Sun Hogs

“Arise! Shine! For your light arrives! The splendor of the Lord shines on you!” Isaiah 60:1

Penny is a sun hog. Actually, she is a nine year-old German Shepherd, Chow, and Husky dog who we think also has a bit of coyote in her. We rescued her seven years ago and is one of the most beautiful dogs we have ever had. Light brown with the Chow tail that curls up over her back, she has the Husky “smile” constantly on her face. She has learned nearly every command with very little work. She loves to go to the river with us. When you splash water toward her, she bites at it, swallowing far more than her tummy can hold over an afternoon. She is quite miserable the same evening, having to go outside to relieve herself far more often than normal.

But, most of all, Penny loves the sun. I usually go home at lunch and let her out while I get something to eat. We live on the same property as the church we pastor; a grassy five acres that backs up to a stream that runs near the perimeter. Living in the Northwest, sunny days can sometimes come few and far between. It is best to soak up as many rays as possible when the sun does shine.

When it is particularly warm, I can find her, half an hour after I let her out, lying in the warm grass in absolute rapture. Prone to depression myself, I know the effect of sunlight on mood. Though it doesn’t always cure my blues, at least the sunshine can sometimes clear some of the clouds away.

In a much deeper way, God asks His people to wake up and enjoy the sun. His splendor, His glory is available to those who trust Him. To be sure, though the sun has therapeutic effects on my moods, there are times, either when I simply do not go outside, or when the mood overshadows the sunlight, and I live as if it is just another drizzly day in the Northwest.

God’s people had been overrun by enemies. They had forgotten God’s promises and were living in depression and defeat. Israel no longer was full of the radiance God intended and instead had sunk into darkness. Not only had they forgotten God’s goodness, but they turned to idols in their worship and foreign nations for their hope.

It reminds me of the Peanuts’ character Pig-pen. Invariably he appears in the strip very, very dirty, with a cloud of dust surrounding him. In the character’s first appearance he says, "I haven't got a name ... people just call me things ... real insulting things." He is referred to in an early strip as the “only person who can get dirty while walking in a snowstorm.”

Father God never means for us to walk in the dark, or to have a cloud of gloom following us around. He offers His very presence, the glory and splendor that far outshine the sun, to shine upon us. And not only upon us, but from within us. Jesus promised that He and the Father would take up residence in any person who trusted Him completely.

So, instead of sitting back and waiting for the sun to come out, why not “Arise” today? God provides, but we must apply. For every tear, there is a ray of God’s glory to turn it into a rainbow-producing prism. For every disheartening moment, God’s splendor shines faithfully.

Dearest, your light has “already” come. As a child of the Father, you are His treasured possession, with all the glistening glory of heaven shining upon and from within. You radiate the beauty of Christ. You have eternal springs of water gushing from within your very being.

Go out, enjoy the glory just like Penny enjoys the sun. Soak it up! Let it change your outlook, your attitude, and your actions. With the splendor of God upon and within, you will not only “feel” better yourself, but you will radiate the beauty of the Lord all around!