When it was still dark,
God said, “Let there be light.” (Gen. 1:3)
When it was still dark,
A smoking furnace and a flaming torch passed between the pieces as Yahweh made a covenant with Abram. (Gen. 15:17)
When it was still dark,
Yahweh went before His people by night in a pillar of fire to give them light. (Exodus 13:21)
When it was still dark,
The people stayed at a distance, and Moses came near to the thick darkness where God was. (Exodus 20:21)
When it was still dark,
Yahweh put darkness between His people and their pursuers, covering them. (Joshua 24:7)
When it was still dark,
Isaiah prophesied, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. The light has shined on those who lived in the land of the shadow of death.” (Isaiah 9:2)
When it was still dark,
Daniel prayed, “God reveals the deep and secret things. He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him.” (Daniel 2:22)
When it was still dark,
There was silence for hundreds of years…
When it was still dark,
The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, of David’s house. The virgin’s name was Mary. (Luke 1:26-27)
When it was still dark,
There were shepherds in the same country staying in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock. Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people.” (Luke 2:8-9)
When it was still dark,
The fullness of the time came, God sent out His Son, born to a woman, born under the law, that He might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as children. (Galatians 4:4-5)
When it was still dark,
The blind received their sight, the lame walked, the lepers were cleansed, the deaf heard, the dead were raised up, and the poor had good news preached to them by Jesus. (Matthew 11:5)
When it was still dark,
Jesus came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said, “What, couldn’t you watch with me for one hour? Watch and pray, that you don’t enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:40-41)
When it was still dark,
Jesus said, “Judas, do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” (Luke 22:48)
When it was still dark,
All the disciples left him and fled. (Matthew 26:56)
When it was still dark,
They crucified Him there with the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:33-34)
When it was still dark,
Jesus said, “It is finished!” (John 19:30)
When it was still dark,
Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit!” Having said this, He breathed His last. (Luke 23:46)
When it was still dark,
Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut out in the rock. Then he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed. (Matthew 27:59-60)
When it was still dark,
The disciples hid for fear of the Jews. (John 20:19)
When it was still dark,
Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went early, while it was still dark, to the tomb, and saw the stone taken away from the tomb. (John 20:1)
When it was still dark,
The angel said, “Don’t be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus, who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just like He said.” (Matthew 28:5-6)
When it was still dark,
The doors were locked where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the middle, and said to them, “Peace be to you.” (John 20:19)
Though this world is still dark,
Those in Christ aren’t in darkness. They are all children of light and children of the day, not belonging to the night, nor to darkness. (1 Thessalonians 5:4-6)
Though circumstances might be dark,
You may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, that you may walk worthily of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with all power, according to the might of His glory, for all endurance and perseverance with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. (Colossians 1:9-12)
Though it often feels as if darkness will never end,
John prophesied, “There will be no curse any more. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will serve Him. They will see His face, and His Name will be on their foreheads. There will be no night, and they need no lamp light or sun light; for the Lord God will illuminate them. They will reign forever and ever. (Revelations 22:3-5)
Praise the Lord our God for His mighty work in the darkness and for His ultimate victory in the power of light.
God saw the light, and saw that it was good. God divided the light from the darkness.
Forever and ever, Amen. (Genesis 1:4)