As the deer pants for
streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
My tears have been my food
day and night,
while men say to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"
These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go with the multitude,
leading the procession to the house of God,
with shouts of joy and thanksgiving
among the festive throng.
Why are you downcast, O my
soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God!
It happens to the best of us.
Despite our best intentions to be strong, unwavering followers
of God, sometimes we get weak in faith. We don’t mean for it to
happen, but doubt, at times, is an unwelcome guest in our lives
that just won’t go away.
Psalm 42 begins with the
psalmist calling for light while still on the dark side of
faith. “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants
for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?” The psalmist is no stranger to
God. He remembers a time when he used to shout with joy and
thanksgiving (42:4), a time when he put all his trust in God.
Now things have changed; God feels far away. He longs for the
security and comfort of faith, but does not know how to get back
to that place. It seems so far away.
For the psalmist being close
to God involves being in the temple. During the time, the temple
was believed to be where God lived. Today, we don’t think of a
church building as the only place where we can encounter God,
but there are places that each of us regard as holy, places
where we feel close to God. Some find God in a beautiful
sanctuary with stained glass; while others feel closest to God
when alone in nature. It is not only a place that brings God
close to us, but often times it’s an activity. Some sing to
connect with God; while others pray silently. When needing a
word from God, some read their Bibles reverently; while others
go for a walk.
It is neither the place, nor
that activity that creates a magic formula to bring God back
into our lives; rather, it is the change that happens in
ourselves. We do not know why the psalmist feels separated from
God, but we do know that it was not God that moved away. God has
promised to always be with us. Any time we call on God, God will
be there, but sometimes we forget to call.
Moving away from God can
happen in subtle ways; we might not even be aware that it is
taking place. We have to be intentional about staying connected.
We shouldn’t take God’s presence in our lives for granted by
only calling on God when times get tough. Rather, we should be
continually cultivating our relationship with God for this is
the only relationship that will give us unconditional love and
will enable us to live life to the fullest.
Prayer:
God, my soul thirsts for you.
Come into my life in a real and powerful way. Restore me and
make me whole as I dedicate my life to you.
Peace and Blessings,
Rev. Leigh S. Martin
Reinhardt College Chaplain
"Be strong, and let your heart
take courage, all you who wait for the Lord." -Psalm 31:24
