14 December 2016
Psalm 42 (NIV)
For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah.
1 As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
under the protection of the Mighty One
with shouts of joy and praise
among the festive throng.
This is a Psalm of the exile; it expresses the longing of a people far from home, their remembrance of worship in the temple, of joyful times. You can almost see the memory: people thronging to the temple, waving palm branches as they go. The author compares the longing of his soul for God to the longing of a deer seeking water.
I lived for years on Big Pine Key, home of the Florida Key Deer. Each morning I would have my morning coffee on my screen porch, entertained by these tiny, lovely creatures. I can see them in my mind’s eye as I read this Psalm. These deer usually had plenty of water, but were always seeking a handout and would walk right up to you in search of a morsel. Big brown eyes would look at you, as if to say, “You really don’t believe that treats are bad for me, now do you?” The deer know where to go, and who is likely to give them what they desire.
In this time of Advent, we too long for God. We remember Christmas Past, and we seek to recapture that time. But sometimes we seek in the wrong places, and the wrong times. We seek Christmas in buying too much, partying too much, getting too busy. We do not always know where to go to find what we long for, what we truly desire.
We too are a people longing for God. But we must wait – the Christ child is coming, not with an army to conquer, not with gold to buy, but with the wail of an infant. Advent is a time to open our hearts to the coming of Christ – to stop our frenetic business and wait with open arms and open hearts.