the unusual presence of the rainbow-like-thingamajig that keeps appearing over the headboard, I demand a room change!” I knew that would sound odd to them because the God-encounter felt odd to me too. I realized that unless I uninvited my Lord, He was going to meet with me.

He brought me to his banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.

~Song of Solomon 2:4 NKJV

I tiptoed to the grand bed and laid down, “I’m ready, my Beloved. I am Yours.”

All night, and the following night, I rested under the rainbow—a most unusual sight. On the final night, light-blue orbs enveloped the room. One came so close it obscured my view, dancing over me, appearing like a kaleidoscope. It filled me with peace and imparted a personal message.

In-between the appearance of the rainbow and the angel orb, I asked the Lord what He had shown me.

“It’s My banner, My Love, My Bride.”

Immediately, I thought of Song of Solomon 2:4-5 (NKJV), the communion of the Bride of Christ and her Groom, “He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.” Pressed to the Bride’s lips is the raisin cake her Bridegroom offers, Communion being shared in a single morsel, representative of the couple’s unity. Above the Bride, a banner waves, declaring that Beloved loves His Bride, and she, Him. Because of my encounter, I imagine this as a rainbow of magenta and gold, and prettier than the rainbow mentioned in Genesis 8:13, a love banner that establishes the covenant between God and humanity.

What does this have to do with you, Love? Your Bridegroom Jesus Christ loves you as much as He loves me, and He has set a banner of love above you as well. Whether you see it with your natural eyes or you imagine it, the banner is there. Beloved has an intense and eternal love for His Bride, and He invites us to enjoy His love and peace in full measure. Here, and into eternity, He will be remaking us, loving us, and kissing us as His presence rests upon and over us.

Beloved’s banner of love is real. And so is His covenantal kiss of peace.

Have you invited your Bridegroom Jesus Christ into your midst? Do so today.

My Beloved Bridegroom Jesus Christ, I invite You to take me into Your arms of peace. Stir in my spirit a deep love for You and make me wholly and unequivocally Yours. Amen.

Genre: Non-fiction

Copyright 2021: Banner of Love: Diane Virginia: All Rights Reserved