Live in the Sunshine

Plants Turn Toward the Sun

I bought some plants recently and left them covered in darkness for only two hours. By the time I uncovered them, they were already wilting. But once they were placed back in the sun, they revived quickly.

Some believers are like that. Saved—but living in the shadows. Alive—but not flourishing. God did not call us merely to survive in darkness. He called us to live in the sunshine of His presence.

Live in the Sunshine!

It has been said that life can be lived either by looking toward the sun or looking toward the shadows. I would have to admit to having done both, but it is clearly better to live looking toward the sun. King Solomon wrote:

Ecclesiastes 11:7 NIV

Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.

We certainly understand that we are not just talking about the physical sun. Yes, it is wonderful! But the sun is a powerful metaphor of God’s goodness and essential life-giving presence. It reminds us of God himself and illuminates how we can understand his goodness to us.

Solomon says, “Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun”. The Bible speaks of sunshine as a sign of God’s character, a vehicle of His blessing, and a reminder of creation’s goodness.

Let’s remind ourselves today of a few lessons we learned in grade school about the sun but also encourage us to remember the benefits of God’s goodness.

Live in the Sunshine Because God Gives

Strength for the Body and Soul

Sunlight Provides Vitamin D

Being exposed to sunlight enables your body to make vitamin D from cholesterol in your  skin cells. Known as the “sunshine vitamin,” vitamin D benefits your health in many ways, including:

Supporting your bone and muscle health

Regulating your blood pressure

Regulating your immune system

Maintaining the health of your blood vessels

Keeping your brain working well

Regulating your blood sugar

God’s Presence Gives What You Cannot Produce Alone

Vitamin D is vital for health, but your body receives it through exposure to sunlight. Likewise, there are things your soul cannot generate alone—peace, joy, strength, hope.

Isaiah 40:31 NIV

but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Sunlight Strengthens Bones

Vitamin D supports bone health. The sunshine vitamin helps your body absorb calcium, which is essential for strong bones and helps prevent conditions like osteoporosis and osteopenia. And having good bone health can also help you avoid bone fractures (breaks).

God’s Light Gives Inner Stability

The Bible’s references to the sun emphasize it as the source of light, focusing on the sun as an image of the common routine of life and part of a daily cycle. This regularity reveals God’s reliability—the sun is an image of order in the Bible, a point of reference in a predictable universe. God’s goodness manifests in this dependable rhythm that structures existence itself.

Bones hold the body upright. God’s truth strengthens the framework of your life.

Psalm 119:105 NIV

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

People collapse when they live without spiritual structure. Time in God’s light builds backbone, conviction, endurance.

Cleansing and Protecting

Sunlight Kills Bacteria

Most people spend a lot of time indoors. And indoor environments can contain dust that carries different types of bacteria — some of which can trigger asthma and allergy symptoms.

One study found that sunlight can kill the bacteria that lives in dust indoors. In this particular study, 1 in 8 bacteria survived in a darkroom environment, but only 1 in 16 dust bacteria survived after being exposed to sunlight.

In the Psalms, sunshine functions as a metaphor for God’s protective presence. The LORD is described as both “a sun and shield,” bestowing favor and honor (Ps 84:11), where the sun’s warmth pairs with the shield’s defense to represent comprehensive divine care.

Psalm 84:11 NIV

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

What does this mean for you? Open those shades and windows and let more sunlight into your home. As the UV rays kill bacteria that live in the dust in your home, your air quality may improve.

Light Exposes and Cleanses What Grows in Darkness

Bacteria thrive in hidden, damp, dark places. Sin, bitterness, shame, addiction often do too.

1 John 1:7 NIV

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

What you hide can hurt you. What you bring into God’s light can heal you.

Strengthens Immunity

Sunlight can help fine-tune your immune system in two separate ways. First, your body gets a lot of vitamin D from sunlight. Vitamin D is essential for a healthy immune system. Second, sunlight provides UV light. Since we often hear negative things about UV light it may come as a surprise that UV light can actually be helpful. The truth, though, is that in some cases UV light can actually be good for your immune system.

Studies have found that vitamin D and exposure to UV light both have a protective effect against some bacteria and viruses. In addition to helping to fight infections from things like influenza and tuberculosis, sunlight has also been found to help your immune system regulate diseases like psoriasis. In fact, exposure to UV light and vitamin D are two treatments used to treat psoriasis.

