Larry Lilly’s Letter Wednesday July 9, 2003

Long before the Wizard of Oz, the children of this world yearned for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow or for that wonderful place just over the rainbow. An old man told me when I was a boy that the moral behind the “Over the rainbow” concept rather than a “pot of gold” at the end of said rainbow, was that over the rainbow implies that true fulfillment is not in gold, but in the freedom of the spirit “somewhere over the rainbow.”

If you think about it, when we get the promises of God (first mention of rainbow involves a promise from God) in our heart and rise to the point of fervently believing them, we do soar in the spirit and live here on earth as though we are heavenly creatures. The promises of God truly set us free.

In another time and place I had the wonderful privilege of having a dear lady of the faith minister in our church on two occasions. She had been a famous movie star when I was but a child. In addition she and her husband had adopted a number of children and raised them for the glory of God. She had an ennobling quality that I shall always remember. Many hearts were touched and lives changed as she told of the faithfulness of Jesus to her. She wrote a book called Angel Unaware that was published in several languages and touched millions.

Dale Evans Rogers said, “I sought the pot of gold at the foot of the rainbow, but it eluded me. By simple faith, I found it at the foot of the cross!”

Beyond the cross is the resurrection! And that’s where we who know Christ live! The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is working in us, raising us to a higher level of excellence, and ennobling us as we go about our daily lives in a manner that is honoring to Christ.

It’s amazing to me that God uses people in this “ennobling” process. Over the years I have had the blessing of being around many “luminaries” of the political, financial and religious worlds. The really great ones have the knack of making you feel like you are one of them. Dale Evans Rogers had this quality about her. In here eighties, she wore a corset for support while she would sing and testify for 90 minutes. The last time she was with us, we used a football field to hold the crowd in 90-degree heat. The Great Blondes claim to fame for many a year was that she had helped Dale Evans with her corset! I never heard Dale Evans complain. She just gave her all for Jesus. She truly found the “true gold” at Calvary.

So, how about you? Are you still on your journey to the end of the rainbow? Why spend your life chasing a mythical pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, when the real thing is found only in Christ? Dale Evans Rogers knew this and you can find out for yourself this truth.

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2003 Use with credit.