Not Without Light

Posted on by

On Sunday, Darren and I drove home from Maine with our two little nephews in tow. One of the boys was chattering from the backseat about the moon and about how dark it would be at night if we had no moon. The other nephew confidently informed us that earth has two suns and there was no convincing him otherwise–but that has nothing to do with this conversation :] My nephew’s chatter about the moon lighting up the night made me think of Genesis 1:16

“And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also” (KJV).

It is interesting that in nature, as in life, God does not leave us without light. In the dark of night, God gives us light–even if just enough to find our way through the surrounding blackness.

I believe nature gives us a glimpse of God–of his nature and character. Like the words of a writer or the strokes of an artist tell something of their creator, so the restless ocean, the bird in flight, the sweeping prairie grass each tell something of their creator–of the Divine Artist who painted and wrote them into existence. God didn’t have to paint light into the darkness; he could have left us to wonder through the blackness until the sun’s return–but he didn’t. He gave us the moon and the stars with just enough light to give hope of the sun’s return.

The same is true in the blackness of our lives. There are dark days, sometimes dark months and years. But even in the darkness, there is light and hope. Sometimes the light is dim, veiled, hidden behind the clouds and difficult to find–but it’s there, it’s always there. God, the painter of light, creator of sun and moon, gives us his light–his hope and peace in the darkness.

If you are prodding in the darkness, feeling lost and unsure, know the light is there–behind the clouds, behind the heartache or uncertainty–the light is there, it’s always there.

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” C.S. Lewis

16 thoughts on “Not Without Light”

  1. Pingback: Light in the darkness | Wondering Preacher

  2. First of all, I absolutely LOVE the picture you inserted into your post. Thank you for reminding us of how the world around us tells us of our Creator. I am often amazed at the beauty of creation… things like the artistry of an incredible sunset, the delicate nature of the tiniest little flower, the majesty of the mountains, or the vastness of the ocean that makes me feel small and powerless until I realize that the Creator of that powerful force of water created me as well and loves me with an everlasting love. Nature does tell us of the creativity, power, and wonder of God.

    Like

    Reply

  3. Amen. Thank you, Kari. I pray that all who need to hear this will find it and through it, see that Jesus is the Light of the World and He is with them no matter how dark things are in their lives. He is with us even if we go down to the depths (Ps. 139:7-12). Even in the valley of the shadow of death, He is the Good Shepherd who guides us and protects us (Ps. 23, Jn. 10). May the Lord continue to bless you and grow you in Him! Your writing is a beautiful gift! Thank you for sharing it.
    Love in Christ,
    Natalie

    Like

    Reply

  4. Moving. Thank you. I often ponder on the brushstrokes of our Lord in the sky. Nothing matches the palette He uses at sunrise and sunset. The car ride sounded like a cozy conversation and thank you for allowing us to be part of it.

    Like

    Reply

  10. How beautiful. It is a gift and as I receive it I say thank you, Kari. How very tenderly and lovingly written. I am a big fan of C.S. Lewis and a fan of your blog. A double portion today. Blessings…

    Like

    Reply

  11. Great post, Kari, some of the wisest things I’ve ever heard came from kids. This reminded me of some lessons on color discernment from a painting class in college. Two colors very few humans will ever experience in their truest form are black and white. Black is the absence of all color in the light spectrum, so “seeing black” is actually an oxymoron since light is required to see. What we call black is actually an extremely dark shade of another color. Spelunkers who explore deep caverns completely void of light can feel the empty void of true black. White, on the other hand, is the presence of all color. Like black, what we call ‘white’ is an extremely light value of a color. True white would be so bright we could not look at it. Even God’s color selection for painting creation points us to Him.

    A bit of a rabbit hole from the point you make, but I’m glad you led me back to it! Thank you!

    Like

    Reply

  12. A wonderful reminder Kari. I am forever amazed at the beauty and the complexity of our universe. God’s handiwork shouts of His existence, from every tiny blade of grass to the sun, moon and stars- He is there.

    Like

    Reply

Join the conversation...