What Are You Thirsting For?

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, the living God.
When can I go and meet with God? (Psalm 42:1-2)

Sometimes we get cravings. We'll see a billboard or an ad for some delicious looking item. We just have to have it. Well, we don't really need it. We just want it.

In Psalm 42, the Psalmist is giving us a picture of a need not a want.

He needs time with God. He needs God to show up BIG in his life.

My tears have been my food day and night...as I pour out my soul...

Have you been there recently?

Messed up marriage.

Job loss.

Feeling disconnected from others.

Feeling disconnected from God?

The Psalmist understood.

...all your waves and breakers have swept over me (v7).

When is the last time you took some extra time to hear from the Lord?

Maybe go for a walk and listen for God.

Turn off the TV and sit quietly in the chair.

Spend a few minutes reading scripture until you get the sense the words are for you.

What keeps you from doing it today?

Too busy?

Not really interested?

Take a lesson from the Psalmist.

1.) he correctly identifies his need. His need isn't for more money or a better family. He is panting for God.

2.) the correctly prescribes the cure: A fresh outpouring of God's presence. A renewed sense of Who God is.

3.) he doesn't delay or ignore the cure. The Psalmist does what he needs to do. He begins to interact with God.

And as he works his way through this panting, an intense longing for God, "a word from the Lord" begins to well up inside him:

Why are you so downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God. (vv 5 & 11)

Twice these thoughts jump out off of the page.

Maybe you need to read that verse to yourself . Whisper it if you must. Say it out loud if you can.

Why are you so downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God. (vv 5 & 11)


Is it possible that the sense of apathy or anger or boredom that we occasionally feel could be answered by some good, quality time alone with The Spirit?

May you be given the gift of patiently carving that time out today in your life.

Grace & peace