Thirsting for the Living Water: A Cry for God’s Nearness

“As the deer pants for the water brooks,

So my soul pants for You, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;

When shall I come and appear before God?”

(Psalms 42:1-2)

The note above this psalm says,

“Thirsting for God in trouble and exile.”

Theses verses have taken on a new

meaning for me after having read that.

I see and understand better what the psalmist

was feeling and thinking.

Sorrow and suffering leave such a deep hole in us,

causing us to thirst for God’s presence and comfort

so much more.

Longing to be held and comforted, and reassured.

For His presence to calm and ease the angst and agony.

The pain and feeling alone.

To be revived and renewed like a thirsty person

wandering around in a desert dying from thirst.

Like a deer panting for water.

Our souls long for Your nearness and intimate care.

For Your love to hold and comfort, and soothe our

suffering and pain.

To see the hope from the light of Your presence,

the peace from hearing Your voice speaking.

Verses 5-6 speak volumes of where the psalmist

is really at in his heart, life and world.

“Why are you in despair, O my soul?

And why have you become disturbed within me?”

I understand these words so well from deep within

my own soul. I understand the battle being fought

and the war going on inside of him, sighs.

“Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him

For the help of His presence.

O my God, my soul is in despair within me;

Therefore I remember You from…”

Everywhere he looks, he sees no help

or hope. No answers, comfort or relief.

Everything he sees and knows, and has

experienced, has brought him to a place

and state of despair and hopelessness.

Feeling lost and alone, wanting comfort

– thirsting for comfort.

Verse 8 brings light into the darkness.

“The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the

daytime; And His song will be with me in the night,”

Despair is a formidable foe that can pull us

down quickly, and take us into the dungeon.

How easily we can be swayed to surrender to it,

thinking things are hopeless and there is no way out.

It's intensity has the power to re-shape our views

and drag down our faith. And cause our hearts to

turn cold and hard.

Like the hardened heart of unbelief, if we listen to

its lies and whispers, we can begin to think that God

doesn’t care or won’t help us.

That our faith isn’t real or grounded upon the solid

rock of Christ. And like the wind blows, we can be

tossed to and fro and thrown off course.

How dangerous it is to listen or entertain it in our

thoughts. Every thought that comes into our mind,

that causes us to not trust, must be rebuked for

what it really is.

An attack to undermine and murder our faith

and belief in God.

We get so mixed up and turned around we cannot

see straight and then it comes in with its lies and

we listen because we are hurting and worn down.

Because we are battle-weary and torn,

and beyond our limit.

We surrender too soon

when we should resist.

“Submit therefore to God.

Resist the devil and he will flee from us .”

(James 4:7).

The enemy will use our own thoughts

and feelings against us and make a

case against God.

Oh, why do we listen?

Like dumb sheep who wander away from their

safety and security, we get separated from our

Good Shepherd when we begin to doubt Him.

When we wrestle instead of nestle.

“Don’t wrestle, just nestle.”

- Corrie Ten Boom

Corrie left us with these wise words:

“Look around and be distressed,

Look within and be depressed,

Look to Jesus and be at rest.”

Sometimes up is the last

place we look, instead of the first.

The psalmist said,

“O my God, my soul is in despair within me;

Therefore I remember You from…”

Then he goes on to mention all the places

he remembers God from.

When he turned his thoughts to God

his despair began to change to hope.

He remembered God’s lovingkindness

and how He directs it toward us.

That His song of love will be with us

in the night.

He felt far from God in his hour of need.

But suddenly God’s presence was as near,

as His promise is to us.

God’s love illuminates the darkness.

He is near even when we do not recognize Him.

“Do not fear, for I am with you;

Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,

Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

(Isaiah 41:10)

“so that we confidently say,

“The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.

What will man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6).

“The Lord of hosts is with us;

The God of Jacob is our stronghold.” (Psalm 46:7)

We cannot give up hope,

as long as He is near.

As long as His promises endure.

And His undying love never changes.