God of Light

In the beginning, everything was formless and void. And into the darkness, God spoke. 

Let there be light. 

But darkness doesn't go away just like that. 

We know that much from living in a fallen world. We know that from wrestling with ourselves, with the same sin that keeps creeping up again and again in our lives. We know that because we can't ever seem to truly shake the darkness, whether it is an addiction we can't break, a habit we can't shake, a lie we can't get out from under. Whatever it is, we know that the darkness simply pursues us. 

One of the questions that has plagued Christianity - and Christians - for thousands of years is, why doesn't God just wipe out the darkness? And of course, we know that He has promised that one day, He will do just that. But we don't live in one day; we live in this one. 

And what's cool about this day is that even if today isn't the day God defeats the darkness, it is still a day that He's controlling the darkness by controlling the light. 

There's a story in 2 Kings about a time when Hezekiah is looking for an assurance from the Lord, and the assurance is offered through darkness and light. At a dark time in Hezekiah's life, God says to him, I will prove it to you by moving the shadows. And we know that the only way to move shadows is to move the light. So God moves the light and the shadows move back and Hezekiah is assured that what the Lord has said is true. 

That's the same thing He's doing with us every day of our lives. 

God has given us His promise - His promise that includes that one day, He will defeat the darkness. And we? We're always looking for evidence of that promise, for some kind of sign, for some signal that God is still in control and that what He says He is doing, He actually is doing. In the darkest times of our lives, we cry out for some kind of proof. And God says, watch; I will move the shadows. 

And then, He moves the shadows by using the light. By putting good things in front of us. By sending friends and family to love on us. By giving us good gifts. By surprising us with the unexpected. By filling us with peace that passes understanding. By being God. 

By still speaking into what seems formless and void. 

Let there be light. 

God controls the darkness by controlling the light. (2 Kings 20:11)