In church the other day, we were having a special day. It was a Son-day, Sundae, Sunday. Yes, we had sundaes afterwards with all the fixings. It’s great on a hot summer day to enjoy some ice cream with all the goodies on top. Of course, anytime is a great time to have ice cream. My message that day was The Sun and the Son, where I was sharing the benefits of sunshine in our natural lives and how sunlight improves our well-being. I also paralleled how the greater benefit comes from having the Son, Jesus Christ, shining over us.

The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace. Numbers 6:24-26

Let me share some of the benefits with you. You might already know some or most of them, but it never hurts to be reminded. I am not a fan of being in the sun. I don’t like the heat…makes me glad I’m not going to hell. However, we all need natural sunlight but even more, we need the light of Jesus to cover us. Too much exposure to the sun isn’t good for you but when you’re in the presence of The Light Of The World, can you get too much?

1. Natural sunlight produces the hormone melatonin in our bodies. This helps us to sleep and reduces stress. I was reading where just an hour of sunlight in the morning will help you sleep better at night. The more daylight you get, the better your body produces melatonin, therefore helping you sleep better at night. I’ll take better and more sleep anytime! Now, Son-light will bring you peace. Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed upon You because He trusts in You.” Look at that! Ask yourself if you have peace, real peace. If you don’t, then ask yourself if you’re getting enough Son-light.
2. Natural sunlight builds stronger bones. Many take Vitamin D supplements where just 15 minutes of sunlight can produce enough Vitamin D for your day. We need strong bones to support our bodies. It is important to keep our skeletal structure strong, especially as we age. Spiritually, Proverbs 16:23 says, “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.” The scriptures are words of life over us. In comparison, sin destroys our bones. In Psalm 38:3 the writer cries, “There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your anger, nor any health in my bones because of my sin.” The words of God brings life, but sin, walking out of the Son-light, can cause the opposite effect.
3. Helps with weight loss. Some studies are showing that being in the sunlight in the morning (between 8 AM and Noon) can help with weight loss or keeping weight off. There’s something about early morning sunlight that, along with other factors, can help you keep those pounds off. I’ve personally found that if I walk in the morning when the sun is coming up, I feel better and feel like it helps kickstart my metabolism. Spiritually, scripture tells us that when we are in the light, it helps reduce another weight on us….sin. 1 John 1:7 says,  “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” Being in the the light of Christ can reduce the weight of sin in our lives. And that even goes beyond just having Jesus in our lives. IF we walk in His light, we also have fellowship with each other. Win Win!
4. Fights off depression. Sunshine produces serotonin in your body. Serotonin improves your mood and helps you stay calm and focused. Many in the north experience winter blues. This is because of the decreased hours of sunlight during the fall and winter months. If you get the winter blues, try to get as much sunlight as you can to help. I had a friend tell me that he felt like he was only functioning on 2 cylinders in the winter. He dreaded the time of late fall into winter. Get outside as much as you can during these times. In your spiritual walk, Son-light is also vital. Just as the sunlight causes things to grow, Son-light causes your FRUIT to grow. Galatians 5:22 says that one of the fruit of the Spirit is joy. The joy of the Lord is my strength! Sure, we all can get sad or even depressed in the natural but when God’s Son is in our lives, it pushes out the darkness. There is a joy that cannot be diminished by what happens.
5. Sunlight is one of the best natural disinfectants. In years past, I’ve heard that in the springtime people would open their windows and doors and take all of their furniture outside and do a spring cleaning. They believed that the sunlight would disinfect and refresh their lives and furniture. I was told that sunlight could even help you stay healthy during COVID. 1 John 1:7 says, “…and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” Let His light shine on you and let Him cleanse you. Remember, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” Don’t allow the devil or others to bring judgement into your life. Let God and His Word do the cleaning. If you’re really following after Him and seeking His will for your life, He’ll take care of the cleaning.
6. While not definitive, there is some speculation that sunlight can help you live longer. Of course everything has to be in moderation, but I believe there is some truth to it. However, one thing I know is that Son-light will bring me and you eternal life. In 1 John 5:12, we find that “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” I choose to have the Son, therefore I choose life. Which brings me to the whole purpose of The Balm Of Gilead. My heart is that you be whole…body, soul, and spirit. You cannot be whole without the Son, Jesus Christ. As Peter said when asked by Jesus who he thought He was, Peter said that He was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. God desires life for you. It’s true that we all live forever…heaven or hell, but God’s desire is that none should perish. He doesn’t wish that anyone spend eternity in hell, a place of eternal utter torment. I’d rather spend forever where Jesus is the light. You can be there too. Simply call out to Him with a humble heart. Ask Him to forgive you of your sins and surrender your life to Him. He promises He will come to live inside of you. The Son chooses to make His dwelling place with you.

As I go, let me leave you with this powerful song from Charlie Peacock. DC Talk did it later but I personally prefer Charlie doing this song. This is a great acoustic version.