Light

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 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. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. (Genesis 1:1-5 ESV). Let me set the scene for you. The house is dark; no lights were left on and we returned after the sun had set. It was a cloudy night, so the ambient light from outdoors was noticeably less than usual. I opened the front door and lifted my hand to the wall. Moving my hand up and down, forward and backward, I touch a smooth piece of plastic. Knowing immediately it is the faceplate of the light switch, I move my fingers in the upward direction and trip the switch, immediately filling the room with light. This seemingly simple feat is repeated daily by people around the world and has been ever since Edison made incandescent lighting economically feasible at the turn of the last century. It is an ordinary occurrence for most of the world’s population. And, yet, because of its commonness we take for granted the complexity of making that light a reality. The same is true when we begin to think of the creation. We have lost touch with the incredible claim made in Genesis 1:3 as God speaks light into existence. Where only darkness had existed, there was light. Think about what it takes for us to light a room today. At least four different manufacturing plants are involved, one to make wire, another for the switch, one more for the fixture, and a final one for the bulb. There are also numerous people at the power company, linemen, electricians who all play a role in making it possible to turn on the light. There are many more who have all contributed to bringing light to our darkness with the flip of a switch. By comparison, God spoke one declarative statement and in so doing created the sun, the moon, and all the stars. He created enough light for an entire universe to run for untold millions of years. God’s spoken word empowered an entire electromagnetic spectrum that humanity is only beginning to comprehend. Edison’s incandescent light, in all its glory, cannot even begin to compare to the majesty and wonder of the creative power of our God. Do you see that with all of that power we can trust Him even more? The next time you turn on the lights, think about the ultimate power of the God who created light itself. He is your heavenly Father. His love for you is unmatched in all of time!