As I am writing this devotional, I am currently 16 weeks pregnant. I have been following my pregnancy and learning about my baby week-by-week through an app called “What to Expect.” This app has given me weekly updates such as the size of my baby, what is currently growing or developing in their body, and their body’s physical development from 10 toes to 10 fingers.

This morning I received a notification that our baby is now sensitive to light. The notification read, “Your baby’s eyes are making small side-to-side movements this week and can perceive some light, even though they’re still closed!” And I am in awe that our bodies and our minds have been created to begin perceiving light, and distinguishing it from darkness, at just 16 weeks of gestation. This perception will only continue to get stronger, not just as they continue to develop before birth, but also as they continue to grow in this world where the difference between light and darkness is so evident.

A question that comes to mind from today’s Scripture is how do we see light when all we feel is darkness? Whether we look around at the world or even are facing darkness in our own life… how can we see light? This question and reflection on my app’s update this morning remind me that sometimes we just need to look around. Whether it is just shifting our focus in small side-to-side movements or greater movements such as seeking help or making changes in our life, without looking around, we can get stuck at just staring at the darkness in front of us. However, when we look around, we may perceive God’s light in different ways… ways that we would have missed if we wouldn’t have been able to move.

The darkness of the world is not God. No matter how overwhelming or overbearing it may feel… the author of 1 John says, “God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.” If we get stuck in darkness, we miss opportunities to see God’s glimmer of light, where God is working and on the move. We’ve had the skill of looking around with our eyes since before we were born. Don’t forget to continue to use these muscles during times of darkness.

Questions for reflection:

  1. Where do you experience darkness in your life or where do you see darkness in the world around you?
  2. How has God created you to see God’s light and to share God’s light with others?