9-9-2024

Good Morning All,

   Psalm 42:1; “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.”

    It sounds like the next few days are going to be plenty warm for this time of year. Even if you work inside, in air conditioning, you still know that it is hot out.  You have to go to your car or into a different building, it can feel uncomfortable.  If you spend any time outside, you can feel yourself wilt and struggle to go on.

    If we have days when we exert a lot of energy, we can feel exhausted and panting for water.  It doesn’t even have to be physical labor; it can be from a very emotional experience or a very stressful experience.  We can be exhausted and just like the deer; we pant for flowing streams.

    This Psalm actually has an even darker meaning.  Not only is the deer panting and looking for water, but it is also being hunted.  It is being chased and it runs and runs.  It seeks safety along with a cool drink of water to help it rejuvenate itself.  But like any animal that has been hunted, it never really rests.  It keeps its eyes and ears open and listening, wary of any sound or movement.

    We, too, are like this deer.  We are hunted and chased every day.  The devil uses all of his tricks to hound us, to set snares for us, to hunt us down.  We need to be wary like this deer.  As we struggle with this battle, we become weary and tired because we cannot fight this battle and win.  The hunter is too cagey and skilled.  He will win if we fight this battle…. alone.

     But we do not fight this battle alone.  God has shown us his great love for us by sending Jesus to redeem us and to buy us back from the bondage of sin.  God is our refuge and salvation.  We can see this image of being hunted or in danger throughout the Psalms, especially.  Take the image of the hunted deer and read Psalm 23.  We have still waters, green pastures to lie down in; when can a hunted deer lie down?  But because of the safety of Christ, we can lie down, we can rest.  We can rest the true rest which gives us peace.

     We, as Christians, are in the devil’s sights all day and all night.  The devil seeks whom he may devour.  He looks for those who have left the safety of the herd and wandered off.  The devil then lures us into one of his traps in order to separate us from God.  So, all day long we are chased by the pain of broken relationships, broken health, broken dreams, and love.  Some days it seems like we are assaulted from all sides, and we are exhausted and panting like a hunted deer.  To all of this Jesus says to us, “come, come all of you who are weary, and I will give you rest.” (Mt. 11:28).  When we hear God’s Word speak to us with its message of redemption and with the message of hope, we can trust that the devil will never touch us.  We can have that rest, and we can rest with the assurance that we have peace with and peace from God.  We have a loving God who has walked down the paths we have walked and gives us comfort and hope, secure in His loving arms.

Gracious Lord, we pant for your goodness and righteousness.  We rely solely on You to give us the streams of water and the pastures of green to rest and renew in.  Keep us throughout this day; hold us gently in your loving arms.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray.  Amen    

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret