April 29

Reading but Never Seeing: Why Scripture Remains Hidden to the Lost

Have you ever notice people that are blind to the Bible: When Truth is Staring Them in the Face? When you defended your faith, you’ve likely run into it, people twisting Scripture, misquoting verses, or denying plain biblical truth that’s staring them in the face. You can quote verse after verse, and still they’ll say, “That’s not what it means.” It’s as if they’re blind to what’s written clearly on the page. The reason is simple: their eyes haven’t been opened by the Lord. Until Jesus opens a person’s heart and mind, they will not truly understand the Word of God, no matter how many times they read it.

This truth is seen clearly in the Gospel of Luke. After His resurrection, Jesus sat at the table with two disciples. “He took bread, blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him” (Luke 24:30-31). A few verses later, “Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:45). Until that moment, they didn’t grasp what the Scriptures had been saying all along. The meaning wasn’t hidden by lack of intelligence, it was hidden because spiritual understanding comes from God alone.

God’s Word is not just ink on a page. It is living, and it is spiritual. That’s why reading it with the natural mind will not bring life or clarity. Without the Spirit of God opening our understanding, the Bible remains sealed. That’s why Scripture tells us that the natural man “receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him” (1 Corinthians 2:14). It takes the work of the Holy Spirit to make a person see what is spiritually discerned.

This is why arguments with those who reject the truth often go nowhere. They may be well-spoken, religious, and even knowledgeable, but if their eyes have not been opened by the Lord, they remain blind guides (Matthew 15:14). Just like the Pharisees who searched the Scriptures but missed the very Messiah those Scriptures pointed to (John 5:39-40), many today are reading, but not seeing.

So what does this mean for you? First, it means we must never approach the Bible casually. We must pray and ask God to teach us. We must spend time with Jesus, not just learning about Him, but knowing Him. “Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law” (Psalm 119:18). Second, when we stand for truth and meet resistance, we shouldn’t be surprised. Truth is not something people can understand unless God grants them light. That should keep us humble, dependent on prayer, and focused on pointing people to Christ, not just winning arguments.

The Bible is not just a religious book. It is the very Word of God. And only those who draw near to the Author will be given understanding. “The entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple” (Psalm 119:130). Are you seeking that light, or just reading the words? Only one path leads to truth.

Read / Listen
Judges 9:22-10:18
Luke 24:13-53
Psalm 100:1-5
Proverbs 14:11-12