‘The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.’ – Revelation 21:23 (NIV)

Who is the True Source of Our Light? – written by Natasha Tordoff, MAF Papua New Guinea

I sometimes look at creation in awe, wondering how all of this came to exist. How is it that we are in this reality? Interacting with and trying to comprehend the vast expanse of time, space and all matter around us. How did all that we see and observe in the skies above and the earth below materialise?

The beginning…

Scientists believe that they have the answer: they say we are the result of a cosmic explosion that catapulted all matter through the universe, spinning our world and dimension into existence and out of nothing! The perfect environment for life ‘just happened’ to come about by chance, kickstarting the evolutionary process, forming our sun, moon, stars, and all living things whilst precisely placing them where they need to be to sustain life. Our sun for instance, is the exact right distance from the earth – too far away and we would freeze; too close and we would burn.

As Christians, we know better. We know that ‘In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth’ (Genesis 1:1), ‘And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light’ (Genesis 1:3).

‘And God said’ – the emphasis here on God’s spoken word, demonstrating that whatever God speaks into existence materialises. This Scripture tells us that the presence of light itself does not need an object of origin, for its origin is rooted in the Creator.

For Jesus said, ‘I Am the Light of the World’ (John 8:12), and in 1 John 1:5, ‘God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.’

The Father and the sun…

What science seems to fail to appreciate is that life comes from life, and that dead things cannot produce living things. The illumination of the sun on our world may be the result of a burning gas giant in space (according to science), but its presence is also the reflection of the hidden Glory of God in all that exists before us. For without light, we’d cease to exist, unable to interact with anything; light from the sun brings colour to our eyes, enables photosynthesis for plants and vegetation to grow, and impacts our global weather system, warming the earth and creating our environment.

Consider the excerpt below from an online article about our sun:

The sun sustains all life on earth, it shines on us, warms the earth, the seas, the atmosphere, it influences the climate, it causes dry periods and ice ages, it causes wind, which blows over the earth and determines our weather. (BASF, no date).

Light from the sun is important for life, but God is even more so. What if we were to replace the word ‘sun’ with ‘God’ when explaining how necessary the sun is for our world?

God sustains all life on earth…

‘For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.’ (Romans 1:20)

The revelation…

In Chapter 21 of Revelation, the believer in Christ is given an incredible promise: a glorious image and hope for the future, of a new heaven and a new earth, where God’s people will dwell in His midst forever. There will be no more death or suffering, for ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes’ (Revelation 21:4).

The Holy City, Jerusalem, will be built of pure gold and adorned with precious jewels; the splendour of which is unlike any other place experienced in this present time, and yet the writer draws attention to this one important fact: that the city needs no sun nor moon to illuminate it, ‘for the Glory of God gives it its light.’

And this is the crux upon which we should lean on, that God is our light and the sustainer of all life – not only in the spiritual realm, but also in the physical realm. Without God illuminating us through His various devices, both spiritual and physical life would be impossible.

The end…

When observing the universe, scientists have predicted a series of cataclysmic events that could one day destroy humanity and our earth. The sun could explode; the seas could rise; a meteorite could hit the earth; the next ice age could come.

As they diminish our beginning by reducing it to a happen-chance event in history, they envision a future for humanity that is subject to the whim and fury of a force that has no master nor origin other than itself.

Now to us who are being saved, we know who that true master is; it is the same master and Lord whose power commands the seas and the winds (Mark 4:39), whose hand moves mountains and shakes the foundations of the earth (Job 9:5-6), and whose glory causes even the stones to cry out and praise Him (Luke 19:40). This Lord is Christ Jesus our King, to whom all the host of heaven and earth are subject to, and even the end to come.

Therefore, let us look every day to our redemption in Christ, for our ‘redemption draws near’ (Luke 21:28).

The next time you bask in the sun, be reminded of the eternal glory that awaits us in heaven, where the Light of Christ will sustain us both physically and spiritually forever and ever.

1.     How can we be more mindful of God’s attributes in creation?

2.     How can we point others to Christ through His creation?

Loving Father, help us not to forget Your attributes in all of creation. Help us to recognise that all life is sustained by You and through You. You are the true light of the world, both physically and spiritually. You illuminate the darkness in our lives us and bring us to the truth through your Word. You sustain us in the physical realm, by the lights You have placed in the sky to rule over the day and the night.

We praise You that, in the new heaven and earth to come, there will be no more day nor night, because your light and glory will illuminate us forever. We praise You that, one day, You will wipe away every tear and heartache from Your people.

Help us, Lord, to point others to Jesus, through the glory of creation and how magnificent it is. We ask You to open the eyes of those who deny You, even though Your attributes are clearly seen. Let us be ready for Your second coming, and the redemption You have promised us in Christ.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

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