Daylight Savings Time just returned and I’m a big fan! Are you? For the early birds reading this, getting up in the dark is an adjustment – but you’ll see more sunrises! I get up fairly early and it’s a little darker for me too, but to have bonus daylight after work to go outside, to walk my doggo, and energy to do more life stuff is totally worth it to me!
The Bible tells us that God is the Creator of light in Genesis 1:3-5 (NLT):
“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’ and evening passed and morning came, marking the first day.”
Notice it says He separated the light from the darkness. Light allows us to see during the day, it’s necessary for plants and crops to grow, it warms the Earth, and regulates our sleep-wake rhythm. Darkness allows us to rest while our bodies recover and repair themselves and it cools our environment – yet even in the dark, we can see light reflected by the moon and the stars so it isn’t total blackness.
Beyond the physical, light and darkness also teach us about spiritual truth.
Just as light exposes what darkness has covered, the truth, holiness and presence of God expose the darkness of sin, evil, and the work of the enemy, satan.
Darkness is the absence of light. When someone doesn’t want others to know what they’re doing, they hide from the light. People come out at night to go places and do things they wouldn’t do in front of the police or their friends and family at noon. It’s nothing new – in fact, it’s ancient behavior.
Religious leaders called Pharisees in Jesus’ time were hypocrites, teaching one thing and doing another. Jesus, God the Son, confronts them and says this in Luke 12:2-3 (NLT):
“The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear!”
In our culture today, we see this happening in the news on a regular basis with people who’ve committed fraud, theft, abuse, or disregard the law in other ways. They did something once and somehow got away with it. They tried it again and the cycle kept going until they got caught. Even deterrents like prison or people they have wronged taking revenge on them – that may even cost them their life – aren’t strong enough to quit voluntarily. But God’s justice is forever stronger. One day, it will stop and the Righteous Judge WILL prevail. Hebrews 9:27b (NLT) says in no uncertain terms, “each person is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.”
There will be no more hiding from the Light. ALL will be revealed.
If you’re a true believer in Jesus Christ and have asked Him to forgive your sins and follow what He teaches in His Word, the Bible, you have nothing to fear. However, not everyone who says they are a Christian truly believe, as we read in 1 John 1:5-10 (NLT) which says:
“This is the message we heard from Jesus, and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in Him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.
If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that His Word has no place in our hearts.”
Maybe these verses are a checkpoint for you today. Is your life divided into areas of light and darkness? If everything you’re involved in were brought into the light before God, what would He see? The reality is, He already sees your life from beginning to end. The best news you will hear today is that you can change where you are and be born again. A fresh start is waiting if you pray honestly to God about your situation and ask for forgiveness of your sins, which can only come from Him through His Son Jesus Christ. He paid your debt for you. Then start reading your Bible with an open heart to learn about truth and get guidance for your new life.
In John 8:12b (NIV) Jesus, who is God the Son, said:
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
RESET HIGHER: This is a message full of comfort and hope, even in the middle of all that’s going on in our world that’s out of our control. The good news is, God IS in control. He is bigger. He is still the King of kings and Lord of lords. His eternal plan will continue until every word and promise He’s recorded for us in the Bible come to pass. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us that God is only delaying His judgement to give more people time to repent because of His love for us: “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” Is He still waiting for you?
When times seem dark, we can count on this promise of truth from John 1:5 (NLT):
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”
