Wednesday, December 11, 2013

The Panting Heart


It seems as though David and the other psalmists lived with a deep longing for God’s presence. When you read the psalms that express their longings, you can hear that this yearning is not simply a desire for the Lord, but a deep need for His presence. Just as every living creature has to have water to survive, so the psalmist feels he must have God’s presence in order to stay alive – God’s presence must become a life or death craving for worshipers:

The psalmist pants for God’s presence
Ps. 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.
When shall I come and appear before God?





The psalmist pants for God’s Word
Ps. 119:131 I opened my mouth and panted, For I longed for Your commandments.

It is good for us to foster this longing in our hearts for the Lord – a longing for His presence and His voice in our lives. In the Song of Solomon, the Shulamite (a picture of the Church) talks about being “lovesick: for the Lord (2:5; 5:8).

Just allow the noise of daily life and the demands upon your time to fade away for a moment and sit still in God’s presence – linger there and wait for His voice; turn your heart to Him and enjoy His presence. He is only a whisper away. Drink deeply and find refreshing in Him.

Rev. 21:6b
To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life.

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