3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.
3 And provide for those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
19 “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body.
“Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, You have brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see You in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Your glory. Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, that to be low is to be high, that the broken heart is the healed heart, that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, that to have nothing is to possess all, that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, that to give is to receive, Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter Your stars shine; Let me find Your light in my darkness, Your life in my death, Your joy in my sorrow, Your grace in my sin, Your riches in my poverty, Your glory in my valley.” From: The Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions
“The light was natural, physical light. Its creation was an immediate victory because it dispelled darkness. Light and darkness in the Bible are also symbolic of good and evil. Here began God’s work which will culminate in the age to come when there will be no darkness (Rev. 22:5). Israel would know that God is Light—and that the Truth and the Way are with Him. In the darkness of Egypt (Exodus 10:21-24) they had light; and in the deliverance they followed His light (Exodus 13:21).” The Bible Knowledge Commentary
“We mustn’t doubt in the darkness what God has shown us in the light.” Robert J. Morgan
“Immortal, invisible, God only wise, In light inaccessible hid from our eyes, Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days, Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise. Unresting, unhasting and silent as light, Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might; Thy justice like mountains high soaring above Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.” Walter C. Smith
“A holy life will produce the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns; they only shine.” D. L. Moody
“When we are in a dark place we are not to despair rather look for patches of God-light for they are most assuredly there. He is supremely close to His children as they walk through their Valley of Baca’s (tears) taking them from strength to strength. His Presence is continually with us and even more so in our darkest hours. Further, He has purposed good in each circumstance which He allows in the lives of His heirs of mercy. He can be fully trusted.” BHY
“Darkness is my point of view, my right to myself; light is God’s point of view.” Oswald Chambers
“To follow the Savior is to participate in salvation; to follow the light is to perceive the light.” Irenaeus
“There are many who stumble in the noon-day, not for want of light, but for want of eyes.” John Newton
“It is light that enables us to see the differences between things; and it is Christ who gives us light.” Augustus Hare
“If you’re turned the wrong way, you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.” Ann Voskamp
“The things of the earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.” Helen H. Lemmel
“Every attribute of God should become a fresh ray in the sunlight of our gladness. That He is wise should make us glad, knowing as we do our own foolishness. That He is mighty should cause us to rejoice who tremble at our weakness. That He is everlasting, should always be a theme of joy when we know that we wither as the grass. That He is un-changing, should perpetually yield us a song, since we change every hour. That He is full of grace, that He is overflowing with it, and that this grace in covenant He has given to us; that it is ours to cleanse us, ours to keep us, ours to sanctify us, ours to perfect us, ours to bring us to glory – all this should tend to make us glad in Him. This gladness in God is as a deep river; we have only as yet touched its brink, we know a little of its clear sweet, heavenly streams, but onward the depth is greater, and the current more impetuous in its joy.” Charles H. Spurgeon
“The most brilliant way to live is to always look for the light.” Ann Voskamp
“As believers determined to honor Christ with every portion of our lives, our lips should come into harmony with our actions as we praise God at every opportunity. This is how we live with a heavenly perspective—one that is set on the One who can transform our darkest situation into one of hope and light.” Michael Youssef
“In darkness there is no choice. It is light that enables us to see the differences between things; and it is Christ who gives us light.” Augustus W. Hare
“The cynics, they can only speak of the dark, of the obvious, and this is not hard. For all it’s supposed sophistication, it’s cynicism that’s simplistic. In a fallen world, how profound is it to see what’s broken? It’s the brilliant who don’t deny the dark but who always seek the light in everything.” Ann Voskamp
“As a general principle, if we would exercise our memories more wisely, we might, in our very darkest distress, strike a match that would instantaneously kindle the lamp of comfort. There is no need for God to create a new thing upon the earth in order to restore believers’ joy; if they would prayerfully rake the ashes of the past, they would find light for the present; and if they would turn to the book of truth and the throne of grace, their candle would soon shine as before. Let us then remember the loving-kindness of the Lord and rehearse His deeds of grace. Let us open the volume of recollection, which so richly illuminated with memories of His mercy, and we will soon be happy. When the Divine Comforter bends memory to His service, it is then the greatest earthly comfort we can know.” C. H. Spurgeon
“I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: ‘Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.’ And he relied: ‘Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.” Queen Elizabeth