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Illuminate: Living in the LightSample

Illuminate: Living in the Light

DAY 1 OF 5

The first words of God recorded in the Bible are rather simple. "Let there be light."

He doesn't first say, "I am love." 

He doesn't first say, "I will make people."

He doesn't first say, "I am the only true God."

He first says:

"LET THERE BE LIGHT!" (Genesis 1:3)

These words are like a cosmic public service announcement.

"I am God! I am here! I am true! I am truth!"

Then God separated light from darkness, which was both a practical thing (so there could be day and night), but also a symbolic thing (because light and darkness are entirely opposite of each other).

According to the Bible, one of the first things humanity did was reject God-truth-light. They chose self-lies-darkness instead. (You can read about it in Genesis 3.)

But God is light, and the world is his, and he will not tolerate darkness destroying his creation. 

So thousands of years later, the Bible recorded these words:

"The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine." (Isaiah 9:2)

These words were like a cosmic public service announcement.

"I am still God! I am still here! And soon I am coming to you as Jesus Christ!"

Thousands of years after that second public service announcement, Jesus was born:

 "The true light, who gives light to everyone." (John 1:9)

Thousands of years after Jesus was born, we are reading these words, literally the most amazing cosmic public service announcement ever.

And thousands and thousands and thousands of years from now, when this world has ended and God's new creation has arrived, there will no longer be a sun or moon because:

"God illuminates" everything and "there is no night" and "nothing evil will be allowed." (from Revelation 21:22-27)

And that is the very last cosmic public service announcement about light that will ever need to be made.

TO THINK ABOUT:

How would you describe actual light? What does it do? How does it help us?

What happens when there is no light?



About this Plan

Illuminate: Living in the Light

The Bible has a lot to say about light, starting on the very first page and going all the way through to the last page. Followers of Jesus Christ are called to "live in the light" - and that means something very different than "get some sun" or "catch some rays." After all, God didn't just make light. He IS light.

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We would like to thank Crystal Kirgiss in conjunction with Young Life for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: https://discipleship.younglife.org/