WHAT'S YOUR POSITION TO THE SON?

The closer we become to Him, through the Word, prayer, and the Spirit, the more warmth we’ll receive from Him. No matter our season in life, we can count on His power to guide, correct, and empower us to serve Him.

ETERNAL PERSPECTIVES            by Sally Bair

Sun Power

Everywhere I go, I hear complaints about the weather. On too many days lately, my complaints have matched theirs. Complainers that we are sometimes, when temps dip to minus 20 and wind chills to minus 40 week after week, we yearn for a nice summer day. Then again, when the temperature rises to 90 or more in August, hot enough to burn our bare feet on the sand or pavement, we long for a cold, icy day. The power of the sun, or its lack thereof, certainly does affect our emotions, our attitudes and our wellbeing.

Finally and thankfully, the sun is beginning to give us some welcome warming power. Actually, the sun's power doesn't change at all. It's the position of the earth in relation to the sun that makes the difference in temperature. The sun is as powerful one day as it is the next.

The same applies to God. His power remains the same. But we receive it according to our position to Him. There may be times when we feel God is as far removed from us as the stars in the sky. Such times might include the unexpected loss of a loved one, the hurtful rejection by a friend, or unjust blame placed on us.

Some days everything seems to go wrong. Our car breaks down. A child doesn’t reach our expectations. Someone criticizes our actions. The sting of anger or scorn from someone we believe in hurts to the core of our being. At such times we may believe God doesn't care what happens to us. In fact, we may even blame God for those painful events. Our faith may be tested to the point where we begin to believe in something or someone other than God.

The God of all power, however, can make things right and bring something good out of the bad. He promises in His Word that He won't abandon or reject us. "The Lord…will never leave you or forsake you." (Deuteronomy 31:8.)  Jesus said, "…I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20.)  We can depend on God's words and on His power. Like the sun above, they never change. When we determine to position ourselves close to Him, His Son-power will warm us with peace and joy no matter the spiritual weather around us.

Lord, deliver us from the temptation of becoming discouraged, distraught, or disillusioned when things go wrong for us. Thank You for Your constant power and presence. Help us to embrace it at all times. In Jesus’ name, amen.