"And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness."
Have you ever thought about how God made light on Day 1 of creation, but waited until Day 4 to make the sun, moon, and stars? I used to wonder about that - how could there be light, and day and night, before there was a sun?! It seems that God gave us these lights so that we would be better able to mark the passing of time, as we can see in Genesis 1:14:
"And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky
to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs
to mark seasons and days and years...""
I love the creation account, where the story begins at the beginning of the Bible! Already there we can see that there is a Source of Light that is much greater than the sun that we see as the source of Earth's light.
In Isaiah chapter 9, we read one of the most well known prophecies of the coming Messiah. The prophecy starts with these words, from verse 2:
"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned."
These words of prophecy are repeated in the book of Matthew (4:16), and in Luke (1:79), as Jesus came to fulfill that prophecy. He was that Great Light that came to illuminate the way for the people who were walking in darkness. When He was born, there was the bright star that led the magi from afar to find Him, stopping over the very house where He was (Matthew 2). For the shepherds, there was the angel that came and brought them the good news of the Savior born in Bethlehem. The dark night sky was lit up for them, and the glory of the Lord shone all around them (Luke 2)!
The gospel of John puts it more simply, and instead of recounting the details of Jesus' birth, he talks about the Word - who was with God, and who, in fact, was fully God - and about how He came and dwelt among us, wrapped in human flesh just like us. But there was something different about Him! John 1: 4 and 5 say:
"In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.
The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it."
In John 8:12, Jesus Himself spoke clearly to us, proclaiming:
"I am the Light of the World. Whoever follows Me
will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
It seems that there is always a separation between light and darkness, and as we well know, the two cannot abide together. When God made light, He pronounced it good. In 1 John 1:5 we read:
"GOD IS LIGHT; in Him there is no darkness at all."
God is Light, and God is Good. We see that where there is an absence of light, there is an absence of God, and of course, that is not good. In fact, that is why darkness is associated with evil, because both are the opposite of God, and all He stands for. God is also Love, and just like He calls us to HIs light, just as He conforms us to His goodness, He will also work in us, to put His love into our hearts. I love the clear picture of walking in the light versus walking in the dark that 1 John 2:9-11 gives us:
"Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother
is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is
nothing in him to make him stumble.
But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness;
he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him."
I don't want to stumble around blindly, and God's Word gives such clear instruction about how to get out of the darkness, and start walking in the light, as He is in the light. Psalm 119:105 says:
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."
It's all in God's Word! He will show us the way if we seek Him with all our heart, and that is truly the desire of mine! Awhile ago, I was reading in the book of Matthew, and though I had often read these verses, sung songs about these verses as a kid, they just hit me in a fresh, new way that day. Chapter 5:14-16 quote Jesus talking to us, as believers...
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.
Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to the whole house.
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see
your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven."
I have often struggled to know how it is that I can let my light shine before men. So often, I find myself being quiet when I know I should probably speak, and often as I sit there, I wonder, what would Jesus be saying right now, in this situation? As we just went through the Christmas holidays, I looked at the lights that were put out everywhere, announcing the season. They would be dim in comparison to the glorious light that God put in place that first Christmas as He announced His Son's birth. But they still remind us of the season. My light may often shine dim as well, in comparison to the glorious light of my Father in Heaven. To often, too much of my own nature still crowds out the new person that Jesus has created me to be, as I have placed my faith in Him. But I long to shine! The Lord has given me new life, and I don't want to try to hide it, or keep it to myself! I want to 'put my lamp on its stand, and allow it to give light to all who come near it'. I want to be a useful vessel, bringing praise to my Lord, as He is so full of glory, worthy of all our praise. I am but a small reflection of the True Light, but my prayer is that I would learn to let it shine anyway. I am glad that I have found that Light, that I am not walking in darkness anymore! One day, I will dwell in that wonderful place that He is preparing for all who will trust in Him, who will accept His Son, Jesus, as Savior from their sin. And there, we will have no need of any lesser lights, for the glory of God, and the light of the Lamb will shine on us!
Revelation 21:23 and 24a say:
"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.
The nations will walk by its light..."
What a glorious hope awaits all of God's children!
