As A Deer by Joe Stowell

Wow.. This is one great article that opened up my mind why King David chose a deer to identify his hunger and thirst for God...

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God." Psalm 42:1

Several years ago my wife Martie and I had the unique experience of going on a camel safari in the desert of the United Arab Emirates. We rocked back and forth on top of those ugly beasts for an hour as we perused the quiet of the desert. In the course of describing the attributes of camels, our guide mentioned that they could live for 3 months without water. They are obviously built for the desert.

What a contrast to the sleek, “type A” gazelle the writer had in mind in Psalm 42. Bounding through the meadows and the forests, the deer is satisfied and sustained on a regular basis by water. He needs it and yearns for it in his fast-paced existence.

How easy it is in the midst of our abundance to be far more like the camel than the deer. Rarely sensing a need for God, some people can go for months without desiring Him. For some of us, life has been a long stretch of religious and secular activity without any sense of utter dependence on Him or sincere desire to know Him. The problem is that we weren’t built for life in a spiritual desert. We were built—redeemed, in fact—for regular, satisfying access to the refreshing presence of God in our souls.

So what is it that keeps us from really longing for and seeking Him? Of all the things that make us like the camel, none is so glaring as the sin of self-sufficiency. We have relegated Jesus to the sidelines, while we go about our business. Cultivating him as our soul mate and supreme necessity for life has somehow escaped us. But it hasn’t escaped Him. He still knocks at our heart’s door to offer the sweet fellowship that only He can bring (Revelation 3:20).
Let’s drink deeply, living in Jesus more like a deer and less like a camel.

YOUR JOURNEY…

Am I more like the camel or the deer? Why?

*A deer, I can't live without God.

Do I spend time in the Word daily? If yes, what have I been learning? If no, why have I been neglecting this time with God?

*Yes.. daily! This past week, I have been praying about the great commission given by Lord Jesus: church growth, cell group growth, personal growth.. I think this is our number 1 purpose in life.. and that's why I focus myself to look into my personal mission statement - to make disciples of all nations, help us all grow strong in God's Word, to be full of Holy Spirit's fire, that we can live an abundant life in Christ!

What have I just learned about my self-sufficiency? How has God’s Spirit and Word refreshed me today?

* There were times i want to feel like a camel, to be self-sufficient in terms of finance, but I realised if I put my focus on You O God, and seek Your Kingdom first, You have always blessed me with more than enough. So dear Lord, may You reign in my life, even as I grow in wealth, help me to remember that it is You who has given me the ability to create wealth.. that i apply the parable of talents correctly, to be a good steward of all that You have given me.. to do good, to honor dear2, to honor parents, to bless Your church, to bless others, to remember the poor.. that we can all live an abundant life where You are glorified beyond measure. Praise You O God! Amen!