“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.” Psalms 42:1 (ESV)
As A Deer…Happy 2021
Consider the lilies of the field… Matt 6:28
Consider the lilies of the field… Matt 6:28
“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.” Psalms 42:1 (ESV)
thedailylily.com 
What a beautiful photo! It goes with and illustrates that Psalm so perfectly. Wonderful image and thoughts to take us into 2021.
The footnotes for Psalm 42:1 says: (NIV) “ “As the life of a deer depends upon water, so our lives depend upon God. Those who seek him and long to understand him find never-ending life. Feeling separated from God, this psalmist wouldn’t rest until he restored his relationship with God because he knew that his very life depended on it. Do you thirst for God?” May 2021 will be the year that all will thirst for Him?🙏
I agree Tammy with you in your prayer and hope for all to thirst for God. If we pause on New Years Eve and imagine what the World would look like 2021 with a thirst to know Jesus Christ and His love for all. And, increase our passion to love one another as He has loved us! John 14:34
I’m thinking the world in 2021 would look much different then it does right now, if all did thirst to know Jesus and His love for all mankind 🙏✝️
Tammy, it seems the thirst for God is the fruit of the vine which is in your comment…love for all mankind.
This has become a desire that springs up from within me for 2021, Pray for a brighter, more hopeful, kinder year for myself, family and world…
I later read this opinion by Brooks and thought this is just what I’m thinking and praying for our New Year. God needs us to love others like He loves us. And, therein lies the challenge when we talk and quote Him but not get out of our comfort zone and love like Christ loves.
“Finally, our training model of “teaching people to be good” is based on the illusion that you can change people’s minds and behaviors by presenting them with new information and new thoughts. If this were generally so, moral philosophers would behave better than the rest of us. They don’t.
People change when they are put in new environments, in permanent relationship with diverse groups of people. Their embodied minds adapt to the environments in a million different ways we will never understand or be able to plan.”
Makes us wonder, “go into all the world”. What about the brave women and men called missionaries that have done just that. Yet, the world today holds diversity in our communities where we have opportunity to flood them with love! Love for all man kind.
Debi, these words from the Psalms provoke a longing to worship God from the chorus so often sung in church’s far and wide. Wasn’t it one of your solo’s with your guitar. 🎼 “…you (God)alone are my heart’s desire and I long to worship you.”🎼
Yes, Sara, that chorus sure was one. And it really does “provoke a longing to worship God from the chorus so often sung in church’s far and wide.”
One of the other verses in the same chorus seems to echo the Psalmist’s sentiments (“because he knew that his very life depended on it”) also that Tammy shared in her footnotes.
“You Alone Are My Strength, My Shield
To You Alone May My Spirit Yield
You Alone Are My Heart’s Desire
And I Long To Worship You”.
I love the beautiful picture and scripture plus all the comments which remind me of the book which is an allegory “ by Hannah Hurnard entitled “Hinds’ Feet on High Places. Looking up the meaning “ This verse is a reminder that God is able to help us do the impossible. making our feet like hinds feet means he will equip us with what we need to bring us through a rough patch. Notice that it is only the hind that can climb those rocky terrains. This is because it as the right feet to climb.
Rena, I think Hurnard book is a great read. I also like a similar read,John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress.
Hinds’ Feet on High Places takes its title from Habakkuk 3:19, “The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.”
As the world has journeyed through a most difficult 2020 with Covid-19 leaving so much devastation we are blessed to know that God will be “our strength and shield”…”He alone our spirit yields.” We have hope in Christ Jesus as we ring in tonight 2021!
Such a great time of year to remind ourselves of our neighbors far and wide, near and dear of an awesome beyond awesome hope that awaits us through enacting a simple WORD- BELIEVE!
On Epiphany (January 6 which is Wednesday of 2021) the celebration of Christmas comes to an end with the visit of the magi (wisemen) to the Christ child.(Emmanuel … Epiphany, a WORD meaning manifestation, ushers us into a season when we look at the way God has entered the world, reaching out to all nations and all peoples. From the poor shepherds to the magi from the East, God beckons us to BELIEVE!
Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
—Romans 15:7 (NRSV)
Also, 2021, Wednesday, January 6 has promised American voters a show down in the halls of Congress. Our nation is split and splintered over our last election. A move among some to over turn the election once again after failed attempts of various kinds.
Seems things like this are not new in earth terms…Psalm 12 has become the focus of my home for prayer on this day and days to follow….
“Save, O Lord, for the godly one is gone; for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man. Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak. May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts, those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us; who is master over us?” “Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the Lord; “I will place him in the safety for which he longs.” The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times. You, O Lord, will keep them; you will guard us from this generation forever. On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among the children of man.”
Psalm 12:1-8 ESV
Sara, thank you for sharing your words above which describe God’s love realistically.
“Yet, the world today holds diversity in our communities where we have opportunity to flood them with love! Love for all man kind.”
I think your words from that statement weave right in with the diversity understanding you give us of Epiphany that maybe we have not thought of before… “From the poor shepherds to the magi from the East, God beckons us to BELIEVE!”. “Welcome one another” takes on a much fuller inclusion from your description and explanation I think.
As you bring January 6 to our attention in the political sphere as well, I appreciate your articulation and giving Psalm 12. I would like to join in with you “for prayer on this day and days to follow….”.
I agree in prayer with you 🙏