Scripture:
Psalm 42:1–2
As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and behold
the face of God?
Observation:
For God’s people, there is an invitation into intimacy. The more we know the Lord, the more we want to know Him. Just as a thirsty deer longs for flowing streams, so the Psalmist’s soul longs for God.
The world around the Psalmist was filled with many gods, but his soul thirsts for the living God. He longs to come again into God’s presence, to behold the face of God. Nothing else can satisfy the longing of his soul.
Application:
A few years ago, my husband and I went on a little hike in the mountains of Idaho. We hadn’t really paid attention to how hot it was that day, nor had we taken any water with us. We thought we were just going on a little walk down to some waterfalls.
The walk down was pleasant, but we failed to recognize something rather obvious: while it was easy getting down to the falls, walking back up would be much more challenging. The falls were beautiful, but as we began our ascent, we realized just how hot it was and became very aware of the fact that we had no water.
Obviously, we made it out that day or I wouldn’t be writing this! But I remember the thirst. I wasn’t simply thinking that a glass of water would be nice. My body was telling me that I needed water.
The Psalmist says that his soul thirsts like that for the living God.
We need the living God to truly live. This was something the Psalmist had learned. In good seasons and bad, his soul longed for God. The things of this world couldn’t quench that thirst. Neither could the gods of this world. His soul thirsted for the One who was alive.
Today, I’m wondering whether I really thirst for God in the same way. I want to be as thirsty for Him as I was for water on that mountain. Sadly, I confess there are plenty of competing interests that promise to quench the thirst of my soul. But none of them can give the living water that comes from God.
As I’ve returned to this daily practice of journaling from the lectionary readings, I’ve found myself increasingly thirsty for this time with the Lord every morning. The discipline itself is forming desire. I come because I’m thirsty, and somehow, the more I drink, the more I want to return to the Stream.
Along the way, I keep learning more and more from those I meet in the Scriptures. And while I do not yet behold Him face to face, I catch glimpses of Him in the Scriptures I read, in the people I meet, in the testimonies of those who have been touched by Him, and simply in my daily prayer and walk with Him.
I don’t want my thirst for God to disappear.
I want it to deepen.
There is always more of God to know because the living God is inexhaustible. So today I pray for a greater thirst—and a holy expectation that when I come thirsty to the flowing Stream, I will meet the living God.
Prayer:
Lord, my desire is to know You more and more. I want to dwell in Your holy presence every day. Deepen the thirst of my soul for You. Give me a holy expectation that there is always more of You to know, more of Your love to receive, and more of Your life in which to participate. You are the living God, and my soul thirsts for You. Amen.
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