The scriptural content for this post is found in Genesis 1:4-5
Previously the world was completely dominated by darkness. But here in this first day God declares that there shall be light that pushes back and sets boundaries for the darkness. The darkness is no longer dominant but light and dark exist on the primordial world simultaneously and in alteration. It is this alteration that creates the idea of individual periods of time with evening and morning comprising one day.
Each day in the creation narrative represents a period of time for a specific and particular portion of God’s creative expressions, a self-contained crucible for God's creative activities. Everything that God creates after He creates the first day He assigns to a particular day. It is only after light is established within these days that God begins to express His creative activities on the primordial earth.
We understand the reason for this emphasis on the light of day when we discover in scripture that in addition to the physical created light described above, God Himself is also spoken of frequently as light. The description of God as light is used throughout scripture to represent His essential nature in action and God’s essential nature is love.
Another way to state this idea is that love is God’s essential nature stated as a noun and light is God’s essential nature stated as a verb. When we read God referred to as light, or expressing light, we should use this idea to expand and sharpen our biblical understanding of God as love in action. Here are a few examples of God referred to as love and light in scripture.
And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. 1st John 4:16
He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1st John 4:8
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
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. 1st John 1:5
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 1st Peter 2:9
O house of Jacob, come and let us walk in the light of the Lord. Isaiah 1:5
And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; 2 Peter 1:19
Seen in this way we understand that each day in the creation narrative is a creative crucibles for God's love in action.