Photo by Jenny Venturo
Is there anything so brilliant as the sun? Every night, just as everything seems darkest, a hint of light begins to glow at the horizon. As the minutes go by, the light gets stronger and stronger until suddenly, a glowing orange sliver peeks over the edge of the earth. The sliver grows and grows and all of a sudden, a great golden ball appears majestic in the sky, flinging its light and warmth into every corner of the dark waiting world. All over, people and animals begin to stir. Grateful plants and trees gently wave their leaves and branches as they drink in the warm sunlight. They need the light to make their food; without it they would die. Among the tree branches, birds lift their heads out from under their wings. As the warm shafts of light shine through the leaves onto their feathers, they raise their heads and sing. Their cheerful song fills the forest and other animals hear and wake up too. Squirrels, rabbits, deer—all welcome the sun.
In the ocean too, all kinds of fish come up to the surface to feed when the first rays of sun shine down through the water. All the tiny plant-like creatures that we call plankton need the sun as well. Just like the trees, they use sunlight to make their food. Small fish can eat the plankton, and bigger fish can eat the smaller fish. So you see, because of the sun, everyone is well-fed.
Every evening, the sun goes down in a spectacular array of colors. Then the colors fade and it is night again. The whole world is dark and waiting. But everyone and everything in the world knows that in the morning the sun will rise again. Once more it will fill the world with its light and warmth. And the sunrise will always be glorious and exciting. For the sun gives life to the world.
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Just like the sun, God gives life to the world. After all, He made the sun. And He gives light just like the sun. Remember in my last story how I told you that God is trustworthy? Now I’m going to tell you something else about God. God is light! 1 John 1:5 says, “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” God does not sin—ever. He is perfect, and there is nothing dark or evil about Him. 1 John goes on to explain that no one who does evil can be friends with God, because God is so perfect. The problem is that the whole world including you is dark and evil. But remember, God did something because of this problem. He sent Jesus to die on the cross to take your punishment! He was buried and came alive again! In this way, God gives life to the world, because whoever turns from their sin and trusts in Jesus to clean it away from them will live forever with Him in Heaven! They live in the light—the good, pure, perfect light with no sin or darkness—just like God.
Without the sun, everyone and everything in the world would die. And without Jesus, everyone in the world will die. One day Jesus will come back, and He will destroy the whole dark evil world. But everyone who lives in the light—who has trusted that Jesus has been punished for their sin and asked Him to clean it away from them—will live with Jesus. He will make a new world where there is no darkness or evil, and all those people will live there with Him. That day is coming, and, like the sunrise, it will be brilliant and glorious.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Used by permission. All rights reserved.