Greg J Daley

“But let those who love Him be like the sun when it comes out in full strength."
Judges 5:31b

I love summer! I love what happens to people when the sun comes out. I was born and raised in southern California, “The Sunshine State”, so I got to experience what it’s like to have long, hot summers and mild winters. Then I moved up here to Washington State where sunshine is longed for, and even prayed for, especially lately. Regardless of where you live, the scripture above declares that those who love God will be like the sun when it arises in full strength. That is a powerful statement when you think about the power of the sun and its effect on the earth or, more importantly, our effect on the people of the earth when we arise and shine.

The sun has always been seen as the source of life and healing. There are many benefits the sun bestows on us. It is nature's healer. Throughout history, the sun has been a common symbol of happiness and well being. The ancient Egyptians, the Aztecs, the Romans, and the Greeks all worshipped the sun and thought of it as the source of life and health. People cheered and were uplifted by the life-giving rays of the sun. It is a wonderful feeling to get up with the sun shining and a blue sky overhead. It feels like there is a sense of optimism for the day. Do people around us sense the optimism of faith within us saying everything is going to be ok? Do we express the warmth and happiness of our creator? When the sun comes out in full strength all of creation responds. Darkness gives way to light and the ability to see. As children of light we can bring His light into the darkness around us opening up the eyes of the blind. Things begin to come alive and growth takes place because of the sun.

Researchers have found that exposure to natural light increases the production of serotonin, a chemical that stimulates the brain’s pleasure center, thereby perking up your mood while warding off anxiety and depression. Medical Researchers think that our depressed moods during the winter may be the result of a chemical imbalance between serotonin and melatonin. With too little sunlight, melatonin makes us drowsy, and disrupts our internal clocks. Besides just making us feel better and more energetic, exposure to sunlight plays an important role in helping us create vitamin D in our bodies. What makes this so important? Vitamin D has been shown to help prevent and treat serious medical conditions, including: breast cancer, osteoporosis, prostate cancer, psoriasis, acne, etc.

The sun has natural healing powers and we as children of the light are called by God to release His healing anointing to those around us. Think of the challenge of Jesus after he spoke about moving mountains with faith. “Listen to me! You can pray for anything, and if you believe, you have it; it's yours! Mark 11:24 TLB Do you sense he is really pushing the faith envelope here for us to believe what He can do through us?
This summer let us arise and shine with the goodness of the Father’s love upon the people of the earth. Let this summer be the summer of His love: on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! Matthew 13:43