A Daily Purpose

Bible Study & Devotional (Day 209)

By: Lisa C. Gant

Guiding Scripture: Psalm 42:1-2 “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”

🔴Do You Know How Thirsty You Are?

When is the last time you’ve been thirsty?

Not just a little parched. I’m talking really, really thirsty for an ice-cold drink of water.
If you’re privileged enough to live in a developed nation where water is plentiful, you may have to think for a while. However, if you live in a developing country or one that’s facing a severe drought, that question takes on a lot more weight. Even in the United States where I live, many states are in the middle of the most intense droughts we’ve had in years, even decades.

It’s humbling how important water becomes when rivers start to dry up.
That extra bit of context puts the psalmist’s words in Psalm 42 in a different light.

How many of us long for the presence of God the way we do for the water that sustains us?
More importantly, how many of us are even aware of how much our souls need Him?

Water isn’t optional for any human being; it is essential. Short or tall, rich or poor, black or white, we each need water every day of our lives. It doesn’t matter how much we drank yesterday or the day before that.

Today, we still need water. The need never goes away.

How fitting, then, that the psalmist chooses to compare his spiritual need for God to his physical need for water. It’s even more interesting that he compares that longing to that of a deer, an animal who spends most of its life on the run from predators. Think about that for a second.
That’s a whole different level of thirst. It’s not casual; it’s desperate.

I have found that the more time I spend with God, the more I become aware of my need for Him. The demand itself never changes, but my awareness of it does. I’ve noticed how my mood is off when I haven’t been in His presence, how cranky and lethargic and unfocused I feel when I haven’t heard His voice.

Even when we don’t understand our need for God, our soul knows. It longs for Him and cries out for Him. And that part of us is never truly satisfied until we are in beautiful communion with Him.
May we never forget how much our soul thirsts for God’s presence.

May we never stop coming to Him to be refilled.

LISA C. GANT: CEO & Founder of Purpose Without Apology, the Podcast. She is a writer and book editor working with others to publish their stories. Tune in for uplifting Bible teaching podcasts and connect with Lisa on Instagram. Visit www.lisacgant.com for more information and how you can work with Lisa.

This devotional was submitted by Lisa C. Gant, a loving contributor to Our Given Purpose. Edited by Torrie Slaughter the founder of Our Given Purpose® in the Commonwealth of Virginia.