Hello ICC Family!
As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.
Psalm 42:1
One of the most popular praise songs of the 90’s was called As the Deer. It was one of the first songs I ever learned on guitar and led during a worship service. I remember playing it hundreds of times when I lived in Tashkent, Uzbekistan leading music while sitting on a carpet and pillows on the floor each Sunday. Because I played it so many times, the words became too familiar, and I quit thinking about them very much - even as I led the singing! Shamefully, the verse and the song lacked any power or significance for me for many years. And then last week, somebody requested that we add this old praise chorus to our songbook. I made a note of it, but didn’t think much about it. And then this week I was challenged by a devotional reading that asked me to answer the following question: If you’re really honest… what is the true desire of your heart? What do you long for more than anything else?
Stop for a moment and answer the question for yourself. If you are single, perhaps you long to find a spouse that you can share life with. Perhaps you don’t enjoy your job and wish for a better career. Perhaps you are ready to retire, but don’t feel like you can afford to at the moment. Perhaps you want to do well on an exam coming up, or a competition, or a work assignment. Perhaps you are like so many people, and you just want to be respected or admired, or loved.
I stopped and thought about it for a while… and I wasn’t really happy with my answer. It wasn’t selfish, and it wasn’t for any kind of temporary gain. It was ministry-related and involved others being blessed, but it still revealed insecurity and pride in my heart. And it fell short of the dependency and urgency of the verse above. We are called to long for God himself as a deer is dependent on a stream of water. Without water, life (including the deer) can’t exist. It is a necessity. The Lord should be that way for us. And not indirectly. We are to long for God himself - not just what He can do for us. Not just for his blessing, or even the ability and opportunity to bless others… but for God himself - his person, his glory, his character, his kingdom, etc!…
This is another way of thinking about the verse that we looked at during Auntie Carmen’s memorial service: Matthew 6:33: Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. What do we long for? What are we seeking? What steps are we taking to proactively get there? If we did long for him, what would that look like for our devotional lives, and for our relationships, and for our work? What would be different about our worship and our time at church? Paul Tripp says that “Longing for God will always produce love for the people of God and joyful participation in the public worship of God.”
When we long for God more than anything - all of the other godly things that we long for will be given to us as well. It’s a hard promise to remember, but that is key to living a joyful life. It is also found in Psalm 37:4: Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires. If you lack that longing, start trying to spend as much time as you can with Jesus. The more you see him, the more He will change your affections. Make time for the Word. Pray that God helps you to see him. Spend time with others that love Jesus and long for him as well!…
Blessings to you all. And know that I am praying for you!
Pastor Aaron
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