"So may all your enemies perish, O Lord!
But your friends be like the sun as he rises in his might.”
The key is that friends of God are like the noonday sun. There are several aspects of the sun at high noon that are important in leadership and being a friend of God.
Creates A Thirst
Growing up in Phoenix, AZ, you learn about the noonday sun fast. During the Summer when the temperature reaches 115+, you get thirst fast. The hot desert sun creates a thirst that can only be quenched by water. A good leader not only will not only create a thirst for the Word of God but also point people to the Living Water that is Jesus.
There Is No Shadow
There is an old cartoon of a dog stretched out trying to follow the shade of a saguaro catus. Shade offers rest from the heat of the sun. However, when the sun is directly over head ther is no shade and the only relief then is constant movement. A good leader is going to be someone that is not going to let you be comfortable fo the easy way of life. They will keep you moving towards your goal.
Shrinks The Problem
Having dealt with MRSA Staph for almost 40 years, within the past 5 years I found out how good the sun works on killing it. I have had flare ups that would be the size of my palm and go lay out in the sun for about 20 minutes, making sure that the staph was in the sunlight. The next morning it would be almost if not completely gone. In light of the recent events in Charleston, SC, this has never been more obvious. The church has been a major leader in the love and forgiveness of God. The opposite of what the shooter was hoping for. They have shrunk the race war that he was hoping to start by his actions. Instead of riots, anger and hate the church has lead with love, forgiveness and compassion for this young man.
It Still Gets Through
It maybe cloudy outside but as long as it is day time the light still comes through. Sure there is times that it maybe darker than other times but the light is still there in spite of the storm. Likewise, a good leader is going to be there leading the way especially when the times get hard.
It Strengthens
One of the benefits we get from the sun is Vitamin D. The sun is the body's best source of this vitamin. One thing that Vitamin D does is it actually acts as a steroid. It helps to relieve pain and helps to strengthen the body. The Russian athletes use the sun to help build muscle, strength and endurance.
So let the Light of the Son shine through you as others look to you to lead them in this dark world.