But for you who fear My name

the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings;

and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.

Malachi 4:2

I live in the Pacific Northwest.  We get a lot of rain but when the sun comes out, we welcome the rays.   Spring here is a mix of rain and sunshine. The sun touches the earth and colors start springing up everywhere.  Gorgeous flowers, vines and trees, all coming to life under the wings of the sun.  Just as the sun touches our earth and brings life, Jesus touches our lives and brings His life. His life quickens, enlightens, warms, heals, purifies and sanctifies.  The very life of Jesus Himself rising up in us, for us, because we fear Him. 

So then the obvious question is, “what does it mean to fear the Lord?”  Simply put, it means to revere Him, to have great respect for Him.  We are to be humbled by His presence and awed by Him. Fearing the Lord means recognizing His lordship in our lives.  He is our Father and we are His children. 

When I was a child growing up in Texas, it was expected that children would respond to their parents by saying “yes ma’am” or “no sir.” This was a sign of respect and fear. Not fear in the sense that we were scared of our parents but fear that showed we recognized them for who they were and all that they had done for us. It was a respectful way of honoring them. They were our parents and we were their children. Similarly, we are to honor God in our thoughts and behaviors.

This verse tells us that as we fear Him, the sun of righteousness, Jesus Himself will rise with healing in His wings! And we will go forth and skip about like calves being released from the stalls.  No limping, no dragging of feet, no hesitation – just leaping into the newness brought to us by the Son of Righteousness!

Son of Righteousness, rise with healing over me, I pray.  Be Lord of my life and reveal to me the areas of my life that I have not given over to You. Touch my life with the healing that only You can bring.  Make me whole, purify me, and use me, I ask.  Help me to be obedient to Your word, both spoken and written.  Let Your will be done in my life, I pray. Amen.