LIGHT AND DARKNESS
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then He separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.”
Genesis 1:1-5a (NLT)
In the beginning…God. Nothing existed before God. Over the years, I’ve had people, especially children, ask how God could have existed forever. They rightly think there had to be a point of origin for life as we know it, and it’s hard to wrap the mind around God, despite His infinite power, being a static force that stretches into infinity. Feel free to take my belief with a grain of salt, but I think the solution is simple: God created time.
Time as a concept requires a sequence of events creating past, present and future. Did these already exist in a reality with forward progression, or did that progression begin taking place when God established the sun, moon and stars? God created day and night cycles and told Adam and Eve to multiply (Genesis 1:28), so we know it existed in these verses at the latest.
Despite all this, we know God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8), because He’s outside the need and inevitability of change. The Bible establishes this power and more as He draws the line between light and dark. The metaphor of light and dark representing right—i.e., the things that are of Him—and wrong—the things that are not—may have come after the Fall, but God, knowing all things at all times, knew how the story would progress.
The world can be a dark place. Thankfully, God wants to be our light. The same God who created everything and ordered reality wants to be the light that guides us home. That’s a God worth celebrating.
APPLICATION: Praise God for His infinite genius, limitless creativity and overwhelming power in creating everything. As you go throughout your day, give Him glory for everything you see. Thank Him for the light that separates day and night. Thank Him for bringing you into this world and for providing Himself in the midst of the darkness.
PRAYER: Father God, You are incredible! No matter how I may marvel at Your world and praise You for its splendor, my praise pales in comparison to who You truly are. Be my light and guide me through Your creation today. Amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?