Longing

A Mini Devotional

“As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You O God.” Psalm 42:1

Thirst. It’s a driving, God-given force that seeks to be satisfied at any cost.

Picture the deer mentioned in Psalm 42. She is aware of her need for water, and will look everywhere to find it. She will investigate every hopeful place, perhaps returning to places she has found water in the past. Nothing will satisfy her except a long, cool drink; it will be her primary occupation until she finds it. No high hill, no low valley, no rocky cliff, no desert place will stop her search.

Our souls pant for God, though we often mistake our thirst and search for God for a longing for an unidentified “something”—we don’t know what—and we try to fill it some other way besides a deep drink of Living Water.

We would do well to consider that the thirst, the longing, the yearning, is God-given, built into our souls at creation. As the deer’s life depends on finding water, so our souls depend on finding God.

God, we long for You as for water. Let us find You in all things.