You woke up this morning and turned on the light. How did that go? Did you have to blink a few times? How long did it take your eyes to adjust to the light? It took a little time, but gradually your eyes adjusted and you were able to see better. The same is true with the Scriptures.

Sometimes we have been in darkness so long that we shudder at the light hitting the eyes of our heart. Gradually, our vision increases. Little by little, we begin to see more clearly the God of Heaven who has revealed himself in his inspired Scriptures. Alexander Campbell called this phenomenon “the understanding distance.” He wrote:

The wisdom of God is as evident in adapting the light of the Sun of Righteousness to our spiritual or moral vision, as in adjusting the light of day to our eyes. The light reaches us without an effort of our own, but we must open our eyes, and if our eyes be sound, we enjoy the natural light of heaven (Campbell, The Christian System pg. 5).

This process is described in the Scriptures.

“But whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image for glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:16-18).

Where are we in that process of growth? Are we ready to go to the Scriptures and see the light of the Son? There will be times when reading the Scriptures is painful. That just means God is working on us. There will be times when reading the Scriptures are the only comfort you can find. That just means God is working for us. There will be other times when reading the Scriptures stirs your heart to action. Maybe that time is now?