Look to the Light...

Light! How we love it! We admire the beauty of a sunlit field, forest, mountain, a golden sunrise over the ocean, or the orange beams of a sunset. Light is our companion, whether the natural light of day, or the artificial light that illuminates our homes and work environments. At this time of year, many of us adore the effect of lighted candles and other indoor and outdoor lighting in celebration of Christmas.   

We not only love light, but we need it, as do most plants and animals. Ever notice how a young seedling reaches toward the light, or how it turns it leaves toward the light? And animals, too, depend on the light to do what they need to do to survive. Even sea creatures of the greatest depths of the ocean, in areas where light does not penetrate, have the unique ability to glow in the darkness.      

We depend on the light, and we expect it. We don't usually think about it, because the sun comes up on its own. It's light allows us to carry out the activities of our lives. Without it, crops would not thrive--and neither would we.    

Light. It's easy to take for granted. We are accustomed to it. There is nothing we need to do; it's there for us at dawn. And indoors, all we need to do is flip a switch to turn on lights in our house. Light. It really is a luxury we don't often think about--until we don't have it. Power outages, for example, and if there are no candles, flashlights, or charged cell phones.    

Light is God's creation. In the third verse of the Book of Genesis, God said, "Let there be light." We read that the light was good, and that God separated the light from the darkness, creating day and night.   

Just as we have a built in need for sun light, within each of us I believe we have a built in need for something that is far greater than anything we could be, such as a Supreme Being. For many of us that is God, the Creator of the Universe. And at this time of year we celebrate the birth of the One true Light of the World, God's Son, Jesus Christ.    

When we look to the light, we are looking at God's creation. He is the source of light--and all life. And truly, it is through His light that we live. 

 

"For God, who said, 'Light shall shine out of darkness.' is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." - 2 Cor. 4:6