Let There Be Light

Genesis 1:14-15

“Aand God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from night.  And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.’  And it was so.”

November 23, 2021

When I was an early teenager, somewhere around the age of 14, my dad began taking me to work with him.  I had the responsibility of keeping the grounds (in other words, I did the weed eating and clean-up activities).  We had over an hour drive each day to get to work, so we left early (I think we woke the roosters).  Each morning, I remember my dad, as we were walking to the truck, saying, “What a beautiful morning!  Thank you, Lord!”  He was simply appreciating God’s miraculous artwork of the day.

This morning, I walked out of the house.  It was a cool, crisp, Autumn morning, as is common to Tennessee in the Fall.  It was still dark out, so the moon was super bright and several stars were still visible.  Not only did the memory of my dad offering his statement, “Thank you, Lord!” flood through my mind, but also the verses in Genesis addressing the creation of the sun, moon and stars.  Then I thought of Thanksgiving.  (If you have followed me thus far, you are doing a good job chasing the rabbit, with its twists and turns as it runs quickly from a predator.)

Notice that the purpose of the heavenly bodies (sun, moon and stars) are not just for “light” but also to offer signs and seasons.  This is a portion of the stars periodically and think, “How pretty.” Some may know the various constellations.  Yet, I might offer that most do not pay any real attention to the sky for the purpose of marking the signs and season, as they have calendars and cell phones to keep them in the know about the present date/time of year.

Yet, as we transition into the period of Advent, we should be thankful for the sky being filled with “markers” of events, and likewise, for those who do pay attention.  Were it not for those who do pay attention, we would not have had the account of those foreign dignitaries (whom we call wise men) making the arduous and possibly perilous journey to greet the new king (who was roughly 2 years old).

What is the point of all of these twists and turns in this thought  for this week?  First, may we find gratefulness for the faith and expression of faith of those who have gone before us.  Second, may we offer thanksgiving for God’s majesty being revealed in His creation.  Third, may we pay close attention so that we may find things others do not notice for which to be thankful.  And finally, may we recognize that God is revealing things to us in nature which will point us back to Him, so that we might start the cycle all over again!