Psalms 119:25 My soul cleaves to the dust, revive me according to Thy word.
I looked over into the choir and saw a ‘man down’. A large man had fallen and was evidently unconscious. I looked at my dear wife, who was 8 months pregnant and said, “I think that guy just had a heart attack, they need you over there.” Char had been an emergency room nurse and was a paramedic radio nurse and had taught CPR. She was exactly what this man needed…
It was in the mid 1980’s, Char and I had just started our ‘career’ as full-time missionaries with the Navigators. We had gone back home to northern Arkansas and were visiting a church that was financially supporting us. It was new church, built in Bella Vista, Ark, which was becoming known as a retirement community. The average age of the church was probably 70 years old. There were almost NO young families. The church service was a bit different. When the sermon would start, all the lights in the sanctuary would be dimmed till it was almost dark. Then, the preaching pastor would be lit up with floodlights. I told Char it was probably so that the old folks could sleep and not be seen nodding off.
Right after the choir had sung the anthem, and just before the sermon started, one of the choir members collapsed, suffering an apparent heart attack. When I pointed this out to Char, she SPRINTED across the church, 8 months pregnant and all, to rush the man’s side. After no one else from the large church came to help Char, I joined her. She looked up at me and whispered, “I can’t find a pulse. I think he is dead, start chest compressions” The only problem was that since the church as very, very quiet, most of the audience heard Char say this to me.
I started chest compressions and Char was doing the breathing on this large man. He weighted at least 250 pounds and was NOT responding. The architects had thought through on the construction of this church for ‘old folks’ and had actually installed a ‘red phone’ that was a direct link to the local ambulance company. Someone picked up the phone and within 4 minutes, the ambulance came. Just before they arrived, without having breathed on his own, suddenly, he took a deep breath. He was still unconscious, and started flailing his arms.
When the ambulance came, Char started the IV and after the medics hooked him up and strapped him to the gurney, they transported him to the local hospital in Bentonville. The next week, the local paper had a headline, “Visiting Missionaries Hold REVIVAL in Church” and went on to tell the story of this man’s heart attack and Char’s heroic actions to save his live.
This man would have died without the intervention of Char and her skills at CPR.
He NEEDED revival.
In today’s verse, the Psalmist says, “My soul CLEAVES to the dust, REVIVE me…” This describes me exactly. So many times, I WANT to sin. I WANT the things the world has to offer. The ‘cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches and the desire for other things’ choke out spiritual life in me. My flesh screams to have its cravings filled and its lusts satisfied. At times the verse “I’d rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness” is not true in my life. In those times I’d rather dwell in the tents of wickedness and be sin’s slave than to be a slave of God and of obedience and of righteousness….
What do I do when I am one of these sin zones? I am near spiritual death. I stand in need of REVIVAL. Just like the ‘man down’ with a heart attack, I am in need of spiritual CPR. The way to receive this is through the WORD of God.
The Psalmist said, “My soul cleaves to the dust, REVIVE ME ACCORDING TO THY WORD.” When I am in this sorry state of clinging to the dust, the things of this world and fleshly in nature, I get into the word and plead for God to revive me. And, He does! God’s word is restorative. It gives life. It recalibrates and woos us back to the Father. It allows us to the see the sinfulness of sin and re-opens our eyes to see Jesus. The word pierces into the innermost parts of our being, putting to death that which is earthly and giving us a renewed desire to walk with God again.
Father, if any reading this need spiritual revival, please touch them. Motivate them to pray and to get back into your Holy Word. Revive them in Jesus name that they would not be spiritually dead but be brimming with spiritual life.
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