The Psalmist captured a beautiful picture of our pursuit of God, illustrating our dependence in a right relationship with Him.
Psalms 42:1
“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.”
Our human existence is intimately linked to the consumption of water. Without it, we perish. When someone is diagnosed with severe dehydration immediate attention is required to replenish this vital component in support of proper bodily function. Much more common is the undiagnosed condition of mild dehydration. Experts say a large percentage of the population simply doesn’t consume sufficient quantities of appropriate liquids for healthy living. Unknowingly, we consume some liquids which exacerbate the problem. It merely takes an extended time out in the sun to appreciate the simple pleasure of a cold glass of water. I remember participating in a distance run of 11 miles during cross country training in high school. As we neared completion, all I could think about was the drinking fountain that was waiting for me inside the building.
Spiritual Dehydration
The Psalmist declares a passionate pursuit of God as vital sustenance for our soul’s survival. It is in Him that we find our hope. But as we journey this life, we are vulnerable to the ignorance of spiritual dehydration. We become complacent, ignoring the importance of visiting the divine stream. What once was a deep longing has subtly become a burden as we pursue other sources which seem to meet our needs. The enemy seeks to deceive us into believing that temporary sources in the world, accomplished by our own efforts, are sufficient. Empowered to provide for ourselves and address our perceived needs, a sense of personal satisfaction is realized. We feel good about what we have done, accomplished, and achieved. We enjoy being center stage, in charge, making the decisions, and exercising our own wisdom in different matters. We are the source of all that is needed to thrive in life. And at times, it appears we are quite successful in our independent provision. Life is good and Satan laughs.
Then those life events hit when we struggle to gain our spiritual footing, wondering what has gone wrong. The Psalmist’s soul was downcast; his circumstances were against him. He realized his focus was on the circumstances and not on the one who had authority over those circumstances. He had placed his hope in himself and taken his eyes off of God. He was spiritually dehydrated. Like the Psalmist, we cry out to God having lost our way to the stream and it feels like we are spiritually dying. We sense the burden to again consume the divine waters – that we must return. But such inclinations are not left unchallenged. There is another voice that emerges. We can almost hear the echo from the Garden of Eden – “You will not surely die.” Satan utilizes the state of spiritual dehydration to perpetuate his lie, encouraging us to continue panting for the world, to pursue temporary satisfaction, to be content with worldly solutions as a substitute for what we truly need to thrive. But why would we seek fulfillment in the temporary streams of this world which will surely dry up leaving us to perish? It becomes apparent that we are in a struggle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces of wickedness (Eph 6:12). David cries out in his pursuit of God:
How can a young man keep his ways pure?
Psalms 119:9-11
By living according to your word.
I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.
We must stay hydrated with the Word of God, exercising our lips in prayer, calling upon God to be our strength as we journey this life. To neglect this provision is to become vulnerable to Satan’s lies.
But interestingly, I think there is a deeper message the Psalmist is trying to communicate. Before us is imagery of a deer in great need of refreshment having temporarily evaded the adversary’s pursuit. The trials of life will again necessitate a regular return to this source of restoration and strength. Yes, we treasure the spiritual waters that provide relief from our dehydration. And God calls us to return again and again to His sustenance for righteous living. But when we finish drinking deeply from this divine stream, must we not look up to see our God standing before us in all His glory?
the Source
The stream has a spring as its source – the ineffable character of God. The writer of this psalm understood that in the end, the central message was not about his own survival but celebrating God’s glory. We so want everything to be about us – remnants of Satan’s Garden lie born out in our flesh. Even in the church there exists to some degree a theme resonating with concerning regularity: “Look at what God has done for me.” Indeed, God has done great things that we might again have a relationship with Him. But this should draw us to look up from the waters of His provision and sing His praises. Moses descended the mountain with his face glowing from a brief exposure to God’s glory. The transfiguration was overwhelming to Peter, James, and John. The Lord Jesus Christ came in humble means the first time. But the second coming will be with all the power and glory of a reigning King. We won’t be focused on who we are as much of a blessing as that is – a child of God. But all our attention will be upon Him, joining with the multitude of angles offering praise and worship.
Therefore, let us not become deceived into spiritual dehydration, weak and vulnerable to enemy attacks in our spiritual war.
Dwelling in the presence of our God, let us drink deeply of His provision and reaffirm His glory and honor leading to praise in the heavenly realms. We serve as God’s trophy displaying the “surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:7). There is great joy in longing for our Father, to be in His midst admiring His holy character, and being molded and shaped into His image that we might reflect His glory. The Psalmist understood the truth that in the end it’s all about God and not about us.
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