DAY AND NIGHT, LIGHT AND DARK (GENESIS 1:14-19)

Sep 24, 2025

3–5 minutes

REFLECTION
“Day and night, light and dark” is the theme for our reflection. Day and night represent the basic division of time, whereas light and dark describe the nature of day and night. Usually, there is light from the sun during the day and darkness at night, although there are days when we experience moonlight. Genesis 1:14-19 describes God creating the sun, moon, and stars on the fourth day of creation to separate day from night, serve as signs for sacred times and seasons, and give light upon the Earth. The greater light was made to govern the day, the lesser light to rule the night, and the stars were created alongside them. These celestial bodies regulate time and provide a divine calendar for humanity to mark holy days and festivals. We shall reflect on the fact that Day and night, light and darkness are indicators of God’s creation of balance within the time zone of humanity, indicating activities that must be carried on within time, space and seasons, even as the days and the nights, light and dark alternate.

Beloved in the Lord, the human body adjusts its activities to day and night. During the day, when there is light, the body is active and ready for work and productivity; however, when it is night and dark, the body enters sleep and rest mode. King Solomon underscores the relevance of day and night in balancing the events that occur in our lives when he wrote, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) Some activities are reserved for the day and others are reserved for the night. For instance, the day is ideal for working and the night is ideal for sleeping. This is the normal and healthy pattern created for humanity’s well-being and maximum productivity. It is for this reason that there is a policy at some workplaces that allows those who work at night to take some days off to have enough rest and make up for the sleep hours lost. Let’s learn to plan our lives so that we remain active and productive during the day and allow the body to have enough sleep and rest at night.

The most important and constant fact about the balance of day and night is ageing. As the day and night, light and dark alternate, we are constantly ageing and approaching our day of departure from the world. The passing by of each day and night is a constant reminder of our mortality and the need to develop and maintain a deeper relationship with God and Creator of the world. It is for this reason, King Solomon admonished us, Remember your Creator

in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them” Ecclesiastes 12:1 Indeed, a day is coming when we shall die and our burial will take place, we shall “… go to our eternal home and mourners go about the streets.” (Ecclesiastes 12:5). Solomon again observed, “I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him … God will bring into judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time to judge every deed.” (Ecclesiastes 3:14,17). In other words, we must be careful to fear and obey God each day and night of our lives. We must be consistent with our faithfulness to God, whether day or night. We must not live a hypocritical life by pretending to be righteous in the day or when we are in the light, but do evil or sin in the night or under the cover of darkness. Jesus admonished us to ” keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. (Matthew 25:13). Beloved in the Lord, this very moment is a gracious gift from God to you. The next hour, day, or night is never promised. There is no better time to repent and give one’s life to Jesus than now. The chance or opportunity given to us to turn away from sexual immorality, lying, stealing, hatred, and other deeds and desires that separate us from God is now.

In summary, day and night, light and darkness remind us to live a balanced life of being productive during the day and having enough rest or sleep during the night. Again, day and night remind us of our mortality and the need to have a constant relationship with God. Shalom.

PRAYER

May the Holy Spirit guide our steps in the day and night of our lives that we may live a life that is pleasing and acceptable to God. Amen.