Panting for God
As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. – Psalms 42:1
As I read Psalms 42, I found myself lingering on the first verse, focused by the image of a soul thirsting for God like a deer panting for water. I began to imagine what it would feel like to pursue God so fervently that I was out of breath, desperate for His presence as if I needed Him to quench my deepest thirst. If I were chasing after Him with that kind of passion, surely it wouldn’t be difficult to reach Him. In my heart, I know that God isn’t hiding from me or making it hard to find Him. So why, at times, does it feel so challenging to experience His presence?
As I reflected on this, I remembered the promise in Psalms 16: in God’s presence, there is fullness of joy. So, why wouldn’t my soul naturally long for that joy, to pant and thirst for Him above all else? That’s when I realized that it does. When I am feeling down and discontented, it is because my soul is longing for Him.
Yesterday was stressful, and when I lay down to sleep, my mind was cluttered with thoughts from the day, preventing me from fully resting. It was no coincidence that I had read Psalms 42 earlier in the evening, so I decided to shift my focus and reflect on this idea of longing after God. I figured that if I made hearing from Him my priority and sought His presence, peace would surely come, and my worries would disappear. Just as I had hoped, it didn’t take long to sense His closeness. All I did was simply thank Him for being near and ask what it would look like to thirst for Him as a deer thirst for water.
In that moment, God reminded me that His presence is always with me, but it’s when I take the time to be still and become aware of Him that I truly experience His peace. He showed me that I don’t need to strive or work hard to be close to Him—just the opposite. I need to quiet my thoughts and activities and rest in His love and kindness. It was such a comforting and peaceful experience that, when my mind tried to drift back to my worries, I quickly redirected it to focus on what God was revealing to me so I didn’t miss a detail.
Now I understand that this is the key to living in the moment. Instead of letting my mind get lost in anxiety about what might happen next, I can intentionally bring myself back into God’s presence throughout the day. It doesn’t mean ignoring my responsibilities or not doing what needs to be done, but rather turning my anxious thoughts into opportunities to draw closer to Him and using them as reminders that His peace and presence is moving out of first place.
So, How Do We Pant After God?
Panting after God, as described in Psalms 42, is about cultivating a deep, ongoing desire for Him in every moment of life. It’s not about striving or working harder to feel His presence, but about creating intentional space to be with Him. Here are a few ways we can do this:
- Start with Gratitude: Like I did last night, begin by simply thanking God for being with you. Gratitude has a way of refocusing our minds away from stress and onto God’s goodness, which helps usher us into His presence.
- Silence the Noise: Life can be loud and chaotic, which often distracts us from hearing God. Take a moment to quiet your thoughts and activities. Find peace in stillness and let that be the space where you meet with God.
- Turn Worry into Worship: When anxious thoughts creep in, use them as a prompt to seek God instead. Rather than letting worry take over, invite God into those places of concern, and allow Him to speak peace and truth into your heart.
- Practice His Presence: Throughout your day, make it a habit to pause and acknowledge God’s nearness. Whether you’re at work, running errands, or spending time with family, remember that He is right there with you. Practicing His presence helps you remain connected to Him in all circumstances.
- Rest in His Love: Remember, you don’t have to work hard to be close to God. His love is constant, and His desire is for you to simply rest in that love. Instead of striving, let go of the pressure and rest in the truth that God’s presence is always available to you.
In moments when we feel distant or overwhelmed, we can take comfort in knowing that God is near, and it’s in the quieting of our hearts that we find Him. Psalms 42 reminds us to thirst for God, and in that thirst, He promises to meet us with the fullness of joy, peace, and the consistency of His presence.
Today, I want to encourage you to let your soul thirst for your heavenly Father, just as a deer pants for water. Make time to be in His presence and develop a plan to make it a daily habit. Don’t wait for the weight of life’s concerns to overwhelm you before seeking Him. Instead, purposefully step into His love throughout your day. Pay attention to your emotions, and when you feel unease creeping in, take it as a sign that you might be slipping into handling things on your own. Let it prompt you to return to the steadiness of His peace and provision. Allow your life to be guided by God’s ever-present wisdom and grace, and free yourself from the pressures and demands of this crazy world.
Today’s scripture reading: Psalms 42
1 As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?
3 My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually say to me, “Where is your God?”
4 When I remember these things, I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go with the multitude; I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.
6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me; Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan, and from the heights of Hermon, from the Hill Mizar.
7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me.
8 The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me— A prayer to the God of my life.
9 I will say to God my Rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a breaking of my bones, my enemies reproach me, while they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
11 Why are you cast down, O my soul? and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.
The Daily Dose 