Image from Pinterest.com
A white-tailed deer drinks from the creek; I want to drink God, deep draughts of God. I'm thirsty for God-alive. I wonder, "Will I ever make it - arrive and drink in God's presence?" I'm on a diet of tears - tears for breakfast, tears for supper. All day long people knock at my door, Pestering, "Where is this God of yours?" These are the things I go over and over, emptying out the pockets of my life. I was always at the head of the worshiping crowd, right out in front, Leading them all, eager to arrive and worship, Shouting praises, singing thanksgiving - celebrating, all of us, God's feast! Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God - soon I'll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He's my God. When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse everything I know of you, From Jordan depths to Hermon heights, including Mount Mizar. Chaos calls to chaos, to the tune of whitewater rapids. Your breaking surf, your thundering breakers crash and crush me. Then God promises to love me all day, sing songs all through the night! My life is God's prayer. Sometimes I ask God, my rock-solid God, "Why did you let me down? Why am I walking around in tears, harassed by enemies?" They're out for the kill, these tormentors with their obscenities, Taunting day after day, "Where is this God of yours?" Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God - soon I'll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He's my God. (Psalm 42 The Message)
May this be a tremendous Thursday to you dear Friend! I pray the blessings of God's word be upon us as we study His precious and powerful word. Surrender to the Lord all that is weighing you down. Share with Him the burdens and the guilt you may be carrying with you. This psalm is meant for us.
Imagine having an unquenchable thirst. And imagine having that thirst while knowing that only God can take it away. Such was the drive that David had as he wrote this psalm. He had seen often enough the deer in the fields drinking from the creeks on his property. The deer know that in the creeks and rivers of running water they can find the quench for their thirst, just as David knew that in God he could find the quenching waters for his thirst, so should we. David, like us, was spiritually dehydrated. His diet had been a diet of steady tears, with a side of constant pestering by those who delight in questioning where God is during our time of need. David knew all too well that his detractors reminded him of where he once was, the leader of worship and praise on Sunday, but by Tuesday, he's down in the dumps. That happens. And it happens to all of us. David says the solution is to turn our eyes back on God and soon we will be praising God again. And we do.
I pray that our prayer today be for all whose eyes have left God and found their way to places they shouldn't be. May we pray that they and us may again look deeply into God, quenching our thirsts in ways that only God can. God is our strength and our help. In God we find life and life eternal. The things of earth will quickly pass; but the things of God will last forever.
PRAYER: Loving God, in You we find what we need. Restore us and renew us. Make us strong to serve You always. We pray a special prayer for those who find themselves far from You. You know who they are and what they need. Work a miracle with Your power to make new, renew, refresh, and revive every area of their life. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Fix your eyes on Jesus and praise Him again!
Blessings of love,
Eradio Valverde