Scientists also know that people who live in environments high in UV light (such as tropical areas) are protected against illnesses like multiple sclerosis and asthma. Though they don’t know for sure what effect sunlight has on these illnesses yet. But because scientists know that sunlight helps regulate the immune system and because these illnesses are autoimmune diseases, it’s possible that getting more sunlight may actually protect against these diseases.

God Strengthens You Against Attacks

A healthy immune system helps the body fight what comes against it. God’s presence builds spiritual resilience.

Ephesians 6:10–11 NIV

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

You can’t avoid every attack, but you can become stronger than what attacks you.

Peace for the Mind

Sunlight May Reduce Blood Pressure

God’s Presence Lowers Pressure

We live under stress, deadlines, fear, anxiety. But being with God calms the inner man.

Philippians 4:6–7 NIV

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Studies show sunlight may help lower blood pressure by helping the body relax and function better. One study showed that exposure to sunlight lowered systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) in people who had kidney failure and were getting dialysis.

The world raises pressure. Worship lowers it.

Sunlight Improves Sleep Quality

Sun exposure plays a big role in maintaining your body’s internal clock, or circadian rhythm. Generally, your circadian rhythm responds to the sun’s light-dark cycle, helping you fall asleep at night (when there’s darkness) and wake up in the morning (when there’s light). So, you can try using the sun’s light-dark cycle to improve your sleep hygiene.

For instance, experts recommend being in bright sunlight in the morning to increase your chances of falling asleep earlier in the evening. Exposure to sunshine in the morning increases your melatonin levels. And The world raises pressure. Worship lowers it.

 plays a key role in regulating your body’s circadian rhythm and helping you sleep when it gets dark.

Walking with God Brings Rest

People sleep poorly when minds are troubled. God gives rest to trusting hearts.

Psalm 4:8 NIV

In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Some pillows are soft, but minds are hard. God gives sleep money cannot buy.

Joy and Freedom

Sunlight Boosts Mood

Throughout the Bible we find that light and the sun serve as metaphors representing life and happiness, where seeing the sun means to live and enjoy a happy life.

Getting enough sunlight can help lessen the likelihood of having mood disorders, most notably seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD is a type of depression that usually occurs in the fall and winter, when there’s less sunlight. States like Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and Vermont face the highest prevalence.

We now know lack of sunlight can affect mood. God’s people have known for centuries that light lifts the soul.

God’s Light Restores Joy

Dark seasons drain emotion. But one touch of God’s presence can lift the soul.

Psalm 16:11 NIV

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

You may not need a change of scenery as much as you need a fresh encounter with God.

Sunlight Is Associated with Weight Loss

Multiple studies have shown that exposure to sunlight is associated with having a lower body mass index (BMI). There haven’t been enough studies to show that sunlight actually causes weight loss, though. It could be that people who have lower a BMI happen to spend more time outdoors, which causes them to get more sunlight.

Nevertheless, scientists think that it’s possible that sunlight can actually help with weight loss. Getting sunlight affects vitamin D levels, the release of nitric oxide in the body, and other biological pathways related to weight. Because of this, scientists think it’s possible that sunlight itself might actually affect your weight directly. If nothing else, sunlight has been shown to boost your mood, which may make you more inclined to go outside and be active.

God Helps You Lay Aside Every Weight

Not every burden is sin, but every weight can slow you down.

Hebrews 12:1 NIV

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,

When you live in God’s light, He shows you what is unnecessary, unhealthy, and hindering.

Remember!

Just like the sunshine gives life…

God’s Presence Gives What You Cannot Produce Alone

God’s Light Gives Inner Stability

Light Exposes and Cleanses What Grows in Darkness

God’s Presence Lowers Pressure

Walking with God Brings Rest

God’s Light Restores Joy

God Strengthens You Against Attacks

God Helps You Lay Aside Every Weight

Some people have gotten used to living in emotional shade, spiritual dimness, and mental darkness. But flowers lean toward the sun—and your soul should too.

The answer is not to curse the darkness…The answer is to step into the light.

Jesus said:

John 8:12 NIV

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Come out of hiding. Come out of heaviness. Come out of fear. Live in the sunshine.

[1] https://www.goodrx.com/health-topic/environmental/benefits-of-sunlight?srsltid=AfmBOooVL05gfNxrt3RRbdBSV1xaury6RHlcxAVV4pmPjG3uIBqveIBI#sunlight-benefits