The Disciples of the Cross

“As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?”
(Psalm 42:1-2, KJV)

These verses illustrates an incredible thirst for the Lord. This thirst for God is seeking intimacy with Him and it can only be found in the depths of the soul. A type of thirst that is longing for a spiritual connection with God’s presence.

A “Deeper Calling” is getting to a place where every part of your being is consumed by the presence of God. It is calling you to a place where your soul is stirred and where there is a breakthrough in your spirit.

The Psalmist said he was thirsting for the presence of God like a deer panting for water. The King James Bible uses the word hart instead of deer, it means a male deer over the age of five.

A deer needs water to survive, just like every creature on this earth. Without it, we would all perish. In the spirit, it’s the same thing. We can run to Jesus Christ, He is our living water and we can drink from Him. He will restore us, refresh us, and strengthen us and more (See John 4:10).

Notice the deer is panting; he is making noise as he runs toward the waters. He is looking for the safety that the waters provides when he is being chase by his enemies who are trying to kill him. But when the deer runs into the water, the enemy can no longer detect its scent.

When you run into God’s presence, the enemy can no longer detect your scent. When he gets to the waters the deer is safe from its enemies, the deer can find relief for its thirstiness. When you come into God’s presence, you’re safe, and your thirst is quenched.

In Psalm 42:7 the psalmist cries out, “Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.” The Psalmist was expressing that his soul was in deep need of God. ”Deep” is a word that defines our desire for getting away from the norm, the same old, same old. Deep indicates there is a spiritual hunger; a desire inside of us that responds to God’s call for us to go deeper in our relationship with Him.

The psalmist found help in the depth of God’s goodness, and was able to say in conclusion, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. ” (Psalm 42:11, KJV).