QT 3/11/2024 Ps 42:1-4, What do we truly seek?

Psalm 42:1–4 (ESV) —

1 As a deer pants for flowing streams,

so pants my soul for you, O God.

2 My soul thirsts for God,

for the living God.

When shall I come and appear before God?

3 My tears have been my food

day and night,

while they say to me all the day long,

“Where is your God?”

4 These things I remember,

as I pour out my soul:

how I would go with the throng

and lead them in procession to the house of God

with glad shouts and songs of praise,

a multitude keeping festival.

 

NOTE: Every psalm seems to contain a favorite verse of mine. During the years of suffering, the psalms cried along with me and comforted me. When life is (or seems to be) falling apart, everything becomes worthless and empty. All the dreams, all the expectations of life, all the stuff becomes meaningless -- and all you want is God's comfort. You yearn for peace, for a joy that is beyond understanding, for a reason that life can be so painful and yet still have meaning. Nothing answers that yearning except God. He remains the only answer for a world that makes no sense. He created it beautiful and he created it for eternity, but we rebelled and told him that we wanted to be our own gods, we wanted to determine right and wrong for ourselves, and so what was beautiful and perfect became badly marred. And even more importantly, we hid from God. So, when we finally realize that our kingdom won't work and we repent of our rebellion and turn to him; we realize how much he is all we ever wanted. And so pain becomes, not a reason to doubt his existence, but that which brings us back to where we should have always been.

 

I don't live in that pain today, but the scars are still there. They are not far under, and are easily touched and remembered. And, amazingly, they are good now, because they showed me my real need, and changed me.

 

PONDER:

1. What is our yearning?
2. Who are we really living for?
3. What (or who) do we think will really provide what we are searching for?

 

PRAYER: Father, I have said many times, that I would not choose to go through what I did to get where I am today. But I do see your hand of love and I do see the good you brought into my life through the pain. I have so much still to learn. I still think of myself before others, but I believe that you are changing me, little by little. There is little I can say, but 'thank you!' I have no crowns to throw down at your feet. Lead and guide me, and with your help, I will listen.