“As the deer pants for the water brooks, SO PANTS MY SOUL FOR YOU, O GOD. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God…Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? HOPE IN GOD, FOR I SHALL YET PRAISE HIM FOR THE HELP OF HIS COUNTENANCE…The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song shall be with me—A prayer to the God of my life…” (Psa. 42:1-11) The writer of this Psalm bares his soul to God and yearns for Him in the midst of His distress. We are not told about the source of his disturbance but we are left with little doubt that all is well with him. What is quite clear is that something has gone terribly wrong in his life. It appears as if he is very depressed. In the midst of our distress or depression, GOD COMES TO US ALWAYS as one who cares about us and who loves us with a love that refuses to let us go. We thirst for His living presence in the midst of the barrenness in our lives. The person who thirsts and hunger for God will find Him mighty to save. He will strengthen our inner being to cope so we will not lose hope.
“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (James 5:16) When we find ourselves in situations like this We believe that the fervent prayer of the righteous avails much. We are confident that if we ask, we shall receive; if we seek, we shall find; and if we knock, doors will be open to us.
ASK, AND IT WILL BE GIVEN…SEEK, AND YOU’LL FIND; KNOCK, AND IT WILL BE OPENED…(Matt. 7:7)
-Bill Stockham