Casandra Martin

I am lying in bed this morning in the name of research. I am watching the way that the light streams in and slowly fills the room as the sun creeps over the eastern horizon. At first, there is just an imperceptible shift in the darkness. Then, as the light continues to pour in, black gives way to color, shapes and textures take form, and even the shadows in the corners succumb to the power of the sun. Light bathes the room, coaxing me to see, wrapping me in warmth, brightness, and an invitation to step into the day.

This is how the world began. God spoke, “’Let there be light,’ and there was light.” – (Genesis 1:3.) It was the dawn of the first amazing day on earth. But don’t read those words in purely physical terms. First John 1:5 tells us that God Himself is Light. God didn’t just turn on the lights in the world. The first thing God did was give the world Himself.

That is what God wants to do for you and me with the dawn of each new day. He looks at the darkness invading my heart, haunting my soul, misshaping my perspective and priorities, and offers to speak His power into my life – Let there be Light. What light touches, light transforms. What happened in the moments as I watched the sun fill my bedroom are the same things that happen when I allow the Son to fill my heart. Light moves in, conquering the shadows, and opening up limitless possibilities.

My Jesus Resolution today is to pay attention to the light. I tend to take light for granted. We have blinds on our windows designed to filter and block the light. I don’t want to have blinds on my soul. I want to watch the way that sunlight plays on the colors in my garden. I want to be thankful for the way that light ignites growth, health, and vibrancy. I want to pay attention to how light transforms a room in an instant. The power of the sun is merely a shadow of the power of the Son. Today, I want to throw open my heart and pray, “God, let there be Light!”