God's Love is Healing our Countenance
Once upon a time, in the Borough of Brooklyn, in New York lived a little girl who had an encounter with the sun.
In those days making this contrast would not have been possible, but today it is possible because the transition from child, to adult has defined, qualified and clarified these moments in time.
The sun in this story represents Jesus Christ, the Son of God shining through all the dark, and cloudy days. Who would eventually emerge with providence on the scene of my life and be the center of my story shining through in all of His glory. Yet, to the little girl the sun represented light so wonderful, bright, and astounding that it amazed her. I have come to the realization, and determination in these days, that I truly do still love the sun. Moreover, today I love the Son Jesus Christ, even more.
God's love is liken to the sun shining in all of its power and glory, the sun that I loved so much as a child, revealed to me how powerful God's love is. The sun has a way of making you feel it is shining only on you, yet, it is shining on everyone. That is how important a personal relationship with God is, as we comprehend His omnipresence, we also understand, that He can be with us individually, and with everyone else at the same exact time. Great and Mighty is the Lord!
In understanding the sun shining in childhood. I am reminded of the Apostle Paul who qualifies and notes the transition from childhood to adulthood in, 1 Corinthians 13:11, he avers, when I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child, but when he reached maturity, he put away childish things. or tucked away childish beliefs and events in order to understand as an adult. In retrospect, now I know that Jesus is the Son of God, is shining upon me just like when I was a child, the sun always did.
Recently, this memory popped into my mind and granted me a look back, only to discover the brightness of His glory today. This reflection took me back into my childhood and the first time I acknowledged what was above and beyond to me as a child, the sun.
As a child, we lived in a brownstone owned by my father’s mother and my grandmother. All the houses on the street were brownstones owned by neighbors, and we knew them all. There was a great sense of community back in the day. This story is about the sun, and how I loved sunshine as a child and how it translated into love for God.
The day would open as I was ready to go outside to play. In order to get to the outside an elder would have to unlock what was an iron gate-door between me and the outside world, because I couldn’t unlatch the gate.
As soon as the gate would open and I saw the sun shining warm and magnificently; I would experience being ecstatic, elation and joy would overtake me and I would say to the elder at the door. (The elder at the door may have been my mother, father, uncle or grandmother). I would shout...... the sun is shining, the sun is shining, with indescribable happiness.
The gate opener would in turn smile and grant my release to go and play. I was so happy whenever I saw the sun. I didn't realize at that time that the sun was made by the Creator, and that it was His idea for it to shine so very brightly. I can still feel the joy of those moments today whenever, I think of the little girl who loved the sun, it is etched in my soul forever.
The contrast I would like to make today is that the countenance the sun inspires, is likened to healing and how it helped me to identify and experience joy as a child, the countenance of the Holy Spirit heals today and allows us to experience the joy of the Lord.
The affect the sun had upon me in the natural is what and how the Spirit of God is affecting me spiritually today and my soul leaps just as I did then. The revelation of God to my spirit and soul is equally essential for my countenance because the Word of God is inspiring, equipping, and producing the hope in God that King David inspires us all towards in this Psalm. The soul is most happiest when the Word of God quickly and powerfully cuts away thoughts which are not representing God to the utmost. King David knew what a shift and breakthrough entailed. It is God over what ails you. Making God greater in your soul than your situation and circumstance. It is the Word of God over the matter and it is certainty with in you, that you know, that you know that Good is good.
The main thing I've gleaned from my childhood encounter with the sun is that when we factor Jesus into our day and everything we encounter, the Son does outshine it all and I can still declare, the Son is shining, the Son is shining and face the challenges of each day. It is always about factoring God into every equation.
"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance" (Psalm 42:5 KJV).
God's countenance is health for us. The benevolence of God heals us. We know that we do not deserve His grace because it is not something we can ever earn or merit, yet His grace satisfies and heals us to know that He wants us to have it and that it is a gift, therefore we experience joy to have it possess us as it strengthens us towards a healthy countenance, we can wear a frown upside down and we smile. There the countenance of God breaks through all that we are feeling and His countenance helps our infirmities. We could never know goodness so pure and guile free but in God.
