Psalm 42:1-2
“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (Psalm 42:1-2)
Back in 2019, I went on a vision trip to Cuba. Having grown up in San Diego, I figured that I would handle the July heat just fine. I had no idea how wrong I was. On our second day in the village, the temperature reached upwards of 100º with humidity up to 95%. I wasn’t at all prepared for that weather. I remember being incredibly dizzy and lightheaded while walking through the village, enough so that I had to stop halfway. I had become extremely dehydrated without even realizing it. Because I had thought that I could handle it, I wasn’t serious about drinking enough water and staying properly hydrated.
I think this happens to us more than we might realize. We feel like we can handle the seasons of life we’re in, so we become really casual in our pursuit of God.
The imagery in Psalm 42, with the deer, is so helpful because it communicates how desperately we need God. Just as the deer knows that it cannot survive long without going back to the stream, we too cannot survive without the Lord. If our expectation is to be refreshed by the presence of God, we have to stay connected to the source. Just as the deer returns to the stream, we must continually return to God. Our longing to return to the stream is affirmed by how good the water is. When we experience the sweetness of life with God and His provision, our desire to continue to experience that intimacy only grows stronger.
Our souls long to be connected to the source of life. May we taste and see the Lord’s goodness and continue to return to the stream.
Kassie Lowe
Young Adults Lead