“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.” Psalm 42:1 (ESV)
I became angry with God and ran. I looked to others to satisfy the ache in my soul, but there was no rescue. It seems no one cared. I was on my own and my heart longed for comfort.
Who do you turn to when you hurt, are lonely, or depressed? When a circumstance overwhelms, is there a significant person you run to? Are they able to satisfy the longing deep in your soul?
We hear people talk about how they only depend on themselves. We hear others talk of a significant person in their life that is called their rock. I have experienced both.
I have depended on someone else and other times I only trust myself to fill the need. In either circumstance, I’m unhappy or unfulfilled.
Believing we can depend on others to fill the longing within our soul is a lie. Why? Because with people, we will have disappointment.
God does not disappoint us, even when we think he does.
In Psalm 42, the writer compares our dependence on God to a deer who pants for water. Just as the deer needs the water, so do we need God. The writer makes clear his unrest unless he restores his relationship with God when he states,
“My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?” (v2).
We turn to ourselves or cling to others when in need or trouble. But since we are human, we fail one another. God is there and won’t fail us, but we need to turn to Him.
If you have never had a relationship with God, accept Jesus as your rock. If you have already accepted Jesus, but are running from God like I did, simply turn back and accept the rest that only God can restore to you.
The psalmist felt separated from God and the longing in his soul was because he knew his life depended on Him. It is important that we depend on God and not on others or ourselves. Our life depends on it.
What does dependence on God look like? Total faith. We believe God created everything and is worthy of our love. We humbly come to him in our brokenness through the blood of Jesus that was shed for our sin. Then we study God’s word to learn who He is and how we can let Him change us.
It was when I stopped running from God that I realized He was the only one who could satisfy the longing within and bring me the comfort I needed. He is the one we can depend on. He is the only one who can satisfy the ache our my soul.
Depending on God to be our rock can be difficult, but our life depends on Him.
Will you rise above the lie and seek the truth today? The choice is yours.
Read more about ways to depend on God here.
