Starting Your Day with the Sun

How do you start your mornings? Have you ever tried with song? 

With the ongoing pandemic and the winter months that can seem so bleak, a hymn of light, hope, and warmth is much needed. Charles Wesley wrote, “Christ whose glory fills the skies” as a morning hymn, and I have been singing it and reciting the words as a devotion in the mornings and on my drive to work.  The words of this song, are a beautiful way to orient ourselves to Him and invite Him into our day:

Verse 1

Christ, whose glory fills the skies,

Christ the true, the only Light,

Sun of Righteousness, arise,

Triumph o’er the shades of night;

Dayspring from on high, be near;

Daystar, in my heart appear.

Verse 2

Dark and cheerless is the morn

Unaccompanied by Thee;

Joyless is the day’s return

Till Thy mercy’s beams I see;

Till they inward light impart,

Glad my eyes and warm my heart.

Verse 3

Visit, then, this soul of mine;

Pierce the gloom of sin and grief;

Fill me, Radiancy Divine;

Scatter all my unbelief;

More and more Thyself display,

Shining to the perfect day.

I often write about the power of repeating the verses of hymns over and over because they impart truth on the soul. What better melody to have playing over and over in your head than one that brings you joy, truth, and hope while glorifying God? 

Throughout the Bible, Jesus is often referred to as a form of light:

“The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it…The true Light who gives light to every man was coming into the world.”

John 1:5, 9

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

John 8:12

“The dayspring from on high hath visited us to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.”

Luke 1:78

“We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable,and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”

2 Peter 1:19

He is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings grass from the earth.’

2 Samuel 23:4

“But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.”

Malachi 4:2

I love how Wesley chooses to point out these references in the verses and even write “Sun” of righteousness instead of “Son”. Though he is quoting from Malachi, he is also emphasizing that Jesus is like the sun, but so much better, because even when the days are dark or our eyes cannot see Him, He has the ability to bring warmth to our hearts, light to our minds, and life to this world. 

To expand on the hymn’s verses a little bit more: Verse one states the truth of Jesus and His glory being the only light we need to triumph over what we face and the fact that He is in our hearts always. Verse two is about our redemption and waiting for Him–a life without Him is dark and cheerless but until He returns to us, may His light be in us, gladdening our eyes and warming our hearts. Verse three is asking Him to remove the darkness we feel, to fill us with His radiancy, scattering any doubts, to reveal Himself to us, and let Him shine through us to others. That’s a whole lot of hope in one song!

Where in your heart and life do you need His Light to shine through? Maybe it is in the motions of everyday life or in your relationships. Maybe it is in a fear you have or an unanswered prayer. Maybe a time of depression or loss. Sing or repeat the words of this song and let the Sun visit your soul, pierce that area of darkness, and fill you with His radiance.

The tune of this hymn came to me during a time where it was difficult to see the light, and I had not heard the song or thought of it in over ten years. The words of this song helped me as I sought Jesus to pierce through what I was experiencing. It is amazing how the Lord knew exactly what song to put in my mind in order to orient myself to Him and I hope that in sharing it, you will experience Him more too. 

The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.

Proverbs 4:18

Check out some renditions of Christ Whose Glory Fills The Skies and Dayspring:

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