Songs of Praise: Psalms 42-43

Read today's songs: Psalms 42-43
Click the link above to read online at BibleGateway.com.

As a deer pants for flowing streams,

so pants my soul for you, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

Psalm 42:1-2 ESV

David knew, that like a deer thirsting for life-giving water, his thirst was for a life-giving God. He was dismayed, disheartened, depressed. His enemies surrounded him and taunted him. And these things caused him to be sidetracked, his focus turned from God to his troubles. (Surely this never happens to us). 

Driven by an urging as strong as the need for water to a dehydrated body, he knew, in his mind, heart, and soul what he needed, what he had to have, would only come from God. He calls it deep calling to deep. A magnificent God calling to the depths of David’s heart. No shallow understanding of his God and Lord would work for him. In other words, he desired to do whatever it took to be closer to God.

Reminds me of the ocean. You can stand in a foot of water at the shore and see sand and maybe a crab or two. Or you can put on fins and a snorkel and swim out where it's deeper and explore and see things you never imagined existed. 

Can you imagine the things you would find out about God by going deeper in His Word? How would it impact your perception of the issues you face today?

David found comfort in the things he knew and the things he discovered about God.

This song by Steven Curtis Chapman, speaks to our fears being overridden by our desire to go deeper. Here are the lyrics.

"Dive"

The long awaited rains

Have fallen hard upon the thirsty ground

And carved their way to where

The wild and rushing river can be found

And like the rain

I have been carried here to where the river flows, yeah

My heart is racing and my knees are weak

As I walk to the edge

I know there is no turning back

Once my feet have left the ledge

And in the rush I hear a voice

That's telling me it's time to take the leap of faith

So here I go

There is a supernatural power

In this mighty river's flow

It can bring the dead to life

And it can fill an empty soul

And give a heart the only thing

Worth living and worth dying for, yeah

But we will never know the awesome power

Of the grace of God

Until we let ourselves get swept away

Into this holy flood

So if you'll take my hand

We'll close our eyes and count to three

And take the leap of faith

Come on let's go

I'm diving in, I'm going deep, In over my head I want to be

Caught in the rush, tossed in the flow, in over my head I want to go

The river's deep, the river's wide, the river's water is alive

So sink or swim, I'm diving in, yeah”

So ... One, two, three... Come dive in with me... let's go!

Get deep and explore the Scriptures -- the living, life-giving, Word of God.

Lord, bless me with a deep thirst for You.

Drive me to dive deep into Your Word.

Fill me with the life-giving peace of Your Spirit.

[Sing along with Stephen Curtis Chapman with the YouTube video below. Email subscribers click here to view on YouTube or the post title to view on Going in Faith at FUMC.]