The word “solstice” literally means “sun-stop” and refers to the sun’s northernmost point on earth’s axis before it heads south and our days start getting shorter. Today, the North Pole is most tilted toward the sun, resulting in this being the longest day of the year. Fairbanks, Alaska will have almost 24 hours of daylight today!

Ancient pagan civilizations made much of this day, and even built monuments to it. The summer solstice continues to be a big deal in Scandinavian countries that celebrate it with bonfires, wreaths, dances, and other celebratory rites. Thousands will gather at Stonehenge today to view sun’s rays hitting the central altar stone.

However, since the heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork (Psalm 19:1), it seems only fitting to consider three spiritual truths from this longest day of the year.

1) God Is Sovereign

The summer solstice is a great reminder to us that God is always in control. God controls the path of our planet around the sun, its tilt, and yes, even climate change. Ancient Egyptians planted their crops according this day.

Plant life is greatly affected by the length of daylight, and when the duration drops below a certain point, the leaves begin to change color and dazzle us with their autumn hues. Animal life also follows the sun, with reproductive cycles, migrations, and even changes in fur color triggered by the length of daylight, often referred to as the photoperiod.

Following the flood, God ordained the times and seasons to function in accordance to his sovereign will. The Lord told Noah, “As long as the earth remains, there will be springtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, day and night.” (Genesis 8:22) The Psalmist reminds us that these seasonal affects declare God’s glory (Psalm 19:4-6). God is sovereign, no matter the path of the earth or the path of your life.

2) God Is Good

It’s been said that today is the happiest day of the year. Apparently, the amount of daylight is important to our physical and mental well-being. Scientists have proven that depression is intensified by light deprivation. An interesting experiment was conducted through Twitter. About two-and-half million tweets were evaluated for emotional content over a period of two years. Research showed that as the photoperiod lengthened, peoples' tweets became happier and more positive.

Having lived in New Hampshire for nine years, I can testify to the truth of S.A.D. (Seasonal Affect Disorder). I can remember saying to Judith years ago, “You know, I haven’t seen the sun in weeks.” It was depressing. It seemed like the daystar was constantly hiding just below the tree line.

Scripture compares our relationship with God to being in the light. A quick count in my Strong’s concordance revealed the word “light” appears over 300 times in the Bible. The New Testament calls Christians “children of light” and commands us to live as such. John exhorts us to walk in the light for “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 cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:6)

Basking in the light of his love and goodness brings joy and peace to our souls, just as sunlight promotes physical health.

The Lord is good and delights in our well being. He blesses us with light, both physically and spiritually. Basking in the light of his love and goodness brings joy and peace to our souls, just as sunlight promotes physical health.

3) Life Recedes

To end on a more somber note, this day also marks the beginning of days becoming shorter. With the passing of each day, darkness will increase until the winter solstice. Therefore, don’t waste your summer.

While it’s considered a time to kick back, take vacations, and relax, let’s not forget that our time “under the sun” will soon come to an end. Only one life twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last. If we’re not careful, summer can be a time of spiritual drift as we get lazy and careless in our relationship with Christ. I hope you won’t let that happen. Enjoy the summer—but not at the cost of your time in the light.

Earthly light is fading. But for us, an eternal day will dawn, the Daystar will rise with healing in his wings, (Malachi 4:2) and in Christ’s kingdom all darkness will die. In the meantime, let us heed the words of our Lord for our summer: “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.” (John 12:35)