Psalm 119:130 — “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.”

Before the Word Can Work — You Have to Let It In

Before I ever open my Bible, I stop and settle myself with this verse. I don’t read to check a box. I prepare my heart and my mind so that the Word has a place to enter. I say out loud, “Lord, let Your Word enter—bring light, bring understanding. I don’t just want to read—I want to receive.”

Because according to Psalm 119:130, “The entrance of thy words giveth light.” The Word of God only transforms where it’s received. That phrase—“entrance”—doesn’t just mean exposure or casual reading. In Hebrew, it refers to an unfolding, a breaking open, a welcoming in. It’s the same root used for doors, gates, and even the opening of scrolls.

In ancient Israel, before anyone opened a Torah scroll, their hands were washed, their hearts were quieted, and their minds were postured. Why? Because the people understood: once the Word enters, nothing stays the same.

Entrance implies permission. The Word doesn’t force its way in. It must be let in—honored, welcomed, unfolded. This is where many miss it. They read, but they don’t receive. They hear sermons, but don’t open the door. But the Word only works where there’s entrance.

When the entrance is made, light comes. Not just inspiration or mental energy—spiritual light. This is the same kind of light God released in Genesis 1:3 when He said, “Let there be light.” It’s the kind of light Paul described in 2 Corinthians 4:6: For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

It’s divine illumination. It exposes what’s hidden. It burns away the fog of confusion. It lifts the veil over your mind. And until that light comes, nothing can be truly understood.

This is why the Word has to be more than read—it must be entered into so it can enter into us. God’s Word is not like any other text. When received, it brings light to the darkest places inside you.

Proverbs 20:27 says, “The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly.” That’s what happens when the Word enters. Your spirit, like a lamp, lights up. And that light doesn’t stop at the surface—it begins to search you, expose you, discern things in you. That’s how the Word changes you. Not just by teaching—but by shining.

The Word is the flame. Your spirit is the candle. When the Word enters, the spirit is lit—and begins searching, separating, discerning.

It helps you see your next step. It gives clarity when you’re stuck. It shows you truth when culture tries to deceive you.

But the verse doesn’t stop there. It says the entrance of God’s Word “giveth understanding unto the simple.” That phrase “the simple” doesn’t refer to someone dumb—it describes a person who is unformed, open to everything, without discernment. It’s a person without anchors. No filters. No convictions.

In Hebrew, the root word actually pictures a door left wide open, with no guard. That’s what a person becomes without the Word: open to every opinion, every influence, every false voice. Always learning, never able to come to the truth.

But here’s the good news: the Word doesn’t just bring light—it produces understanding. That Hebrew word speaks of discernment, spiritual perception, and the ability to make right judgments. Not intellectual analysis—but divine separation.

When the Word enters, it activates something in your spirit that begins to separate right from wrong, holy from unholy, wise from foolish. Suddenly, the naïve become discerning. The unstable become anchored. The open-ended become grounded.

And all of it begins at the same place: the entrance.

You could be surrounded by Bibles and still be walking in darkness. You could be in church every week and still be spiritually open to deception—if the Word has not been given entrance. But the moment you open your heart, the moment you welcome it with reverence and expectation, that Word begins to unfold. It speaks. It shines. It discerns. It roots you.

This is why casual reading won’t cut it. Spiritual transformation doesn’t come through routine—it comes through reverent reception. You can’t get the light without the entrance. You can’t get discernment without surrender.

So before you read, stop. Open your heart. Let the Word in. Say it with faith: “The entrance of Your Word gives light.” And when you let it in, that light will flood your understanding—and change your life from the inside out.

—Joshua L Mullins