Longing For God

As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.

Psalm 42:1

White-tailed deer drink from wherever they can get water—streams, ponds, rivers, springs, and even mud puddles. During the winter, these deer need 1½ quarts of water per 100 pounds of weight. So if a deer weighs only 100 pounds, he needs only 1½ quarts of water each day. If he weighs 200 pounds, then he needs 3 quarts of water a day. During the summer the amount of water the deer needs doubles.

If there is a drought, it’s a double problem for deer, because there isn’t water to drink and food doesn’t grow. Deer also get water from some of the foods they eat. During a drought, deer may have to search farther away to find enough water. The psalmist uses the example of a deer longing for water to describe his longing for God.

Have you ever been really thirsty? Perhaps you were exercising and felt like you needed a drink, or maybe you were outside when it was hot and you wanted water.

You might have gone inside and gotten a glass of water from the sink. Or maybe you had a water bottle with you and gulped all of it down. The water refreshed you.

Do you have a thirst for God’s Word like the thirst you have for water on a hot day? Do you look forward to reading your Bible and soaking up its words? If reading your Bible seems like a chore, you might be making it too hard. The goal is to learn about God and become more like Jesus. One way to do that is to start in the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—and read about Jesus’ life here on earth. The Gospels are easier to read and understand than some other sections of the Bible. Many of the stories may already be familiar to you. If you’re more experienced in reading the Bible, challenge yourself to read a section you haven’t read before.

Like the psalmist, search after God’s Word each day and fill your life with it.

If you’ve never read the Bible on your own before, choose one of the Gospels (Matthew through John) and read a few verses each day. Jot down at least one thing you learn. If you’ve been reading your Bible for a while, tackle an Epistle (Romans through Jude) and find one new thing from the verses you read.