Verse one tells us that "As the heart panteth after the water- brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God." The heart here is a stag, deer, gazelle, roe, or a hind. David was a haturalist. He did not worship creation, but he did wor ship the God of creation, the Crea tor. He testified, "As an animal run ning from the hunter, my heart, my soul, my life pants for the water brooks of God." The word "pant eth" means "to long for," "to look up toward." Here the animal is seeking water not only for protec tion to get away from the hunter but also for refreshment. Thi^t needed to be slaked and the tired perspiring limbs, used in running from the enemy, refreshed. The water brooks, of course, are the streams through the valleys, which God has provided, even in a bar ren desert, for our benefit and protection. Do you know, the next best thing to living in the light of the Lord's love is to be unhappy until we have it. This is what we find in verse two. Here he is saying, "My soul thirst- eth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear be fore God?" The Psalmist did not say, "My heart hungers for God." We can go without food. You and I have both tried it if we are on any kind of a diet whatsoever. But the fact is, you cannot go long without water. Physical thirst is a perpetual appetite and spiritual thirst should be the same. We do not get thirsty just on Sundays, one day of the week. For some who claim to be Christians, apparently that is all they care to be involved. The difficulty causing this "de spair over meaninglessness" is the fact that men have lost their thirst
for God. Ask yourself a question, "What really creates a thirst in my heart?" For some it is money, posi tion, fame or fortune. The Bible rightly points out that the world passes away and the lust of things with it, but the person who does the will of God abides forever. The Psalmist's query, "When shall I come and appear before God?" is not a question of coming judgment. Rather he is concerned about en tering that place of eternal rest, when we shall be with our Saviour forevermore. A wicked man,or ev en one who tries to live a morally upright life, but who is unregener ate, can never ask the question about when he is going to appear before God. His only appearance will be at the Great White Throne. There no one will ever be acquit ted. All will stand condemned. The depression which the Psalm ist experienced caused outward pain and anguish. Notice verse three, "My tears have been my meat day and night, while they con tinually say unto me, Where is thy God?" Tears here signify literal weeping. In his depression, the Psalmist seems utterly forsaken by God. The heart has sort of opened the safety valves of emotion to pour out that liquid fluid such as Jehovah would put into a bottle. I wonder how long it has been since we shed godly tears? Human tears are salty, although some of us can barely remember, since it has been so long any were sincerely shed. Salt will always in tensify thirst. If your tears are long ing for the Lord and a desire to know Him in that blessed union you once enjoyed, then it will only intensify your thirst for the living Page 37
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