Essential Light
January 11, 2022
I have been thinking a lot about light lately. Of all the things God could have created first, He chose light first.
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. Genesis 1:3-5 (NIV)
Aside from His masterful creation of the human being, there is nothing more amazing than His creation of light. On Day 4, God doubled down on light and created the earth’s perpetual source of light - the sun and the stars.
14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day. Genesis 1:14-19 (NIV)
God needed a predictable source of light because the day before (Day 3) He created plants. Plants have to eat, so God cleverly invented photosynthesis. This is the method by which a plant coverts sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into food for itself and for the rest of us. No other living thing generates its own food, only plants. Plants create food literally out of thin air and sunshine! The agronomist in me has always been impressed by photosynthesis. It is so perfect, efficient, and orderly.
Sunlight is essential for plant life, which is essential to our physical life, but I take light and all its benefits for granted. It is always there, working in the background, being useful, whether I am conscious of it or not. What light is to our physical existence, God is to our spiritual existence.
This is the message we have heard from him (Jesus) and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5 (NIV)
The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. Revelation 21:23 (NIV)
The Bible tells us that God is light and calls Jesus the Light of the world. As a long-time Christian, I take the Light of God in my life for granted. But, now is a good time to be more conscious of His presence.
You, Lord, keep my lamp burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.
Psalm 18:28 (NIV)
My friends, do not lose hope, not matter what happens in this world. God is able to shine through the darkness around us. He has a plan. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)