Week 22/2024
A word fitly spoken is like APPLES OF GOLD in a setting of silver [Proverbs 25v11]
One of the best-known Psalms is number 42: “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?” Unlike deer in water rich England, the deer in Israel have limited access to water so we easily understand that the hot and thirsty deer is desperate for water – otherwise it will dehydrate and die unless it finds water to drink. Similarly, we will become spiritually hydrated if we don’t drink constantly from the life-giving waters that Jesus gives freely. “Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.” [John 7v37]. The water Jesus talks about is the Holy Spirit who refreshes our souls if we allow Him to. We need to constantly come to the Lord and drink from His boundless supply of clean, cool and refreshing spiritual water supply.
However, there is another lesson we can learn from this verse – when deer are being hunted with the use of dogs, they are desperate to find safety and so they seek streams of water where they hide submerged with only their nostrils above the water so the dogs cannot smell their scent. So it is if we want to escape from those who seek to persecute us and destroy our faith – we have to find refuge in streams of water which is a picture of Jesus Christ. Galatians 3v27: “for all of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ”. Baptism is a sign that we have surrendered our lives to Christ. It takes faith and desperation for the deer to go into the water and submerge itself believing that the water will protect it from the dogs. So it is with us – we need to submerge our wills and pride completely.
Are you prepared to trust that Jesus Christ will keep your soul safe from the dogs of temptation and doubt? If you don’t, your Christian experience will suffer loss as you succumb to the ravenous dogs tearing you apart.
God Bless
Graeme Greenwood