AND THERE WAS LIGHT

 

JULY 7, 2025

Genesis 1:3-4


“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness.” 

Genesis 1 tells us that in the beginning, the world was formless, empty, and dark. Into that void, God spoke. The first words our creator spoke were, “Let there be light.” And with that one sentence, we read that light burst into existence. 

I believe the great appeal of the summer season is that light is experienced everywhere, early sunrises, long evenings of light, bright and sunny skies. But this season also invites us to recognize the deeper light we truly need: the voice of God that still creates, still separates light from darkness, and still says, “This is good.”

Sometimes we feel like we’re hovering in chaos, empty and formless, uncertain, lost even. Yet, into those kind of moments, God still speaks: “Let there be light.” God's voice awakens hope. God's light can reveal a new path. God's presence can turn the emptiest place into the beginning of something beautiful. When life feels dark, that light is still there, just like the sun still shines even behind storm clouds. God's Word still speaks. God's presence still holds us.


There’s a phenomenon in northern Canada called the midnight sun, a time when the sun doesn’t fully set. For a few extraordinary weeks, the sky glows even at midnight. Maybe you have witnessed this. People often describe it as magical, like time has paused, and light refuses to leave.


For me, that image is a glimpse of what God’s presence is like. When God says, “Let there be light,” it’s not a momentary flash, it’s the beginning of an ongoing reality where light remains, pushing back darkness, hour by hour, season by season.


The Bible teaches us that God didn’t create light simply to brighten a dark sky. He gave it to mark the start of something new. It was the first act of the divine order, and it declared: This story has begun and the story originates with the powerful creative word of God.

Reflect

Pay attention to where light appears today, in nature, in a conversation, in Scripture. Let it remind you that God still speaks and still creates.

Let's Pray

Creator God,
Speak again into my heart: Let there be light.
Shine into the places where I feel lost, unsure, or overwhelmed.
Thank You that You are not a distant God, but one who enters our chaos with purpose and love.
Today, I receive Your light. Guide me, shape me, and begin something new in me.
Amen.