Let There Be Light

Do you know what God's first recorded words in the Bible are? They are found in Genesis 1:3, where He says, "Let there be light."

Light. That natural illumination that makes things visible. That agent that boosts health in our body as well as in our mind. That metaphor for spiritual light, the illumination that opens our eyes to spiritual truths and ministers to our soul. Light.

Could God's first recorded words be a message to us, His children, signaling to What—to Whom—we should first turn at the advent of every new day, every new hardship? Could it be that at every blip in our life, He would have us turn to the Light? That ...

When our problems seem to overwhelm us, we should turn to Him and say,—let there be light.

When the path before us seems confusing, we should turn to Him and say,—let there be light.

When the pain of past mistakes comes to torment us yet again, we should  turn to Him and say,—let there be light.

When the loss of a loved one seems to drain meaning and joy from life, we should  turn to Him and say,—let there be light.

When scathing words excoriate our inner man, we should turn to Him and say,—let there be light.

When a kindness offered with the best of intentions is thrown back in our face with cutting rejection, we should turn to Him and say,—let there be light.

When the world around us seems nothing but dark chaos, we should turn to Him and say,—let there be light.

When our dearest family member refuses to move like the most stubborn of donkeys, pulling against the attraction of the truth of the living God, we should turn to Him and say,—let there be light.

When finances are a struggle despite our faithful giving, we should turn to Him and say,—let there be light.

When the trappings of old age weigh our body down, we should turn to Him and say,—let there be light.

When illness does not seem to budge despite our prayers and our standing on His promises, we should turn to Him and say,—let there be light.

When those with whom we have worshipped wipe the dust of church off their feet, we should turn to Him and say,—let there be light.

When godly people embrace politics that go against the basic precepts of God's Word, we should turn to Him and say,—let there be light.

When tentacles of corruption seem to thread themselves through every layer of government, we should turn to Him and say,—let there be light.

Why did He say, "Let there be light?" Yes, He was creating physical light, but some theologians are also of a mind that God's first recorded words in the Bible have another noble purpose, that they are a foreshadowing of the coming of Christ to this old world. And they just might be right.

Didn't Jesus, in John 8:12, say, "I am the light of the world"? Just as in every chapter of the Book of Revelation John reveals aspects of our Lord, every single book in the Bible reveals something about Him to us. His character, His innumerable thoughts, His ways ... Scientists tell us that, incredible as it might seem, white light is not a single color; although not visible to the naked eye unless separated, all the colors of the prism are contained in it. Jesus is our Light. In Him we find not a solitary remedy for a solitary problem, but every single remedy for every possible ill on Earth as well as in man. For "Christ is all, and in all" (Colossians 3:11).

With four powerful, pivotal words, God changed the chaos of Genesis 1:2 into beautiful, breath-taking creation and order.

No matter what you are facing today, no matter what heartache encumbers you, take heart. Remember that He is our most wonderful, perfect Light. In Him is the answer to every question, every need, every desire. In everything. In every way. In every time. Let there be light.

"When I sit in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto me" (Micah 7:8).