Excitement spread through the encampment when word of the find reached our ears. We had been working in the caves at Qumran near the Dead Sea in Israel for several days when the lead archaeologist uncovered a small, intact oil lamp made of clay hidden in the rock strata near the cave entrance. Left behind thousands of years ago, it would have been the only source of light in the dark nights of the Judean desert for whoever was seeking refuge in the safety of that hidden cave. Were they hiding from the advancing Roman army or maybe storing their precious scrolls for safekeeping? Whatever the reason, that tiny lamp served to illuminate their feet and light their path.
I couldn’t help but think of Psalm 119. The discovery of that ancient lamp provided context and meaning to the author’s words in verses 105-107. He likens God’s Word to a lamp for his feet and a light for his path. In his affliction he asks for the revival he knows God can provide. The Hebrew word for revive is hayah. It means to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live forever. …to be quickened, revive from sickness, discouragement, or even death.1 The psalmist, in his dark night of the soul, turns to the only one able to truly refresh his spirit.
The enemy seeks to steal, kill, and destroy through discouragement, disappointment, and exhaustion that can slowly envelop us over time. When this happens, be quick to cry out to the Lord with your need for revival. Jesus said, “I have to come so you can have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). Let Him be your lamp and light your way!
1 Smick, E. B. (1999). 644 חָיָה. R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., p. 279). Chicago: Moody Press.
What circumstance make you aware that you are in need of refreshment?
I know I’m in need of refreshment when fatigue causes me to be irritable or short with people. Solitude really helps me. I like to be by myself and engage in some self-care by reading, taking a walk and enjoying some of my hobbies. Those are all great but I know that lasting refreshment definitely comes from meditating on God’s word.