The King questioned his own soul as to why it was cast down and disquieted in him. He then tells his soul, hope in God because I am going to praise Him for the help of His countenance. He was planning to draw from the power base all that was necessary to extol God, and a cast down soul was not going to stop him.
Praise of God lifts all sorrow off of us and infuses us with the heart we need to magnify God over the situation. The King knew this secret, he started his time of worship with these words; as the hart pants after the water brook, so does my soul pants after thee O God, my soul is thirty for You, the living God! A thirty soul must continuously abide in being questioned and cautioned so that it only knows how to hope in God and in the good only He is. Praise is a powerful weapon against heaviness.
Countenance is essential. King David declared in Psalm 42:5, that he was going to praise the Lord, for the help of His countenance. Prior to praising the Lord he instructed his soul to hope in God! He was having a conversation with his soul, asking why are you cast down oh my soul, and why are you disquieted in me, hope in God, let the brightness of His countenance overtake you and let Him heal your countenance. Put on the garments of praise when the spirit of heaviness is afflicting you.
The word countenance in verse 5, is the Hebrew word yeshuwah pronounced yesh-oo-aw, it means something saved, deliverance, aid, victory, prosperity, health, and welfare. King David knew beyond a shadow of doubt who the light of his life was. This is what the episode as a child spilled out how the sun helped my countenance, just knowing and seeing it made me mirthful. In maturity that is what the Lord does, He helps my countenance. I rejoice in Christ and not of myself because the joy of the Lord is my strength. He helps me to experience being of good cheer understanding that He has overcome the world and that I am an overcomer through Him. Jesus is the helper of our countenance. You can be dismayed about the ways things are going, etc., and when you think about Jesus, your countenance shifts, we call it breakthrough. It is just like the sun breaking through the clouds.
We (my family) were not a Christian family who would have had the insight into the majesty of this great created orb, known as the sun. yet deep within me I knew whatever it was that made that sun shine as magnificently as what I was experiencing was penetrative.
A song came out in the 1990’s. The song is entitled, “Always” the words went like this:
OO I love the sun,
chasing all of the rain away,
when you come around
you bring brighter days,
you're the perfect one
for me and you forever will be, and
I will love you so for always.
The main stanza declares I will love you so for always. My adulthood knows this song very well in that I will always love God so for always because He first so loved me. The joy and all that was experienced as a child has gripped my spirit in maturity and has manifested towards loving the living God for always.
This song resonated what I felt in retrospect, and what I feel when the sun is shining bright and warm. The verse however is not applicable to any human being which signifies that when he came around it was the equivalent to the sun shining. However, I have ascertained that this song is about what Jesus Christ the Word of God and the entire Godhead does for me.
When I read the Word of God I have brighter days, whenever I think about Jesus I have brighter days. The Godhead is the only power I have ever witnessed and endured that chases all the pain and rain away. Emotionally that is a great place to be.
Of course, if you are married for you it may be a different story of how your spouse helps you endure the pouring rain and that's a good thing. I added a video of this song below. it is interesting how composers write songs of this caliber with such a passion for love, yet they take on a different turn in Christ Jesus. As if they were originally written exclusively to God first and foremost. Treasury songs are those in which only God fits the profile and theme of the song absolutely and completely.
These moments define childlike wonder. However, a more dominant and mature mind has surfaced and has come into fruition. It is those little moments that help to define how rich and powerful the Creator is. When you think about the power behind the rays of the sun, you must have a response and stop to wonder and give Him praise for the delight of the warm rays of sunlight shining down upon you like a spotlight. The sun shines upon the just and the unjust.
Yet, you may ponder that it is shining only on you, that's how powerful God's love truly Is, it is so personal and powerful. Is it the powerful rays of the sun or His love that a child acknowledges? Or is it the power behind the rays of the sun and His love? He lights up our way each and every day.
All praise to the Honorable Creator, God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit forevermore. Thank You for the sun and the Son shine and the healing power of Your love.
