I got this little oil lamp in Nazareth and it has been on our mantle ever since I got back home from Israel.
Yesterday, the kids asked if we could please light it. So we did… And I wondered why I had waited until now to do so.
That little tiny light brought so much joy to our hearts. The kids were fascinated with how the oil lamp worked and I was so inspired by remembering the olive press in Nazareth Village.
In Bible times, the oil used in lamps was the third press. The first press was given to God. The second press was used for your household (baking, etc.). And the third press was what was used for the oil in the lamps.
There was so much spiritual significance in this for me. Life is full of things that press in, squeeze, and bruise us. We can feel stressed, frustrated, and broken by these things.
Without the pressing, we would never have oil for lamps. Those things that press in on us, they are part of our story, part of our refining. And the things that crush and overwhelm us can be what God uses to bring light and hope to others.
So today, when you face the hard things that come up, remember that this might be the very thing that is going to be used in a powerful way in someone else’s life.