Perhaps some of you have visited Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico; a few of you (very few I’m sure!) may have even seen the Endless Caverns in Virginia — or The Oregon Caves (near Cave Junction, OR). All these cavern tours are run pretty much the same way. After you’ve walked down to the center of the earth and you look over the rails into these bottomless shafts, they cut the lights! And of course, it’s pitch black.
(I’ve often thought about “helping” these tour guides come up with a different tour plan. One way might be when they call the lights, scream at the top of my voice, “Oh my gosh, she fell in!”)
At any rate, they douse the lights so you can see what true darkness is like — you literally can’t see anything. Suddenly you appreciate light like never before!
The lights in these caverns illuminate your way through; you can see what’s there — and very importantly you can find your way out! The Endless Caverns near New Market, VA, burns 4000 lights for illumination!
In a similar way, the Holy Spirit illuminates, shines His light on our darkened, dull minds so we can “see”, so we can understand what the Bible is saying — and how God intends to use it in our life-journey. Paul says spiritual truths are understood (and appreciated!) only by the Spirit’s illumination (I Corinthians 2:14). Jesus said the Spirit would lead us into the truth (John 16:13).
So when you open the Word, ask the Spirit to open your eyes/ears! That’s what David did! He prays, in Psalm 119:18, “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law [instructions].”