Genesis
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Genesis 1:3
Can you imagine a reality devoid of sound, of breath, of movement or of light? An indescribable emptiness that the Bible could only word as formless. Everything you ever knew is non-existent and has never existed. There was only darkness. But then, imagine a sudden emergence. A radiance never before witnessed by any eye. An array of illuminance that pierced through the nothingness as a single command released by the thunderous voice finally broke the dead silence. In the exact precision of perfection, the emergence ignited the commencement of the first miracle. The breath of life uttered “light”, and for the very first time in all of existence, there it was – a glimmer of the glory of the Almighty. The first of many days to come. The first day.
Perhaps only a few would imagine how it all began. Scientists, historians and learned scholars could all only theorize and argue. But believers are given a simple yet definite answer to this very existential question through the book of Genesis. This book literally means “origin”, defining where we all came from. Amongst the many things God created, He made sure He breathed light first because in His wisdom, God knew it was a prerequisite to life itself. The plants and animals of the earth cannot thrive without it, as man also cannot.
Light to different people can mean many things. But in this context, light displays God’s providence, wisdom and love. It also talks about the qualities of God – that are glorious, divine and radiant. God’s first intended act therefore was to reveal Himself and His love as both a Great Creator and a heavenly Father through light.
However, the Bible spoke of a greater form of light – the True light and the greatest revelation of God that was in fact, an actual person. As stated in John 1:3-4, “through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”. This man was Jesus Christ.
When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are made into a new creation, where the old is gone and the new has come (1 Corinthians 5:17). Being a new creation, we were brought out of the darkness and into His glorious light. This also means He has given us the Holy Spirit to shine His light to others.
Being caught up in our daily lives, many of us forget the miracle of each and every day. But God designed every sunrise to remind us of the same miracle of the first day of creation. Full of hope, wonder and His glory. Light, from the beginning of time, until this day, continues to pierce through the darkness of the night. Even following millions of years, God’s creation carries on and He continues to reveal Himself to us as He revealed Himself to Noah, to Moses and to all His prophets. Of greater importance, His True Light remains triumphant over the world’s darkness.
Perhaps, when God said “let there be light”, He did not just create the light of the first day, but also brought forth the True Light that was meant to shine in every darkness. A command to His people from the very beginning of time until this moment to be light-bearers and reveal Himself to all of creation.
So maybe in the next sunrise you see listen to the voice of your creator say “let there be light”, and believe the True Light will shine within.
Reflection points:
- What does the sunrise remind me of?
- Do I shine God’s true light to others? If not, how can I begin to be His light in this dark world?
- Who among my friends/family need God’s light today?
