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Devotional Moment
Devotional thought for the week...
As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for
You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. 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.
(Psalm 42:1-2, 5) |
The writer of this Psalm bares his soul to God and yearns for
Him in the midst of His distress. We are not told about the source
of his disturbance but we are left with little doubt that all is
well with him. What is quite clear is that something has gone terribly
wrong in his life. It appears as if he is terribly depressed. His
great honesty is to be appreciated as he gives us more than a peep
into his personal agony.
Have you ever been where the Psalmist is? Have you ever felt cast
down, that the entire world is against you; that nothing that you
do amounts to much; that despite your best efforts you are criticized
and dismissed as not being important?
There are many things that can cause us to be downcast or to be
disturbed at the very depth of our souls. Yet, we are comforted
by the thought that these events in our lives are not the last things
to happen to us or to be written about us. Indeed the Psalmist ends
his thoughts on a note of hopefulness: "Hope in God: for I shall
yet praise him, the help of my countenance and my God." (Verse 11).
In the midst of our distress or depression, God comes to us always
as one who cares about us and who loves us with a love that refuses
to let us go. We thirst for His living presence in the midst of
the barrenness in our lives. The person who thirsts and hunger for
God will find Him mighty to save. He will strengthen our inner resources
to cope so long as we do not lose hope.
Our souls yearn for thee, O living God. You come to us in our distress
and you provide light out of the dark and gloom that threaten to
overwhelm us. O Bread of life feed me till I want no more! Amen.
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