Skunk spray is easy to smell, but difficult to see. A few months ago, our dogs were sprayed by the gag-inducing gas (nothing out of the ordinary), and I had difficulty expelling the odor from our home because I couldn’t tell where it was. I could no longer endure identifying it with my nose, so I purchased an ultraviolet flashlight to do so. Because the flashlight emits fluorescent rays that detect mold, pet urine, and other stains, I thought skunk spray (which is an oil) would undoubtedly glow neon green under its light. 

Unfortunately, it did not. However, when I strolled around the house with the handheld light, it uncovered spots and stains I never saw before. It highlighted tiny specks of food residue near the trash can and small drip lines of condensation by the stovetop fan. The light exposed grime I could not see with the naked eye. And, while I was frustrated to discover that we had even more to clean than before, I am grateful that the light revealed previously unseen dirt. Don’t buy an ultraviolet flashlight unless you are prepared to break out the Clorox for a thorough cleaning!

The blazing light of holy Scripture also exposes grime we cannot see with the naked eye. The Holy Spirit uses the Bible to reveal stains that we would never detect by ourselves. When you read and study God’s word, it shines a brilliant beam on sin’s residue in your heart and life. Paul wrote, “But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light” (Ephesians 5:13).

Apart from Scripture’s radiant light of truth shining upon us, we will stumble in the darkness of evil and error. The psalmist declared, “The unfolding of your words gives light” (Psalm 119:130). Solomon likewise proclaimed, “For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life” (Proverbs 6:23).

The light of Scripture does not uncover our sins so the Lord may see them, for even “our secret sins [are] in the light of your presence” (Psalm 90:8). Instead, the Bible’s gleaming light exposes our sins so we can see them for what they truly are.

Bible Gleanings is a widely-read weekend devotional column, written for the Murray Ledger & Times in Calloway County, Kentucky.