As the Deer Pants

I was on a walk last week in a forest near to where I live. As I was walking, I spotted a deer. Now I always feel close to the Lord when I see a deer, and a sense of peace comes over me. It always brings to mind the above scripture and also the song.

How can we relate to the deer? Well imagine a hot, dusty place, and the deer is running away from danger. It’s been running for a long time and for many miles. Its thirst becomes overwhelming, and it begins to pant. And, in a similar way, human beings can be overwhelmed in life. Stress can overwhelm us, for example, illness, financial difficulties, job issues, depression, anxiety, or family problems. These can often leave us dry, exhausted, and ‘panting’ for relief.

Imagine the deer reaching the water. It drinks. It’s being refreshed, rehydrated, and energised. Wow! It must feel amazing. What about us? Just like the deer, we can come to God, anywhere, at any time, no matter what is going on in our lives. We can have our souls refreshed. We can drink from the living water of God and be energised, refilled, and rehydrated as that living water fills us with the peace of God. Take a moment to reflect on this.

I’m not saying our problems disappear. Unfortunately, life will always have issues. But how we deal with and cope with them can be greatly changed when we run to God, to the living water.

You might feel like you’re at the end of your rope today, and that you can’t go any further, as you are exhausted and overwhelmed. However, our loving Father is the fountain of life. He is the wellspring of satisfaction for our weary souls, the God of comfort, the Prince of peace.

Come today, as your soul pants after him. Let Him quench your thirst today. Let the words of this song, ‘As the deer pants for the water’, be your prayer today.