"Every good gift and every perfect (free, large, full) gift comes from above, from the Father of all [that gives] light, in [the shining of] Whom there can be no variation [rising or setting] or shadow [cast by His] turning (as in an eclipse)." James 1: 17 (Amplified)
I'm often heard saying (especially on a sunny day), "I'm SO solar-powered." What I mean is that the feeling of the sunshine beaming down on me does something that touches a peace-o-meter in me. It's a reminder that life can be good, that things can go right, and that there is joy in the little things.
I said that earlier today (obviously because it is - or was - a sunny day!) and someone asked if I also meant that I was powered by the SON. I laughed - because I am - although that's not how I meant it. But the comment got me to thinking about how everything I am, everything I have comes from Him.
I even looked up some information on the Internet about solar power because I wanted to learn more about how it works, just for curiosity's sake. And I found out something rather interesting about solar power. The author of one science site said that every form of energy that we use comes from the sun. Every. single. one. The sun makes things grow - the process of photosynthesis (plants making their own food out of sunlight) stores energy in their cells - which can be released later on (for example, by burning wood). Of course the long-term - or second-hand - release of the sun's energy comes from previously living things that have been under pressure for many thousands of years - hence, coal, oil, and natural gas.) And finally, the sun evaporates water, which falls down from the sky and we collect that water behind dams and use the energy from it to make electricity.
And then there's the usual way we think of solar energy - harnessing the radiation from the sun to charge batteries for use in whatever we decide - from calculators to (eventually) cars!
The thought that struck me was that everything ... not just fuel ... could be traced back to the sun. As a matter of fact, if the sun were suddenly to disappear, all life on earth would cease in a matter of minutes. Yet we blithely go on our way and rarely even think about how much we depend on that warmth and that light every moment of every day.
We don't have to worry whether we "have the power of the sun" to use. It's there; it's all around us! We just walk in it. There's nothing complicated about it, at least not in the everyday. We don't think about the sun when we turn on a light switch - we just use it. It's there. We complain about the rain, but the sun is still there, warming and giving life and light to Earth.
Just so, when the SON has set us free, He takes up residence in the center of our being. Our whole world revolves around Him, whether we are aware of it all the time or not! His resources are ours to use; they are at our fingertips. Because of His grace and forgiveness, we are free to live, to love, to enjoy our lives, to reach out to those who need help - all because He is shining in us. Without that, we would be living in death ... period. There is nothing that we can boast about in what He has done for and in us. Every good gift and every perfect gift comes from Him. Including salvation. Including the faith to believe in what He has already provided. Including the mercy and wisdom He shows equally in whatever He allows to come into our lives. And so much more. Every moment of every day, the Son-beams come down. His grace and forgiveness are all around us. There is no eclipse. There is no shadow. There is only Him.
He is the source.
He is the centre.
He is everything.
I'm often heard saying (especially on a sunny day), "I'm SO solar-powered." What I mean is that the feeling of the sunshine beaming down on me does something that touches a peace-o-meter in me. It's a reminder that life can be good, that things can go right, and that there is joy in the little things.
I said that earlier today (obviously because it is - or was - a sunny day!) and someone asked if I also meant that I was powered by the SON. I laughed - because I am - although that's not how I meant it. But the comment got me to thinking about how everything I am, everything I have comes from Him.
I even looked up some information on the Internet about solar power because I wanted to learn more about how it works, just for curiosity's sake. And I found out something rather interesting about solar power. The author of one science site said that every form of energy that we use comes from the sun. Every. single. one. The sun makes things grow - the process of photosynthesis (plants making their own food out of sunlight) stores energy in their cells - which can be released later on (for example, by burning wood). Of course the long-term - or second-hand - release of the sun's energy comes from previously living things that have been under pressure for many thousands of years - hence, coal, oil, and natural gas.) And finally, the sun evaporates water, which falls down from the sky and we collect that water behind dams and use the energy from it to make electricity.
And then there's the usual way we think of solar energy - harnessing the radiation from the sun to charge batteries for use in whatever we decide - from calculators to (eventually) cars!
The thought that struck me was that everything ... not just fuel ... could be traced back to the sun. As a matter of fact, if the sun were suddenly to disappear, all life on earth would cease in a matter of minutes. Yet we blithely go on our way and rarely even think about how much we depend on that warmth and that light every moment of every day.
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| Photo "Earth And Sunset" courtesy of Idea go at www.freedigitalphotos.net |
Just so, when the SON has set us free, He takes up residence in the center of our being. Our whole world revolves around Him, whether we are aware of it all the time or not! His resources are ours to use; they are at our fingertips. Because of His grace and forgiveness, we are free to live, to love, to enjoy our lives, to reach out to those who need help - all because He is shining in us. Without that, we would be living in death ... period. There is nothing that we can boast about in what He has done for and in us. Every good gift and every perfect gift comes from Him. Including salvation. Including the faith to believe in what He has already provided. Including the mercy and wisdom He shows equally in whatever He allows to come into our lives. And so much more. Every moment of every day, the Son-beams come down. His grace and forgiveness are all around us. There is no eclipse. There is no shadow. There is only Him.
He is the source.
He is the centre.
He is everything.
I love this Judy!! The sun is so powerful, and yet we don't strive to get it's power, or stress that it's not going to be there, or that we'll have to start doing something special to access it. The sun is a given. We daily live by faith that the sun exists and the sun is everything to us. So also is the Son our source of everything, and instead of stressing or trying to get what He freely gives, we just live by faith that He is there, and that He is everything! "There is no eclipse. There is no shadow" The son's existence and acceptance is NOT based on anything we do!! WHOO HOOO!!!
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly it! there is such assurance, such security, such simplicity, such trustworthiness in that fact.
DeleteThe metaphors God has given us in nature all point to this same notion - that we (the earth) revolve around the Son (the sun), that we (the branches) have our source in Him (the vine), that our good works (fruit) are a natural consequence of our relationship with Him (the root of David), that it is God who decides which parts of our lives are pruned and which are fertilized (He is the gardener and He looks after us!)
As the song says, "I'm so glad Jesus lifted me, ... singing Glory Hallelujah, Jesus lifted me!"