When the Lights Come On
“And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.” (2 Timothy 2:24-26 NKJV)
Ever been in the depths of a cave when someone turned off all the lights?
It’s spooky. You can’t see your hand in front of your face. There’s no way your eyes can adjust to the pitch-black nothingness. If you move around, you’re in danger of falling into an unexpected chasm.
But, ah…when the light returns, there’s a sigh of relief. Everything that was hidden is revealed. And that can be both bad and good.
There’s a horrible darkness in the absence of all light. I was reminded of that recently while studying Paul’s second letter to Timothy. Paul encourages his young protégé to correct those who are in opposition, with patience and humility. If God grants them repentance, the objective is for them to know the truth.
What Paul also emphasizes is that he wishes for them to “come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.”
Oooh. No wonder I don’t like caves. The devil’s objective is to ensnare us in a cavern-like trap, making us slaves to do his will and not the Lord’s. In the darkness of Satan’s lair, we are blind to the light of God and incapable of escape on our own.
When Jesus steps in, however, His power transforms us. As in old cartoons, the light bulbs go off in our heads, and we suddenly see things as they are. The ugliness of our evil state and its contrast to His gleaming majesty are exposed in eye-popping color.
One of the best examples of this transformation happens to the prodigal son (see Luke 15:11-32). The obstinate young man in Jesus’ parable demands his inheritance from his father and promptly squanders it on wild living. But when he finds himself so hungry that he craves pig food, the son comes to himself with the light-bulb realization that he’s in dire straits…that things would be a lot better for him back at the ranch. He trudges home, in true repentance, to find his father running to embrace him in complete forgiveness…in complete love.
What do we have in common with this son? When Jesus opens our eyes and pulls us out of the darkness into His marvelous light, He shows us His truth. He brings us to our senses. It’s nothing we can do for ourselves…it’s purely an act of love on the part of our Father and His Holy Spirit.
Friend, if you’ve been stumbling in a cave, unable to find your way out of it, it’s time for you to cry out a prayer for help. No matter where you are or how deep you’ve fallen, Jesus will hear you. Ask Him to turn on the lights, and be prepared for what you see—it isn’t pretty when He shines His million-megawatt spotlight on the dark corners of our hearts.
Or, if you have loved ones caught in the deathtrap of unbelief, pray for Jesus to bring them to their senses, to release them from slavery into the freedom He offers.
Whatever the case, one thing is unmistakable—what you see when your eyes turn fully on Him is breathtakingly beautiful. He is lovely because He loves us. We have no choice but to be drawn to Him, hungering for His embrace. We come to our senses in the light of His love.
Join me today in prayer, for ourselves or others, asking God to open our eyes to His beautiful brilliance. Let’s pray He will bring all of us to our senses, to welcome the joy of living in His glorious light.
Holy Lord, Father of Lights…Jesus, Light of the World…Holy Spirit, Light of my heart—bless me today with the brightness of Your love and glory. I lift up my loved ones who don’t know You, that You would quicken their hearts to be transformed with Your joy. Call all of us out darkened moments, to come to ourselves and come to You, ready to serve You in newness of life. Give us minds and spirits to worship You in light of Your truth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Nancy C. Williams is a Christian wife/mom with a writing career spanning more than 40 years in business and journalism. Williams is the author of the novel To Love a Falcon and the devotional book A Crocus in the Desert: Devotions, Stories, and Prayers for Women Experiencing Infertility. Her blogs are featured on Crossmap.com and AriseDaily. To follow Nancy’s posts and news, go to her home page at NancyCWilliams.com and subscribe at the bottom.
© Copyright 2025 Nancy C. Williams (text and photography). Unless otherwise noted, Scripture verses are taken from the New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. #cave #spelunking #darkness #prodigalson
