God Who Commanded the Light to Shine out of Darkness

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 4:6 KJV)

God who commanded the light image showing a bulb in the dark

Paul uses the creation story to describe a profound spiritual truth in redemption: God bringing light into darkness. In this devotional, we will review three distinct instances of God’s light breaking forth on earth: creation, incarnation, and new creation.

On the first day of creation, when darkness was upon the face of the earth, God said, “let there be light” (Genesis 1:3). And there was light—physical light on the earth. Note the dynamics of this light: the Spirit of God moved, God spoke the Word, the light came forth, and darkness dissipated. We see these same dynamics in the second instance of God’s light breaking forth during the incarnation.

When Jesus came to earth, the Word of God Himself, the Light of men, the brightness of God’s glory, came into the darkness of the world. Again, we see the Spirit, the Word, the Light, and the dominion over the darkness. John said, “light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not” (John 1:5 KJV). While the light in Genesis 1:3 was literal and physical, the light in John 1:5 was spiritual.

The birth and life of Christ as Light in the darkness continues as the birth and life of the believers. The new creation is God’s light that He has called forth out of the darkness in the world. Again, just like Jesus, this light is not physical light but spiritual light in the hearts of people.

MEDITATE

Please ponder and mutter the words of 2 Corinthians 4:6 above.

APPLY THE WORD

God’s light is breaking forth all over the world. That light is you and me, expressions of the brightness and glory of God in our being and works. Arise, shine!