Let There Be Light
“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.” (Genesis 1:3) Moses describes the first order of business that God accomplished while creating the universe. It was the first ‘good’ that we see in the creation narrative. The Lord created light and made a distinction between light and darkness.
When we think about it, there is no surprise why light was the first order of business. When you and I walk into a dark room, the first thing we look for is the light switch. We flip on the source of light so that we can see what we are doing or what we are looking for. God started with light, not because He could not see what He was doing, but so that we could understand the mysteries of what He was doing. After all, He who is described as perfect light and omniscient doesn’t need an outside source of light in order to see.
In the New Testament we learn about the greatest event in human history. Jesus Christ, the light of the world and the true light of all truth, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and gave His life so that we could be saved from sin. And, like the light from Genesis, Jesus makes a clear distinction between light and darkness. You and I are not left wondering what is good or bad. The same way that Jesus divides time (B.C. and A.D.), He divides attitudes, actions, and motives.
As we come to the New Testament story of redemption through Christ, we learn about another great truth concerning light. That is, through repentance and faith the Light of God enters the heart of man. As believers, you and I are invaded by the very presence and person of God. We are no long abandoned to wander in the darkness of man’s shallow philosophy, or the hedonistic foolishness of ‘do your own thing’ mantra. Now we know the will of God concerning our life—take up our cross and follow Jesus.
The Apostle Paul says that we behold the ‘glory of God that shines in the face of Jesus Christ’ and now we have the ‘light of the knowledge of the glory of God.’ Isn’t it amazing how that every 24 hours the Lord gives us a new day; a day of experiencing the light of sunshine invading the darkness of night. It is like the Lord is shouting from the heavens and declaring a starting point for each of us. Maybe we failed yesterday, or the day before. However, every morning the Lord is offering a new beginning to start over. Today, the Lord is desiring to break through afresh into our heart with His presence and separate light from darkness. And it begins when we personally hear Him say to us…Let There Be light!
