Judges 8; Psa. 42; 1 Cor. 15

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, Ps. 42:1-4

The Psalmist cries out for God. We get the sense of the grief as he yearns for the presence and pleasure of God. We don’t know what brought on this distance but we do know that there was a time when he use to go with the House of God with the multitudes. He remembers the pleasure of God’s presence, the joy of corporate worship and the peace of God that filled his heart. But something has happened and nothing can satisfy his soul but God. It is like a panting dear for the cool stream, his tears fill his bed and his anguish is more than he can take. I wonder how many of us have that kind of passion for God. How long can we go without those satisfying times of God’s presence. I think far to often people don’t cry out for the missed presence of God but simply learn to live with it. I see this at times when people come to church after being away for an extended period and I will see them weep during service, and I know they are being reacquainted with the presence of God. Oh the joy of living in the presence of God. There is no greater joy and nothing that can satisfy our soul than being in his presence. He beckons us to come and walk with him today.

Pastor Rick