Biblical Reflections · Christian Life
Are you thirsty?
4 min read, approximately
“As the deer cries out for streams of water, so my soul cries out for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; when will I come and appear before God?” (Psalms 42:1-2)
The bellow is the panting sound made by various animals, including the deer. This animal climbs into the mountains to avoid predators, but when the temperature drops enough to freeze everything, trouble begins because it cannot find water to drink.
So it quickly descends and begins searching for water. When it finds none, it starts bellowing with a hoarse sound so loud that it can be heard from a great distance—approximately 5 kilometers.
Did you know that this animal will not stop its desperate, heartrending bellow until it quenches its thirst?
God’s Word expresses…
how hungry, thirsty, eager, and desperate David was for God’s presence in his life. David truly longed for God and to be with God!
“A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, thou art my God; earnestly will I seek thee: My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee, In a dry and weary land, where no water is. So have I looked upon thee in the sanctuary, To see thy power and thy glory. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise thee.” (Psalms 63:1-3)
David knew what it meant to have communion with God
“For one day in your courts is better than a thousand outside them. I would rather stand at the door of the house of my God than dwell in the homes of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory. He will withhold no good thing from those who walk in integrity.” (Psalms 84:10-11)
David recognized that God was the one who kept him standing, through his immense mercy!
“How precious is thy lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; And thou wilt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: In thy light shall we see light.” (Psalms 36:7-9)
He loved to surrender in the Lord’s presence to give him praise
“O Lord, open thou my lips; And my mouth shall show forth thy praise. For thou delightest not in sacrifice; else would I give it: Thou hast no pleasure in burnt-offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” (Psalms 51:15-17)
His communion with the Lord was so great, and his thirst for the Lord so strong, that David cried out for everything, again and again, and God answered him…
“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and will show thee great things, and difficult, which thou knowest not.” (Jeremiah 33:3)
As evidence of this…
“A Psalm of David. Jehovah saith unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, Until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” (Psalms 110:1)
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; And take not thy holy Spirit from me.” (Psalms 51:10-11)
At a time when people spoke only of the Lord of hosts, David’s hunger was so great that he knew of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! Ahead of his time!
To meditate on…
“Just as the deer cries out for streams of water, so, Lord, so my soul cries out for you…
I thirst for God, for the living God!”…
This leads us to ask… How thirsty are we for God? What is our true motivation for seeking God? What is our real interest in the Lord? Do we live by appearances, or do we truly cry out because we thirst for God? Worshipers in spirit and in truth…
Have we, by any chance, read the opening passage in the TLA version?
“For the Chief Musician. Maschil of the sons of Korah. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, So panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: When shall I come and appear before God?” (Psalms 42:1-2)
_**Remember to stop by the Songbook
May God continue to bless you, and may you continue to have an excellent day in Christ Jesus!