Do you long for God?

As the deer pants for the water brooks,So my soul pants for You, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;When shall I come and appear before God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night,While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 4 These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me.For I used to go along with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God,With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival. 5 Why are you in despair, O my soul?And why have you become disturbed within me?Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence. 6 O my God, my soul is in despair within me;Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan And the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. 7 Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me. 8 The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime;And His song will be with me in the night,A prayer to the God of my life. 9 I will say to God my rock, “Why have You forgotten me?Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” 10 As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me,While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 11 Why are you in despair, O my soul?And why have you become disturbed within me?Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him,The help of my countenance and my God.
Psalm 42

In this rich Psalm, we see from the writer the great need to long for God. I wonder if people in churches today truly long for God? Do you long for God? Lets take a look at just one word in the 11 verses here.

Psalm 42:1 is beautifully stated, "As a deer longs for streams of water, so I long for You, God." I'm using the Holman Christian Standard version with this verse because I agree with their wording. The word `arag (aw-rag'), meaning to long for -- cry, pant, is used. This animal is obviously on a tired journey that is in desperate need for refreshment. His desire for satisfaction is found in the fact that his cry is heard, his panting is refreshed, his longing is found. It's not a once a week idea. I believe this is a daily longing for survival. We even see in verse 2 that the writer so boldly states, "I thirst for God, the Living God." What do you thirst for? What do you long for?

I see much complacency today in the life of believers. It seems that we have sold a Gospel that gives heaven but not God. We offer the riches of heaven rather than the riches of God alone. This deer wasn't looking for a place that contains water... this deer was looking for water. I see such a beautiful connection to what we are faced with today. I'm about to say something that may shock you...but please read it a few times and allow it to process. Are you ready? Here it goes. If you don't want God, if you don't long for God, if you don't cry out and pant for God; than you will not experience the riches of heaven. Does the deer want the location or the substance? Does the deer want the location or the need?

My challenge for you today is to live each step with a need and longing for God. Treasure Him and praise Him for the riches of His grace found through Christ (read Ephesians...all of it). Cry out to Him for mercy and steadfast love if depression is near (look at Psalm 42:6). Praise Him for the love that He sends (look at Psalm 42:8). As you need water to satisfy your thirst, you need living water to satisfy your eternal longing.

I pray today you will plunge into Emmanuel's blood, taste His living water, and enjoy the gift of His Father...forever. May your longing be satisfied today.

From one whose longing has arrived by the grace of God