As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God (Psalm 42:1 ESV)

Panting is breathing quickly in a labored manner. So a panting deer strongly desires water, manifesting this intense desire as labored breathing. When this imagery of a strong desire is applied to our spiritual lives, we have a profound spiritual truth: desire is a foundational secret to being filled with God’s presence and power.

As the deer pants for the flowing streams, our souls or hearts pant for the living waters of God’s presence. As Jesus revealed in John 7:37, the Holy Spirit, God’s presence and power is the heavenly River of living waters. The Spirit brings us into fellowship with the Father and the Son; this intimate fellowship with God is the most profound need of every human heart.

But panting is more than desire. It is a beautiful combination of profound need and desire. The panting deer does not merely desire water; instead, it is in a critical need of water, a need that could well be a matter of life or death. Our need for God—and our sense of that need—is the birthing place of a healthy spiritual desire. We cannot desire God effectively if we do not see our need for Him.

The spiritual chain is need, thirst, and seek. While our needs produce desires, our desires tend to make us seek God earnestly. No thirsty heart needs any encouragement to seek God; Instead, thirsty and hungry believers are God-pursuers. Such Christians are never content with religion or “good services.” One thing only satisfies the thirst hearts—a glorious River of God’s presence and power.

As I have repeatedly taught, our desires are crucial in spiritual matters. God wants us to cultivate our desires and emotions in the things of the Spirit rather than become emotionless creatures or those with no desires. The famous Christian tradition that classifies desires and feelings are plain evil erodes a critical foundation of our spiritual lives.

Pant for God. Let your need birth an ardent desire in you and let that desire cause you to seek Him in prayer and His Word until the River of Living Waters moves from your ankle to your knees, waist, and then over your head! 

MEDITATE

How are our hunger and thirst for God different before and after salvation? 

APPLY THE WORD

A spiritual thirst for God is essential to a healthy, born-again spirit. If you have no desire that makes you pant for God, that condition should be your prayer topic. Let the Spirit fan to flame a desire for God in your heart. 

PRAY

Ask the Lord to baptize us afresh with a panting desire for His presence and power. 

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