This journey of seeking truth about how God is the light of the world has been enlightening to me (Haha!) but honestly one that has given my heart peace, hope, and conviction.  I pray it blesses you as well.  I chose not to write my thoughts along with the verses with the intent that the verses would speak to your heart without me cluttering them up.

I did categorize these God is the light of the world verses.  As I sat with my huge concordance scribbling verse after verse into my notebook (I’m still a pen and paper girl!) I noticed that a complete picture was made from beginning to end.  God is the light of the world was just the beginning.  God as Creator,  God as truth, God as hope, God as Savior.  I had started out looking for verses to teach truth is light and discovered a beautiful picture of the nature of God.

Not only did I see a clear picture of our God, but also the heavy responsibility we have to allow that light to shine through us.  To represent our God in truth and love.

God is Light

I began searching for verses that show God is the light of the world after writing “How God’s Light Chases away our Fear of the Dark”

From the very beginning God showed that He is the light of the world.  He is truth, hope, joy, love, and mercy.  His truth guides our footsteps and protects us in this fallen world.

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.  And the Earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.  And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.  And God said, Let there be light; and there was light.”  (Genesis 1:1-3 NKJV)

Do you want a more in depth study?  God is the Light of the World  free devotional!

God is Light Bible Verses

While God is the light of the world, as His created, we long for Him to be ours.  God will be our light if we turn to Him in the darkness.

One thing I noticed while studying these God is light Bible verses is that God uses “light” often in the Bible.  It represents Him in so many ways.

I know I’ve told this story somewhere but I can’t remember which post.  I remember vividly my four year old cousin coming up to me one day and saying, “I know why God created light first.”  I asked her why, very curious as to what was going on in that sweet little blond head of hers.

She smiled and said, “so He could see to make the rest of the world!”

Makes sense to me!

We often look for God’s direction or guidance to come down in the form of a neon arrow or lightning bolt, but the truth is that the word of God is our guidance. It is the great light illuminating our path, leading us not only in our everyday lives but keeping us looking toward eternal life.

Spiritual darkness is real and we all need to not only hear the gospel message but to live it out. We need to come to our lord Jesus as our redeemer and embrace the love of God and the good news of salvation. Embracing the father of lights is about coming to salvation, entering into God’s holiness as sinful creatures and being washed clean by the blood of Jesus His son.

These first verses are from the Old Testament and reveal god’s glory as our source of light in our everyday life. The second half of our study about light from god’s word comes from the New Testament and our concept of light continues to Jesus and every true believer who is willing to embrace the divine light as Jesus set us a good example.

If you need a little more light in your life, these Bible verses are for you!

Psalm 27:1

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?  (Psalm 27:1)

Psalm 36:9

For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light.  (Psalm 36:9)

Psalm 18:28

Day 3–  For You will light my lamp;
The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.  (Psalm 18:28)

Psalm 37:6

He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday.  (Psalm 37:6)

Psalm 112:4

Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness;
He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.  (Psalm 112:4)

Psalm 89:15

Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!
They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your countenance.  (Psalm 89:15)

Psalm 104:2

Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.  (Psalm 104:2)

Isaiah 2:5

O house of Jacob, come and let us walk
In the light of the Lord.  (Isaiah 2:5)

Isaiah 42:16

I will bring the blind by a way they did not know;
I will lead them in paths they have not known.
I will make darkness light before them,
And crooked places straight.
These things I will do for them,
And not forsake them.  (Isaiah 42:16)

Isaiah 60:1-2

Arise, shine;
For your light has come!
And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
² For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,
And deep darkness the people;
But the Lord will arise over you,
And His glory will be seen upon you.  (Isaiah 60:1-2)

Micah 7:8-9

Do not rejoice over me, my enemy;
When I fall, I will arise;
When I sit in darkness,
The Lord will be a light to me.
 I will bear the indignation of the Lord,
Because I have sinned against Him,
Until He pleads my case
And executes justice for me.
He will bring me forth to the light;
I will see His righteousness.  (Micah 7:8-9)

God’s is Light: His Truth

God is the light of the world and one of His attributes is his constant, unmoveable truth.  Because His truth does not change from day to day, but remain steadfast, it is easy to see how God’s truth is light.

