As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. Psalm 42:7
It's been the hottest summer on record for some time, all across the United States. In heat like this, it's easy to picture someone panting. If you have a dog, you've probably seen a lot of that.
In this verse, we see the Psalmist use a word picture again...this time of a deer panting to get a drink from a clean, clear stream. He likens it to someone longing for God...desperate for Him.
Several Psalms deal with the idea of being desperate for God, and/or lamenting a certain state of affairs. Psalm 88 is known as the saddest Psalm. It's entire content reveals a person longing for God's comfort and connection. The writer explains his feelings of being in a pit, weakened and out of touch with God, possibly due to sin. There is little if any hope expressed in the Psalm. Why would that be? Many Psalms mention sadness, concern or plights, but are sprinkled with words of hope and worship. Why wouldn't this one?
I think it is reassuring that God is big enough to allow such passages to appear in HIs word. It reveals a sincerity of life that we often try to cover up. Yes, the joy of the Lord is our strength, but there are times when we are weary, when we are burdened, when we do feel convicted. Psalms such as this remind us that those feelings have their place in a "real" life.
Are you afraid to reveal the quieter or "heavier" side of yourself from time to time? Do you feel it is essential to always give off a certain air or image? Psalms like these remind us that God is interested in our honesty before Him and others. This isn't to say to make everyone deal with every emotion you have. But at the same time, being willing to be real instead of worried about a certain image goes a long way in building truly honest relationships.
Question: In what way are you desperate for God? Or does showing desperation worry you?
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Showing desperation for me implies that I need to give up control. I wouldn't say that it worries me, exactly, but control issues are huge in my family. We're all very much "I can handle it myself" kind of family. That being said, I'm also probably the least "control freaky" of us all. I've been working hard on turning over the stuff that I can't handle to God--it's not been an easy road, but it shows just how much I've been obsessed with "handling it all". As usual, this seems to have a snowball effect for me, which leads to emotional and physical problems. I guess you could say I'm desperate to learn how to trust God (and through him, others).