Judges 5

God's Suns

Let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. Judges 5:31.

Did you ever try to think of what the world would be like without the sun? As a matter of fact there wouldn't be any world at all, at least not the world as we know it. There would be nothing but a mass of dead matter whirling through space. If it were not for the sun there would be no light, no color, no heat, no flowers, no grass, no trees, no animals, no human beings, no life at all on the earth.

Now our text is a prayer that those who love God may be “as the sun when he goeth forth in his might.” I wonder how that could be? Well it is like this. Those who really and truly love God, love also everything that God loves. And love is just like the sun. It fills the earth with life, and light, and warmth and beauty. Without it the world would be a bad place and a sad place. Without it the world wouldn't be fit to live in.

Will you try to remember three things?

1. Love is like the sun because it brings light. And light means gladness and beauty.

Centuries ago there was built in Florence a wonderful palace called the Riccardi Palace. Part of this palace was set apart as a chapel, and a famous artist was engaged to adorn the walls with beautiful frescoes which, as some of you know, are paintings on plaster.

Now there was an unusual thing about this chapel it had no windows. The artist painted by the dim light of a lamp. And for many, many years those who came to view the chapel could see the wonderful frescoes only by the same insufficient light. They had to strain their eyes to look at them and even then they could see them but imperfectly.

Then one day a picture was removed from above the altar, and a hole was pierced in the wall behind where it had been. The glorious sunlight streamed in and filled the chapel. It revealed the exquisite frescoes in all their glory, bringing out the marvelous colorings and the perfection of line and shadow.

And, boys and girls, love is just like that, the love of God and man. It fills the earth with joy and beauty. It brings gladness to weary and sad hearts. It shows us beauty in the things we had thought plain, beauty that before was hidden from our eyes.

2. And then love is like the sun because it brings warmth. And warmth brings life and comfort.

You know how it is in the springtime, how the little plants that have been lying sleeping under the frozen ground begin to stir in their sleep when the sun shines brightly and warmly. You know how it is in the summer how the flower-buds open their cups in response to the warm kiss of the sun. You know how it is in the autumn how the grain turns ripe and yellow in the golden sunshine.

And love is just like that. It thaws the frozen hearts, it softens the hard ones, it makes the sweet flowers of gentleness and kindness to spring up and blossom, it ripens and mellows the sterner natures.

3. And then love is like the sun because it gives power.

You have all heard of George Stephenson, the man who invented the first railroad engine. Well, one day Stephenson was standing with a friend Dr. Buckland at the side of a railway when a train came rushing past. Stephenson said, “Now Buckland, I have a question to ask. Can you tell me what power is driving that train?” “I suppose it is one of your big engines,” replied Buckland. “Yes, yes, but what drives the engine?” said the inventor. Again Buckland answered, “Very likely a driver from Newcastle.” Stephenson smiled, “What do you say to the light of the sun doing it?” he asked. And Buckland replied, “How can that be?”

Then Stephenson explained how many years ago the plants and trees growing on the earth drank in the rays of the sun, how after they died they were into coal, how the coal when it burned was just giving out this bottled sunshine which it had drunk in, so that it was in reality the sunshine of long ago that was driving the train along the rails.

And love is a tremendous power too. It can accomplish what nothing else can accomplish.

In a certain school there was a teacher whom the boys disliked. They thought him hard and severe, and so they made up their minds to annoy him as much as they could. And when boys make up their minds to that you know what they can do! Well, these boys half-heartedly completed their school work, they neglected their studies, they paid as little attention as possible to the teacher's orders, they never did anything he really wanted, and they strove to do all the things he didn't want.

But one day a boy was very badly hurt in the playground and some of the others ran to find the master. He came immediately and he sent one of the boys off at once to bring the doctor. Then he stooped down and lifted the injured boy in his arms, oh, so tenderly! And he spoke to him so softly, and bound up his wounds with such firm, gentle fingers that one of the other boys exclaimed, “Why, he loves us!”

From that day the school was a changed place. The boys had seen their teacher with new eyes, and now, instead of trying to annoy him, they did their best to please him. They respected him and obeyed his instructions. It was love that had wrought the miracle.

Boys and girls, the world needs love more than anything else. It is love that is going to make it anew. It is love that will do for it what nothing else will do. God is love, and He sent Jesus to live among us and to die for us just to prove that to us. God is love, and wherever there is love there is a bit of God. God is love, and He wants to shed abroad His love on earth through you and through me.

Would you like to be God's suns in the world, bringing light and warmth and power to all? Then you must take your hearts to the great Sun of Righteousness, the Source of all light and love. You must take them to Him and ask Him to shine into them. Then, and then only, you will be able to shine for Him.