i find it fitting that the psalmist writes "as the deer pants for water so my soul longs after You." i see two images of desperation here.
first there is the traditional rendering, that, like a deer gets thirsty and returns to the water to quench its thirst, so our souls are thirsty for God. the parallel here is that our souls need we God more than once or twice a week, but closer to three or four times a day.
the other image i draw from this passage is that of a deer being hunted by dogs. with an estimated 200 million+ scent receptors in their noses, it is difficult to lose a dog that has obtained a scent to track with. the only hope for the deer then is a rainstorm or a body of water. in this image, water goes from being the essence of life to the catalyst for life. it becomes the deer's salvation- the only means by which it can live. a deer cannot outrun a dog's tracking ability without the aid of a rainstorm.
i believe both images are integral to our understanding and application of this passage. like the psalmist, we can only run to the River to both find renewed strength and find life. we must run to the River multiple times a day. we must also realize that the enemy of our souls is a skilled and crafty hunter and that the only way he can "lose our scent" is if we smell like God.
the quest moves beyond quenching our thirst to a desperate search for life.
for the world-wide renown of His sovereign glory...
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1 comment:
Very interesting, David. I really like the thought of us having to "smell like God" to avoid / evade the enemy. When that is the case, we also attrack more people who are hungry for God. Have you ever smelled good food when you are really hungry? It is almost irresistable. So, that very fact that we have His scent provides for our defense against the enemy, and also gives us the offensive attack by leading others to Him.
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