That truth guides us in our everyday interactions and decisions.  Can you imagine NOT having God’s truth as a light to guide your footsteps?  How would you know right from wrong or good decisions from poor ones.

God’s truth can be like a stop light telling us when to go and when to stop.  It can be a yellow light warning us to proceed with caution.

God’s truth can be like a street lamp lighting our path.  Aren’t you thankful God is light and His truth gives you direction?

Psalm 43:3

Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!
Let them lead me;
Let them bring me to Your holy hill
And to Your tabernacle.  (Psalm 43:3)

Psalm 119:105

Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.  (Psalm 119:105)

Psalm 119:130

The entrance of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.  (Psalm 119:130)

Proverbs 6:23

For the commandment is a lamp,
And the law a light;
Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,  (Proverbs 6:23)

Jesus is the Light of the World Scriptures

As the son of God, the very image of an unseeing God, Jesus is the light of the world.  He brought us redemption, hope, peace, and is the expression of God’s abundant love toward us.  Let’s continue our study of God is the light of the world and turn our attention to Jesus.

The Apostle John has such a beautiful understanding of the metaphor of light as set up in the Old Testament. He understood the spiritual light that makes us children of God and help us to walk in true fellowship with our Creator.

The faith we see as people thronged Christ for healing or sat beside him and listened to his every word.  Don’t you wish you had been there?

John 8:12

Then Jesus spake unto them saying, “I am the light of the world.  He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”  (John 8:12)

John 3:19-21

And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”  (John 3:19-21)

John 9:5

As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.  (John 9:5)

John 12:35-36

Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you.Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.  (John 12:35-36)

Acts 26:22-23

Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come— that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.  (Acts 26:22-23)

2 Corinthians 4:6

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  (2 Corinthians 4:6)

God is Light: Our Future

God’s light is our future verses are not only encouraging, but they require a great deal of faith in order to look ahead and see what our future holds.  I faced this a lot with the grief of losing my Rebekah.  You might be encouraged by “She Still Lives: Bible Verses about Heaven after Death”

God is the light of the world brings us to contemplate our future with Him once the temporal bodies in which we dwell are gone.

Revelation 22:3-5

And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.  They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.  There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.  (Revelation 22:3-5)

Revelation 21:23

The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.  (Revelation 21:23)

Isaiah 60:19-20

“The sun shall no longer be your light by day,
Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you;
But the Lord will be to you an everlasting light,
And your God your glory.
 Your sun shall no longer go down,
Nor shall your moon withdraw itself;
For the Lord will be your everlasting light,
And the days of your mourning shall be ended.  (Isaiah 60:19-20)

God is Light Giving Us a Responsibility to be a Light to Others

From being a city on a hill to building our house upon the rock, we have a responsiblity of being a light to others.  Now that we’ve seen how God is the light of the world, let’s take a look at our job as children of that light.

It is our new role as believers to show the attributes of God and allow His bright light to shine through us, not only by good deeds but by constantly pointing to the only way to salvation and hope and peace. Our whole body should be full of light as we draw closer and closer to its source.

We are called to be a light in many ways.  We are a light in our families, churches, and communities.  Sometimes it feels like a big job, but truth be told, it is not something that we actually do.

Kind of a crazy statement, I know LOL  But think about it for a minute.  We are shining what light?  Our own?

No, we are shining God’s light.  How do we do that?

We shine God’s light by allowing Him to shine through us.  We put ourselves aside and give God room to work in our hearts and lives.  We study Him and reflect His light.

Ephesians 5:8

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.  (Ephesians 5:8)

Matthew 5:14-16

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.  (Matthew 5:14-16)

1 Thessalonians 5:5-6

You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.  Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober  (1 Thessalonians 5:5-6)

Isaiah 5:20

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!  (Isaiah 5:20)

1 John 1:5-7

This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.  (1 John 1:5-7)

1 John 2:8-11

Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.  But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.  (1 John 2:8-11)

Proverbs 4:18

But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day.  (Proverbs 4:18)

God is the Light of the World

Thank you for journeying with me through these God is light Bible verses!

God is the light of the world and aren’t you glad you serve Him?  What did you reap from these verses?  I’d love for you to share with me which is your favorite!

Before you go, check out these posts!

25 Amazing Psalms for Strength to Help You Through Your Toughest Season

20 Bible Verses About Identity in Christ