What Does Your Soul Pant For?

“As the deer panteth for the water, so my soul longeth after you.  You alone are my heart’s desire and I long to worship you.”  Those words from the first verse of  "As the Deer" by Eddie James.  Originally written in 1984, it has proven to be one of the defining songs of the worship era.  

The words of this song are based on the beginning of Psalm 42 that reads, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God” (Psalm 42:1).  Looking just at that verse, it seems that the words of the song appropriately capture the encouraging, worshipful and beautiful sense intended by the psalmist.  Yet, as one looks past the first verse to the remainder of this psalm, one would find words of desperation and anguish, not the gentle smiles and bowed hearts inferred by the song.  

A study of just the first verse of Psalm 42 reveals that the Psalmist is explaining his experience in the spiritual desert, and points us in the right direction.  It reveals the utter anguish of the psalmist as he writes and many of us can relate to this spiritual desert. In this desert is when we need to keep in close touch with God or we will shrivel up with spiritual dehydration and the Psalmist points us in the right direction.

One of the definitions in the Merriam-Webster’s dictionary for the word pant is to long eagerly or yearn. It is often in the context of a feeling that results from some form of physical exertion, usually running. This made me realize that a deer would pant for water when it runs (just as other animals and humans do), either from a predator or due to a need for satisfaction of its thirst.

With this realization, I learn from the scripture that our souls must pant after God as well. This means that we must also be running in order to pant. We must first run from evil, from temptation, from trials and burdens; we must run to God as we long to be satisfied. This Psalm is a proof that he has a very earnest desire to have communion with God, who created him and also shows that He trusted His plans for his life. is no other one, other than Jesus who can satisfy what we thirst for. He said come unto me all ye that are weak and heavy laden and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28). In other words, He was expressing that in Him and only in Him is total satisfaction and until we are satisfied, we must be panting after Him, the source of Living Water (John 4:10-15). 


Are you panting after God, the living God? Run into The Sanctuary today to worship and quench your thirsty soul!

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Enter into Worship