“And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphæus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him. And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him. And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners? When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Mark 2:13-17 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/mrk.2.13-17.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 ...