Whenever I see a deer I think of those amazing words of the psalmist (his words are recorded as Psalm 42:1) where he says his soul pants for God like a deer pants for a stream of water. I thought of these words when I took the accompanying photo of a deer.
It seems to me that the most likely time a deer pants for water is after he’s run for his life across meadow and through woods to escape from a predator. Once beyond danger the deer slows, panting, searching for water, and when he finds it, cautiously lowers his head to drink deeply. The psalmist says that his soul pants for God like this. I want to as well, to have my soul pant after God. You too?
It’s easy to go panting after a lot of different things in life. We can pant for acceptance from others, for success, for freedom from ill health, for being comfortable financially, for sexual experiences, for get-away vacations, and the list continues. Some of these things are good things and some, well, it depends on the situation, and some are downright bad and sinful. No matter what the enticement, we should aim for our greatest desire to be for God, to pant after Him as a deer pants for water!
“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.” (Psalm 42:1)
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