Good morning -
I am sorry that this didn't post last night. I know we are in different time zones and I like for this post to be here when you wake up and look for it. Hopefully you didn't wait too long.
So, today we are starting Psalms Sunday with Psalm 42. This Psalm begins the second book of the Psalms, which ends with Psalm 72. They are the Psalms about the redemption of God. And this Psalm was written by Hezekiah for the sons of Korah. You can learn more about Korah and his sons in Numbers 16.
1 As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?[b]
3 My tears have been my food day and night,
While they continually say to me,
“Where is your God?”
4 When I remember these things,
I pour out my soul within me.
For I used to go with the multitude;
I went with them to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and praise,
With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance.[c]
6 O my God,[d] my soul is cast down within me;
Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan,
And from the heights of Hermon,
From the Hill Mizar.
7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;
All Your waves and billows have gone over me.
8 The LORD will command His loving kindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me—
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 with a breaking of my bones,
My enemies reproach me,
While they say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
11 Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.
I must say, I love the first two verses of this Psalm, because they are from one of my favorite worship songs. "As the 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......." I almost recorded myself singing it for you, because I just love it THAT much. But, I didn't.
Lately, I believe that I have been feeling like this Psalm. I had spent a month or so, so busy that I wasn't leaving time for God. And I can feel that distance and it hurts, it really does. I have witnessed how it has affected my moods, my patience, my relationships. It seemed like I would become saddened more easily. I longed to go back to that time when I was so close to Him. When I would talk to Him many times throughout the day. I longed to go back to when I had quiet time with Him several times a day. When you have periods of time in your life when your relationship with God is a huge focus and then you go through some time where there is a big distance between yourself and God, it is so apparent.
I am slowly starting to get back to a place where I am closer to God. I am trying to discipline myself to have time in the Word, to make it a point to attend church every Sunday. To watch what things I do and look at, that could be taking away from my walk.
I have missed that closeness with God.
When I read over some interpretations of this Psalm, I found a gal who spoke about how Hezekiah uses the word thirst, not hunger. When he says, my soul thirsts for you.
When you are thirsty, you need to quench it right away. You want something to drink and you want it NOW. You need it. It is hard to be parched. I think that is different than hunger. With hunger, even when we have hunger pains, we can kind of still go a bit without satisfying them, if we need to. I think that's how it is when we start distancing ourselves from God. We can feel the hunger pains, but we are busy with what we are doing, and we distract ourselves. But finally that distance brings us to a point of extreme thirst. We need to stop what we are doing, and we need to drink. We need our God right NOW. There is no more waiting...no more distractions.
Lord, my soul is thirsting for you. Come and fill me.
"You alone are my heart's desire and I LONG to worship you."
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