“But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, And his righteousness unto children's children; To such as keep his covenant, And to those that remember his commandments to do them. The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; And his kingdom ruleth over all. Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, That do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; Ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: Bless the LORD, O my soul.”
Psalm 103:17-22 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.103.17-22.KJV
Desiring God’s Presence
Take a moment to think about your desires in life. Make a mental list of all of the things you want to accomplish. Think about your top priorities and where you think you should spend your time.
Now, go back over your list and consider how many of your desires included spending time with God. Did any of your accomplishments require being in God’s presence?
The writer of Psalm 42 compares himself to a deer that is longing for water. The deer is weary and parched without it, and so all it wants is to find a stream to drink from.
In a similar way, the Psalmist is weary and exhausted from life. He is under pressure and growing tired. And yet, his innermost desire is for God.
Just like the deer desires water, the psalmist’s soul desires the presence of God. He knows that the solution to his problems is not more accomplishments and praise—it’s spending time in the presence of God.
It’s not wrong to have desires and goals in life. But our foremost desire should be ...