“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?” These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng.” Psalm 42:1-4
When a wall of barbed wire is placed in the middle of our own journey, we need to thank our Heavenly Father for those times when life is hard, when we can’t handle life’s challenges on our own, when we fully realize that our wisdom and resources are inadequate. Our North American culture makes this a hard pill to swallow.
When my wheels are stuck in the slimy muddy goo of this world there is a part of me that absolutely hates the situation and I have no choice but to remember how much I need my Heavenly Father and in these times I can feel the longing of my soul for His presence, love and protection. The people that live in this stone house in the Arcahaie District are sitting in their home and probably don’t see themselves facing problems as I do when I snapped this photo. No electrical or telephone lines running into their house or indoor plumbing.
Their children attend Lutheran school at Chincheron and they have heard about our risen Savior and know about the word ‘Salvation’ and have turned away from the vodou priest; their lives have a purpose to share His message. Without our Heavenly Father, our lives would have no purpose. Without Him, we all would faint from exhaustion and fade away and not receive our Crown of Life. Without Him, our discouragement with this world would stack up higher and higher, with no hope of relief. So we yearn for the presence of our Heavenly Father and like a deer and the water, He alone can satisfy our soul. In 1984 Martin Nystrom took the words of this psalm and put them to music: “As the deer panteth for the water, so my soul longeth after Thee. You alone are my heart’s desire and I long to worship Thee.”
Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you…Jay