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.
