“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for You, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”
(Psalm 42:1-2)
One of the greatest challenges we face in staying spiritually focused is that we are naturally drawn to the physical world. The demands of life require time and energy, and the cares of this world easily distract us from eternal priorities. We become consumed with activity, accumulating possessions, and achieving goals, often forgetting that our lives are not our own (1 Cor. 6:19-20).
The danger is not so much that of distraction but of misplaced affection. We enjoy the blessings God gives, but we must be careful not to let them replace our hunger for Him. And we must remember that everything in this world is fleeting. So if we do not set our hearts upon Him who is eternal, we find ourselves clinging to things that will pass away.
Christ made the purpose of life unmistakably clear: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt. 22:37-39).
Ask yourself… what do you live for? Who holds first place in your heart? Is it the Lord Jesus, or is it yourself and your own pursuits? These are the kinds of questions every Christian should consider regularly in order to assess their true devotion to Christ.
Scripture reminds us that our time on earth is brief: “For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” (James 4:14). But eternity is forever. We will all stand before the living God when He will weigh the priorities of our hearts. As Matthew Mead once wrote, “God lives forever, and therefore, the believer’s heaven shall be forever; and because He lives forever, the sinner’s hell shall be forever.”[1]
If you belong to Christ, you have the promise of eternal life. The Spirit of God dwells in you, securing your redemption (Eph. 4:30). So do not grieve Him by pursuing the things of this world while neglecting what lasts forever. Take inventory of your heart. Examine your priorities. See that they align with what Christ told us matters most: love for God, obedience to His commands, and devotion to His kingdom.
Contemplations
- The Thirst of the Soul. In Psalm 42:1-2 David likens his “soul thirst” for God to that of a panting deer needing to quench his thirst in the cool spring. Do I long for God as a deer thirsts for water? Do I seek Him with the same urgency and necessity, or am I satisfied and content with lesser things?
- Investing in Eternity. Even though I know the treasures and trivialities of this world are passing away, I find myself being pulled in that direction. Remind me, Lord, that as a child of the kingdom I ought to be storing up treasures in heaven (Matt. 6:19-21). Help me not be consumed with accumulating things that will pass away, but rather spend my time and energy investing in treasures that will last for eternity.
- A Heart Set on God. I must remain a watchman over my heart, consistently taking inventory of what I’m allowing to compete with my love for God. Father, keep me from letting such things as earthly comforts, ambitions, or distractions take priority over my devotion to You.
Prayer: A Heart That Thirsts for God
O Lord, my soul longs for You. As a deer pants for flowing streams, so my heart thirsts for the living God (Ps. 42:1-2). You are the fountain of life, the source of all goodness, the only One who can satisfy the hunger of my soul. Apart from You, all else is vanity—empty, fleeting, and without substance. O God, let me not seek after things that perish, but fix my affections upon You, the everlasting One.
Merciful Father, I confess how often I have set my heart on temporary things. I have chased after comforts, pursued ambitions, and allowed the cares of this world to dull my love for You. I have been distracted by lesser desires when my soul should be wholly devoted to Your glory. Forgive me, Lord, for neglecting the greatest commandment—to love You with all my heart, soul, and mind. Forgive me for seeking satisfaction in things that can never truly fulfill.
Gracious Redeemer, thank You that Your mercies are new every morning, that though I falter, You remain faithful. You have given me the Spirit of life, the earnest of my inheritance, securing my redemption until the day I see You face to face. You have promised that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness shall be filled (Matt. 5:6). Let me hunger for You above all things. Let me thirst for the righteousness of Christ, that I may be satisfied not with earthly gain, but with the joy of communion with You.
Holy Spirit, stir within me a longing for Christ that cannot be quenched. Keep my heart from being weighed down by the cares of this life. Let me seek the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God (Col. 3:1-2). Let my love for You shape my desires, my actions, my priorities, so that I may live each day in light of eternity.
O Lord, I do not want to waste my life pursuing things that will fade away. Teach me to number my days, that I may gain a heart of wisdom (Ps. 90:12). Help me love You with all that I am, serve You with all that I have, and long for the day when I will see You in glory. Until then, keep my affections set on You and my life invested in what will last forever.
In the name of Jesus Christ, my Savior and my treasure, I pray. Amen.
Further References for Psalm 42:1-2
Ps. 84:2, 73:25, 27:4; Isa. 26:8-9; Ps. 143:6; 1 Thess. 1:9; Rom. 9:26.
[1] Matthew Mead, The Danger of Falling Into the Hands of the Living God, (Crossville, TN: Puritan Publications, 2016), eBook, Sermon 1.
