You are my sunshine
And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.
Matthew 17:2 (NASB)
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy, when skies are grey.
I turned around in the supermarket to locate the vocalist. It was an adorable little toddler sitting in his mother’s trolley singing his heart out. Around him people were smiling broadly at his rendition. It evoked a memory of when I was a nursery nurse: every Monday morning when the spirits of staff and children could be low, we would begin our morning sing song by heartily singing ‘You are my sunshine.’ It is almost impossible to sing this ditty without smiling.
‘You Are My Sunshine’ is a song copyrighted and published by Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell in 1940, and first recorded on January 30th of that year. According to BMI, it has been recorded by more than 350 artists, and translated into 30 languages.1
In the dark days of World War 2, this song made people happy and gave comfort. As a Christian, I am happy to declare that my loving, wonderful Father in heaven is my sunshine. He does make me happy when my skies are grey, and I delight in His love. Our Saviour is described as the Sun of Righteousness: “But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves.” (Malachi 4:2 NIV).
Habakkuk poetically describes the Son of God thus: ‘His radiance is like the sunlight;
He has rays flashing from His hand, And there is the hiding of His power.’ (Habakkuk 3:4 NASB 1995)
We can thank God that ‘our sunshine’ will never leave us or forsake us, unlike the plea in the song. We are blessed indeed to have a Saviour who bathes us in His light and loves us so much that He suffered and died for us. Just as the sun rises, so too did our Saviour, and now His face is shining like the sun: ‘In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.’ (Revelation 1:16 NIV)
Let us smile at the joy of salvation brought about by our Sun of Righteousness.
Prayer
Father God, thank you for our Saviour, for the salvation He brought us all; help us Lord to shed your light – your sunshine to this dark world. In His name, Amen.
Study by Irene Wilson
1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Are_My_Sunshine#:
Irene Wilson is a Deaconess in the Watford congregation of Grace Communion International, and also serves on the Pastoral Council.
Local congregation:
Gracecom Watford
St. Peter’s Church
61 Westfield Avenue
Watford, Herts.
WD24 7HF
Meeting time:
Saturday 11am
Local congregational contact:
George Henderson
Email: watford@gracecom.church
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church