The sight of a deer wandering through the woods is a beautiful and amazing sight - as long as they don't run into your car. David used the deer as an illustration in Psalm 42:1, 2 when he said, "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God."
The deer probably "pants" because he is about to die. The word in Hebrew for "pants" or "longs for" is a word which originally meant "to cry out." The crying out is the longing for water, but it also shows us that this is a desperate sort of longing. You might think of a deer who has been running and is at the point of exhaustion. He needs the water or else he will die. This is what David is writing about, and it is what he is going through in his life. He is on the run from enemies and even his own troubled heart, and so he turns to the waters of life which are found in God and divine worship.
'As the Deer" is a well-known praise and worship hymn song written in 1984 by Martin J. Nystrom, a native of Seattle. Nystrom shared the following account about the writing of this song.
"In 1984 I was a school teacher in Seattle, and since I had the summer off I decided to go back to Bible College ... I headed for Dallas, Texas, and Christ For the Nations Institute. Little did I know what was about to happen to me, especially with all that I would be exposed to and the worship emphasis of the school."
"I had a roommate at CFNI who was a very vibrant Christian. He challenged me to go on a fast - a period of time when a person refrains from eating solid food in order to give time to the reading of the Bible and to prayer. I took up the challenge, and on the 19th day of the fast I found myself sitting at a piano trying to write a song. I was simply playing chord progressions when I noticed a Bible on the music stand of the piano. It was open to Psalm 42. My eyes fell on the first verse of that chapter ... After reading the verse I began to sing its message, right off the page. I wrote the first verse and the chorus of a song, pretty much straight through. The whole of the adventure was completed in a matter of minutes. I then repeated the song I had just written. I wanted to seal it in my mind."
"I had no intention of showing the song to anyone. It was to be for my own devotional time with the Lord. However, before leaving the school to go back to Seattle, I did share it with one person, Dave Butterbaugh. He introduced it to the students of the school and it became a favorite."
I wonder if our souls really pant for the living God or are we so busy with the cares of this world that we only have our leftover time for Him. Do we love Him more than gold or silver or do our possessions become more important to us? Can we really say that we love Him more than anything? Maybe we need to take some time this week to examine and renew our relationship with Him and worship Him. He alone should be our heart's desire.
1. As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longs after You
You alone are my hearts desire
And I long to worship You
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my hearts desire
And I long to worship You
2. I want You more than gold or silver
Only You can satisfy
You alone are the real joy giver
And the apple of my eye
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my hearts desire
And I long to worship You.
3. You're my friend and You're my brother
Even though you are a King
I love You more than any other
So much more than anything
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my hearts desire
And I long to worship You
You can listen to it here. DEER
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