Psalms 42:1-2 NIV For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah. As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
Today is the Fourth of July, a day in which we as Americans celebrate the establishment of our nation. Our forefathers declared their independence from British rule especially in the area of religious freedom. They may have declared their independence from Britain, but they did not declared independence from God. They knew very well that this nation would never survive unless it had a dependence on God and His ways.
Sadly today America has wonder far from our founding fathers original design and purpose. We have become a nation of people who want our independence from everything including God.
This should not be the case for us as Believers; we should never want to be independent from God. In the Psalm 42, the psalmist indicates how much he needs and desires God. He uses the illustration of a deer panting for water. I remember when I was a teenager I went to work with a friend of mine who was working on the Interstate 20 at that time, I was asked to be a flagman for dump trucks bring dirt to a particular location that day. I didn’t bring anything with me to drink or eat that day and it was one of those hot summer days and as I stood there on a busy highway flagging for those trucks I become thirstier and thirstier as the day went on. My mouth just became parch and finally after I couldn’t stand it any longer I ask one the truck drivers if he would bring some water. When I got that water it was like a refreshing renewal for my body, I just could stop drinking it, I wanted more and more.
This is how I associate with what the Psalmist is saying here, he is so thirsty for God he couldn’t wait until he could meet with Him. He knew he needed God and that he was dependent on God for his very existence. The Psalmist did not just desire the hand of God, but he wanted to see His face; in other words he wanted to have a moment with God and just bask in who He was.
Let me encourage on this Fourth of July to not only be thankful for this nation that we live in and we can freely worship in, but let us remember how much we need to be “dependent” on God and how our very existence depends on Him. Give Him thanks for Him giving Himself to you everyday day.
I read twice the blog and went back to a passage I read last week. It is Matthew chapter 5:5 & 6. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled, (according to the new international version)NIV. At that time, my focal point was: What does it mean to be meek? I had those views in mind. They are those who don’t have to be first all the time, and, who don’t bask on the sportlight every chance they get. They are the guys who don’t have any problem doing thankless job and those who care more about teamwork intead of personal success. But, when I read your blog today, it is so amazing to see that I was somewhat close to your thoughts in the idea that America, the world, the church, every single family, each individual needs to have hunger and thirst for the word/ God before each of these sub-group can be filled. Thanks for the time and energy that it takes to bring this to the christian world. That is certainly thoughtful and genial. May God continue his blessings upon you and your dearest family .
Again, thanks!
Abraham