May 17th, 2010 | 
Author: Song to listen to: “Pocketful of Sunshine” by Natasha Bedingfiel, Danielle Brisebois, & John M. Shanks (I recommend either opening another window with the lyrics or printing them out to follow along.)
Okay, this devotional is for all of you who were worried that this blog might be all obscure music you didn’t know! This is one of my absolute favorite songs, and in fact, many of my closest friends claim this is my theme song. It always brings a smile to my face and makes my day just a little more bearable.
You know those moments, those days, those weeks and months when you want to shout (like the TV commercial): “Calgon, take me away”? This “Pocketful of Sunshine” is for you!
As I listened to this song a couple of times and got past the “feel good” part of the lyrics and music, I realized how much this was like one of the psalms of David. So many times David would be going through a rough patch and was looking for his “pocketful of sunshine” to get him through. There are a plethora of Psalms where you can see the sentiment of this song, and if you have the time this week, glance through the book of Psalms to see what you can find! For those of us whose plates are beyond full, just go to Psalm 91. Today the link is to the New Living Translation because I liked the way it was worded, but you are welcome to use any version of the Bible you choose: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2091&version=NLT
Read (or listen) to the lyrics of “Pocketful of Sunshine” carefully then read Psalm 91. Although they are not identical messages by any means, notice some of the amazing similarities!
I got a pocket,
Got a pocket full of sunshine
I got a love and I know that it’s all mine
Oh, oh, oh
On those all too frequent rainy, dreary days where we feel like the sun will never come out, where life never seems to get better, where there seems to be little hope and life is feeling somewhere between blah and outright desolate—these are the days you wish you could reach in and pull out that “pocketful of sunshine”. You want to be able to find that ray of hope, that beam of light, that assurance from God that everything will be all right. There are many days (I know for me) when it is hard to have that hope and faith that the sun will come out again. But we can have that pocketful of “SONshine”—the reassurance that God is there for us—a glimpse of heaven that lives in our heart, He is the “love that I know is all mine”. I love singing the lyrics and imagining reaching into my pocket and there He is–waiting for me with a love that is beyond my comprehension.
Do what you want,
But you never gonna break me,
Sticks an’ stones are never gonna shake me
No, oh whoa, oh
Wish that you could,
But you ain’t gonna own me
Do anything you can to control me
No, oh No-o
When rainy days come, when we wonder where the sun/Son went, we are so very vulnerable, and that’s when the enemy moves in. He wants nothing more than to break us, to make us feel as though life is hopeless, helpless and full of despair. He wants us to feel worthless, unimportant, apathetic and alone. He wants to assail us with arrow after arrow—to make us believe that we have no value and that there is no reason to have faith. His “sticks and stones” are designed to make us powerless and worthless, so therefore we are not a threat to his mission to destroy God’s creation. He wants to own us, control us—more so since we are God’s beloved children.
Take me away (take me away)
A secret place (a secret place)
A sweet escape (a sweet escape)
Take me away (take me away)
Take me away (take me away)
To better days (to better days)
Take me away (take me away)
A hiding place (A hiding place)
But dear ones, we have HOPE!!!! There IS a place we can go. Our heavenly Father makes a way of escape for us so that we can find refuge and healing. There is a secret “hiding place” under His wings where the rivers of life flow in us and through us. We are revived and refreshed. His angels take charge over us and minister to us, so we can face those rainy days with renewed strength and power. (Psalm 91:4-6, 11-12)
There’s this place that I go
Where nobody knows
Where the rivers flow
And I call it home…
And there’s no more lies
And the darkness is light
And nobody cries
There’s only butterflies…
Not only that, but we have an eternal future. Our future is in the One who has promised us a home in heaven with Him. It where our Living Water dwells and we will never thirst again. God promises there will be no more tears or crying or pain. The old things have passed away and the new has come! (Revelation 21:1-6)
Do you remember the old song “Bullfrogs and Butterflies?” It is a children’s song from the 80’s (do I dare date myself?) and the chorus went like this: “Bullfrogs and Butterflies, we’ve both been born again.” It describes the metamorphosis that frogs and butterflies experience when they change from tadpoles and caterpillars into their new creation. When we become a child of the King we are new creations in Christ. We have changed from lowly caterpillars to beautiful butterflies. I can just see it now—the fields upon fields of all us beautiful butterflies in God’s heavenly kingdom! Now THAT is something to REJOICE about!!!!
The sun (SON) is on my side
And takes me for a ride
I smile up to the sky
I know I’ll be all right…
Please let this “modern psalm” comfort you today. There is hope, there is life and there is joy to be found in Him. He has promised us unconditional love, a sweet hiding place, victory over our enemies, better, sunnier days, and a future as beautiful butterflies. So remember—when your days are rainy and grey, and your life seems sucked away, that there’s no need to cry or whine, when you have a pocketful of SONshine…..
(I can’t help myself—it’s the poet in me…)
Be blessed today!