Life for Light

One of the most beautiful verses I have come across in the Scriptures is found in Psalms 36:9, which reads as follows:

For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light (NIV).

The phrase, “in your light we see light” implies we never can be sure what we think is light really is light until we view, see, or interpret what we regard as light within context of God’s light.

It is with this understanding that the Psalmist writes in Psalms 25:4–5 (all words in brackets within context of Bible quotations are mine),

“Show me (light me up concerning) your ways, O LORD, teach me (illuminate me in regard of) your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior….”

In similar manner, Solomon advises in Proverbs 3:5–8,

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding (lean not on your own view or interpretation of light)…
Do not be wise in your own eyes (do not trust in your own definition of light)
…. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”

An illustration of possibility of difference between what we perceive as light and God’s definition of light can be found in the Scriptures, with evidence in nature. If you do not believe in the Bible’s account of creation, just humor me or read a free copy of Chapter 17 of my book titled, In Jesus Name.

In Genesis 1:3–5, God created light on the first day of Creation, resulting in separation of “day” from “night”. This implies day and night existed ever before the sun was created to rule over the day with its rays and the moon was created to rule over the night, both on the fourth day of Creation (Genesis 1:14–19).

Clearly, the light created on the first day of creation cannot be the same as light that emanates from the sun or the moon. If we trust only in the light that emanates from the sun or moon — created entities — we can lose sight of the true light that made day and night possible.

Note the difference. Light created day and night. Rays of light from the sun and moon rule over day or night but do not of themselves make day and night possible.

Does nature bear witness to the Scriptures? Absolutely. We know now many years subsequent to penning of Genesis, Psalms or Proverbs that there are many spectrums of light invisible to the naked eye present with us day or night. In fact, there is light arriving from other galaxies outside of our own galaxy. Because we are so used to our lives revolving around the sun and the moon, we forget the established scientific fact already taught in the Bible that:

Light exists independent of the Sun.

If we trust only in the light that is visible to our eyes, the light that rules the day or the light that rules the night, we may never perceive the true light that created day and night.

In so far as spirituality is concerned, the Apostle John links true light with fountain of life — the two elements discussed in Psalms 36:9 — as follows in John 1:4,

In Him (Jesus Christ) was life, and that life was the light of men.

Jesus Himself declared in John 14:6 and John 4:13–14,

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Jesus is the Life and He, the Life is the Light of men. In Christ, God has merged Life and Light such that once a person acknowledges Jesus as Lord and Savior, he or she has access to fountains of Life and streams or spectrums of true Light.

What then is the effect of true Light in the life of a believer in the name of Jesus Christ (1John 1:7)?

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Only in context of the light of God we are able to arrive at true conceptions of right and wrong. In Jesus Christ, knowledge of right and wrong brings along with it power to choose what is right.

In Jesus Christ, it is Life that produces Light. If Jesus were not in the Light, the light would not be the true Light because the light would lack Life.

Let us choose or continue to choose Life that brings True Light.