Longs - Psalm 42

As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for You, God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I come and appear before God?

Psalm 42:1-2

The scene is a drought. A severe drought. One that is causing animals to desperately look for watering holes. The ones who do not find the water simply die.

As the deer longs for water in that scenario, so I long for you God writes the Psalmist.

For some reason, the writer feels he has been separated from God. Something has happened and he feels the relationship with God he once had has been interrupted. He would do anything, anything to restore that relationship. He is tired of the drought season. He is tired of feeling alone. He is longing for God.

Have you been there?

Are you there?

Are you in a place where you feel that your relationship with God is not where it once was? You try to pray but the words do not come. You attend services, but the feelings you once had are not there? You read your Bible, but you struggle to stay awake while doing it.

To be honest, most of us who follow after Jesus have probably felt this way at some point. And for those who have not had these feeling, trust me, they will come. Just like our relationships on this earth can go through seasons of drought, so can our relationship with God.

The key is to not give up. This psalmist does not just say, “Oh, well” and go on. No, he says he longs for the relationship to be fixed. He pours out his heart (v. 4), questions his depression that he is going through (v. 5), and reminds himself that there is only one worthy of placing his trust in. That one is God alone (v. 11). In other words, he fights for his relationship with God. He longs for it to be restored.

If you are in a season of drought with God, don't give up. Keep reading. Keep praying. Keep worshipping. Keep longing. In the end, you will find that the God who is the same yesterday, today and forever is faithful. He will answer when you call.

And that should cause us to fall to our knees and worship Him.