Light

“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3)

My wife and I hardly ever write checks when we pay bills. Given our penchant for using our debit cards almost exclusively, there are times when my check-writing skills are a bit rusty. But there are some things that still require us to pull out our tattered checkbook. And I’ve made the mistake of writing checks without noticing I’ve written them for the wrong amount. When I realize my error, I usually take out a large permanent marker and write “VOID” in corpulent letters across the check. That immediately makes the check worthless.

What happens when we move from paper voids to real tangible voids in our lives? What happens when there are permanent marks left on our lives that seem unfixable? What happens when those voids make our lives feel worthless? Loss of a job or a loved one can do just that. So it’s no surprise that Scripture opens with God filling a void. If God is anything, he’s a void-filler.

As the earth stood formless, dark, and void, we’re given a glimpse of God’s creation. As the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters, God pulled the curtain back on his creative studio and gave us an exclusive tour. He had so much to do. Trees needed to be planted. Mountains needed to be formed. Complex molecules needed to be combined to make up various elements. But what did He choose to do first? Speak light.

Think about that. Light was so critical to the story of Creation that it was the first thing God spoke. Even before humankind was created, God created light. Though humans were to be the apex of his creation, God felt the need to start with light. Maybe he created light first so that we’d know we were created to walk in light. Had he created us first, our only frame of reference would be darkness and we’d have to become accustomed to walking in light.

The writer of Romans mentions that we are without excuse for walking in this light, since God placed an understanding of his eternal power and divine nature in our hearts from the beginning (Romans 1:20). Creation is just a reflection of God thinking so highly of us that he uttered these words first: “Let there be light.”

He purposely spoke light first. He wanted his people to experience light so we know and understand the Creator of that light. He wanted us to experience light so we know that darkness doesn’t last always. He wanted us to experience light so we know that “light shines in darkness, and darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). Most of all, he wanted us to experience light so we may reflect that light.

But God still allows evenings, doesn’t he? We experience them every day on our drives home from work as the sun disappears below the horizon. We also experience evenings as we travel along this road called “life.” As long as the earth remains, there will be both day and night (Genesis 8:22). And night generates darkness. And darkness can be scary. That is, unless we realize that morning is right around the corner. And so is joy (Psalm 30:5). God allows our evenings to give us a greater appreciation of his light.

Is there anything as beautiful as the breaking of the day? There’s something breathtaking about that moment. The same light that disappeared below the horizon and gave way to night peaks over the skyline, like a toddler trying to get a glimpse of a well-placed cookie jar on a kitchen counter. In that moment, light permeates our lives as we start a new day.

And we’re reminded of the true light—the light that led the Israelites in the wilderness (Exodus 13:21). We’re reminded of the light of the world—taking on flesh and dwelling among us (John 1:9, 14). His name? Jesus Christ. In whom we place all our hope. There’s no void in our lives that he can’t fill. In fact, all the other things we use to fill that void dissipate over time. They are temporal, false lights with a limited shelf life. But he is the true light—the hope of the world. He’s the one who takes our seemingly worthless lives and ascribes ultimate value to them. So that in loss, in suffering, and in pain—whatever the darkness—his glorious light shines on our hearts (2 Corinthians 4:6).

God sees the voids in our lives. God sees the darkness in our lives. God sees our formlessness. The Spirit is there. He’s hovering. Just waiting for God to speak those timeless words. That’s when God enters our stories and says, “Let there be light.” So wherever you are today, know that God is pursuing you. Even as darkness and voids surround you, he’s there. To offer you hope. With four simple, yet penetrating words. Let. There. Be. Light.

Editors Note: This post is an excerpt from John’s book, The Tenacity of Hope, a 30-day devotional on disappointments, loss, and everything in between. Starting with Genesis and ending with Revelation, John surveys the narratives found in the Old Testament and New Testament and offers readers words of hope. The book is available as a free .pdf download for his blog subscribers. Find out more about this title on John’s site: http://johnrichardsjr.com.