“Soul Thirst”

Scripture:

Psalm 42:1, 2
As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. (NKJV)

Observation:

Amidst every human life, in spite of any circumstance, and no matter what religion or belief, there will come seasons of drought in everyone’s life; times when we feel as if our lives are being scorched and drying up as we live in dire need of divine intervention; desperate for that one drop of living water that will give us hope. Every living soul has times when everything done only brings forth fruitless efforts and we long for some kind of relief. Even seasoned Christians who rely on God and His redemptive plan have found themselves in times of hardship, feeling abandoned by God. My dear friends, whether we depend on God or not, the world has many ways of making life tough and difficult to handle; when all things seem to work against us and we long for something good to happen. This longing, my dear friends, is really the soul thirsting for a miracle from God that not only saves, but also refreshes and strengthens us for the days ahead (John 16:33).

Application:

Whenever we experience God’s saving grace it is only natural to eagerly praise Him with songs of thanksgiving in our gratefulness. And in our excitement we often want to share with others what God has done, so that they, too, will know where to find the only living water that not only brings relief but gives us life as well (Psalm 66:1-2). God honors us when we call out to Him in our times of need (Psalm 91:15), but even better, our praise brings Him glory. Do you long for the Living God in both times of distress and in times of plenty? Do you miss hearing His Word and gathering with His people when you isolate in your misery? Do you long to see His face and feel His healing touch at any cost? Do you long to hear His calming voice that will bring some peace to your troubled life? Is the deepest desire of your heart to be fully quenched with the living water that brings relief and gives eternal life? If you can answer yes to these simple questions then you will understand what the psalmist is expressing in this song proclaiming the glory of God. You know you are experiencing soul thirst when you cannot get enough of the Savior of our soul, because the more you know about who He is and what He does, the more you will realize just how in need you are of His saving grace.

Prayer:

How awesome You are, O LORD; that you pour out Your mercy and grace on those who cry out to You in desperation. What other god is like You; the Living God who provides His people with help in times of trouble. What an honor it is to be able to sing songs of praise that give you thanks and declare Your glory. Thank You, dear Lord, for being who You are and for doing all that You do.

Amen