“As the deer pants for the water brooks so my soul for You, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.  When shall I come and appear before God?” (Psalm 42:1-2).

Imagine a deer in a drought or in the heat of the summer.  It thirsts for water.  It pants (The Hebrew word taarog only occurs one other time in the Bible.  It occurs in Joel 1:20, where the beasts of the field cry out due to fire and drought). 

In context, the psalmist for some reason has been unable to assemble with God’s people for worship in the house of god (tabernacle/temple).  He deeply misses being able to do so (Psalm 42:4).  Evil men ridicule him for his trust in God (Psalm 42:3, 10).  However, he continues to place his hope in God (cf. Psalm 42:11).  The exact circumstances are unclear.  Some believe that this refers to some time in David’s life.  The exact circumstances are not essential to the basic lesson.  It is an example of one who maintains faith in God despite the difficult circumstances.     Applications for us:  (1) For what do we thirst (desire)?  All living beings thirst to some degree thirst for things necessary for life, for example – water.  We cannot live without certain things (e.g. air, water, food).  Some thirst for other things this world offers (e.g. wealth, material possessions, power or even sinful things).  However, the psalmist thirsted for God.  He desired to be in his presence.   

He desired to assemble and worship.  Do we?  Do we deeply desire to be in fellowship with God?  Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6).  He also said, “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4 cf. Deuteronomy 8:3).  Do we hunger for God’s word?  (cf. Job 23:12; Psalm 19:10).  Do we daily feed on it. 

(2) How intensely do we thirst for God?  Do we thirst for him as a deer does water on a hot, dry day?  (Psalm 42:1 cf. 63:1-2).  There is a story of a young man who came to Socrates in search of knowledge and wisdom.  The teacher took the young man to the water.  He dunked him and held him under for a period of time.  The young man was then let up gasping.  Socrates asked the man what he desired the most while under water.  The man answered, “air.”  Socrates then explained that the man needed to desire knowledge and wisdom as much as he desired air, if he would acquire knowledge and wisdom.  Let’s so desire God and spiritual things. 

(3) In whom do we place our trust?  The psalmist placed his hope in God (Psalm 42:11).  So should we.  “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD” (Jeremiah 17:7). 

“As a deer panteth for the water

So my soul longeth after Thee/

You alone are my heart’s desire

And I long to worship Thee/

You alone are my strength, my shield/

To you alone may my spirit yield/

You alone are my heart’s desire

And I long to worship Thee”

(Song: As the Deer by Martin J. Nystrom, 1984)