David Diga Hernandez - Symbols of the Holy Spirit: Light

I can recall several moments when I would be reading the Word of God, and as I was reading the Scripture, I would get maybe three or four verses into a chapter only to realize that I didn’t quite understand what I was reading. Therefore, I would have to start all over again and begin the chapter anew. There were times when I would read, and by the time I got halfway through or maybe two-thirds of the way through that chapter, I would recognize another reality: I had become distracted by a daydream or some thought floating around in my mind. Many believers find themselves frustrated in this place, this place where they’re struggling to understand and know the Word. They’re struggling to really make that connection where they are receiving truth. We all enjoy the church services that we attend, and we all enjoy a good message, but when it comes to our own personal devotions, many of us struggle in these areas. We read the Word, but we don’t quite feel like we’re getting it. We read the Word of God, but we don’t quite make that connection; we don’t really sense that we are hearing from Him, that He is speaking to us. We gather information from the books of the Bible, but we don’t quite receive that inspiration, that revelation, which produces transformation.

Now, the Holy Spirit is your teacher. The Holy Spirit is the one who walks with you; He is present while you’re studying the Word of God, while you’re striving to understand truth. The Holy Spirit is the one who speaks the revelation of God, spirit to spirit, communicating that to you and causing you to know and understand the deeper things of God. Maybe you’re watching this right now or listening to this right now, and you’re saying to yourself, «I just want to know God’s Word. I want a greater understanding. I want greater depth in my understanding of the Word of God, of the truth of God. I want revelation of who He is. I want to know Him; I want to know His mind, His nature, His ways. Everything about Him, I want to know. I don’t want to miss a single detail; I want every detail I can receive about the person, the character, the nature of God.» This is what the Holy Spirit does for us.

There was a time in my life when I would read the Word, and I became frustrated because things just wouldn’t click for me. I was young—well, I’m still young now, but I was younger then—and I remember reading this verse: James chapter one, verse five. In fact, the book of James was the first book of the Bible I read when I got saved. This is what I read in the Scripture: «If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.» I remember when I read this Scripture that particular moment—I knew God was speaking to me. There I was, a pre-teen seeking the face of God, and I said to the Lord, «Lord, if anyone needs wisdom, it’s me, because I am having so much trouble understanding these truths.» I had read the Bible before I got saved, but it wasn’t quite the same. However, when I claimed this verse, in faith, I knew that the promises of God would come to pass if I were to just stand upon His Word; His Word will not fail you. Stand upon His promises; His Word will not fail when you, in faith, approach Him ready to receive that which His Word promises.

I read this verse, and I said, «Lord, I need wisdom. I need understanding.» I remember instances while reading the Word of God when, as I would read the Scriptures—and maybe you’ve experienced this—it was almost as if the verses themselves were being illuminated. They were literally being illuminated, and God would highlight certain Scriptures to me. I’ll call it a vision, but that light was the illuminating nature of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is that light of Heaven which shines brightly upon the darkness of our misunderstanding, the darkness of our ignorance, and the darkness of the difficulty that we have with grasping and knowing God’s Word. The Holy Spirit shines that bright light as we begin to read the Word and as we begin to receive the revelation that God has deposited in us. That was the day that the Holy Spirit introduced Himself to me as a teacher. When we talk about the light of the Holy Spirit, this is what I mean when I call the Holy Spirit by this symbol.

John chapter 14, verse 26 says, «But when the Father sends the Advocate as My representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.» The Holy Spirit lights the way. Now, look at this in Revelation chapter four, verses one through five. Check this out: «Then, as I looked, I saw a door standing open in Heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast. The voice said, 'Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.' Instantly, I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in Heaven and someone sitting on it. The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones, like jasper and carnelian, and the glow of an emerald circled his throne.»