A Divine Thirst

In this text the Lord uses a very natural and simple animal, the hart, to bring out the real experience of a child of God. Here we find in the life of David that the thirsting of his soul is compared to the thirsting of the hart. Psalm 42 is a psalm of David when he was in deep distress. In it he longs after a drop of that water from the living fountain to refresh his troubled soul. He had been required to flee to Mahanaim in the mountains of Gilead from his son Absalom. This was indeed a deep way for him in the mysterious providence of God.

God’s people learn that there is nothing which comes to them by chance, but that all things are sent by God. Deep ways of trial and affliction are the ways by which it pleases the Lord to reprove and instruct, comfort and chastise His people. God’s Word tells us that whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and if ye be without chastisement, then ye are bastards, and not sons. Martin Luther stated that the fourth mark of the true Church is that it will suffer persecution. How severe this is when it comes from one’s own family members, and yet the Lord stands above everything! Romans 8:28 reads, “All things work together for good to them that love God,” and Hebrews 13:5 tells us that the Lord has said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

Regarding the hart mentioned in the text, it is the male of the red deer, of which the hind is the female. They are closely related to the elk. The hart was often hunted and chased and was known to be very swift when fleeing. It was a clean animal and was used for meat at the table of King Solomon. Psalm 29:9 tells us that it was easily frightened. Because of the hot eastern climate it would become very thirsty and fearfully exhausted when pursued, and would cry mournfully when heated in the chase. In this there are many rich examples of the experiences of the true child of God.

Martin Luther stated that the fourth mark of the true Church is that it will suffer persecution. How severe this is when it comes from one’s own family members, and yet the Lord stands above everything!

By nature we are dead in sins and trespasses and do not realize our awful separation from God. Our never-dying soul thirsts, but alas, not after God. We thirst for honor; we thirst for ease; we thirst for pleasure; we thirst for earthly things. Sad to say, we also thirst for sin. Young and old, how sad is our state for that great eternity! However, there is a people according to the election of grace from the never-begun eternity who are made alive in the fullness of time by the work of a triune God. They are born anew by the grace of God. When that spiritual life begins, they cry— just as in nature a newborn baby begins not to talk or sing, but to cry. As the hart thirsts, so the soul thirsts after God, and is brought in repentance before Him.

The text does not speak about the beginnings of the work of grace, but about the experience of the true child of God in the furtherance of his spiritual life. David was in exile. This was not only true physically, being far from Jerusalem and pursued by his son Absalom, but what was more painful, he was sorely hunted by that three-headed enemy—self, Satan, and the world. In his experience it seems that he would be devoured by the enemies of the Lord.

Here we see the true life of God in the soul. In the hours of deepest trials and under the dark clouds of the ways of the Lord, David was reminded of the hart which thirsts after the water courses. Often these water courses were in the very depth. The hart could smell the water, at times hear it, and occasionally even see it, but could not reach it. Isn’t it true, child of God, that often in the deepest trials you may hear and see the preciousness of the salvation which is in the Lord, and yet cannot embrace it? This causes the soul to thirst. David said, “My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?” What does it tell us, my dear readers?

David actually cried for the precious work of the Holy Spirit, that ever-blessed Spirit who leads the child of God in true faith to the blessed fountain opened in the second Person of the divine Trinity. In Him is wisdom, righteousness, and sanctifica-tion. There he may receive the favor of God the Father, through the one Mediator Jesus Christ, by the embracing work of the Holy Ghost. Then the soul may experience the words of Psalter 416, stanzas 5 & 7,

But the Lord will send salvation,
And by day His love provide;
He shall be my exultation,
And my song at eventide.
On His praise e’en in the night
I will ponder with delight,
And in prayer, transcending distance,
Seek the God of my existence.

O my soul, why art thou grieving;
Why disquieted in me?
Hope in God, thy faith retrieving;
He will still thy refuge be.
I shall yet through all my days
Give to Him my thankful praise;
God, who will from shame deliver,
Is my God, my Rock, forever.

God’s true people will not die of thirst because the great Captain of their salvation cried out on the cross, “I thirst.” In that deep thirst the child of God receives living waters on the basis of justice. May the Lord give more of this true thirsting after God in personal life, thirsting more for true communion with God, thirsting more for His glory and for the coming of His kingdom.

In the month of October we commemorate Reformation Day. May the Lord grant us more thirst for another true reformation in our dark and sinful days. May He give reformation personally and in our families, but also in church, schools, and nation.

God’s true people will not die of thirst because the great Captain of their salvation cried out on the cross, “I thirst.”

My dear readers, if you truly thirst after God with David, you shall not be put to shame. Then you shall not always thirst, but one day you will drink freely and abundantly to all eternity. Then it will be your desire to extol the triune God forever and forever. Young and old, a very important question— what are you thirsting after?

LUTHER’S PRAYER

“O almighty and everlasting God, how terrible is this world! Behold, it openeth its mouth to swallow me up, and I have so little trust in Thee. How weak is the flesh, and how powerful is Satan. If it is in the strength of this world only that I must put my trust, all is over. My last hour is come; my condemnation has been pronounced! O God, do Thou help me against all the wisdom of this world. Do this—Thou shouldest do this—Thou alone; for this is not my work, but Thine. I have nothing to do here; nothing to contend for with these great ones of the earth. I should desire to see my days flow on, peaceful and happy; but the cause is Thine, and it is a righteous and eternal cause. O Lord, help me! Faithful and unchangeable God, in no man do I place my trust—it would be vain. All that is of man is uncertain; all that cometh of man fails. O God, my God, hearest Thou me? My God, art Thou dead? No, Thou canst not die; Thou hidest Thyself only. Thou hast chosen me for this work—I know it well. Act then, O God. Stand at my side for the sake of Thy well-beloved Son, Jesus Christ, who is my Defence, my Shield, and Strong Tower. Lord, where stayest Thou? O my God, where art Thou? Come, I am ready; I am ready to lay down my life for Thy truth. Patient as a lamb, for it is the cause of justice—it is Thine. I will never separate myself from Thee, neither now, nor through eternity. And though the world should be filled with devils—though my body, which is still the work of Thy hands, should be slain, be stretched upon the pavement, be cut to pieces, reduced to ashes, my soul is Thine. Yes, I have the assurance of Thy word, my soul belongs to Thee. It shall abide for ever with Thee. Amen. God help me.”

This prayer explains Luther and the Reformation. History here raises the veil, and discloses to our view the secret place whence strength and courage were imparted to this despised and humble man, who was the instrument of God to emancipate the soul, and the thoughts of men, to open a new era.

—M. D’Aubigne’s History of the Reformation

A Meditation

THE LORD’S PRAYER

“But deliver us from evil.”

Here note carefully that it is at the end that we avert by this prayer, and are taught to avert, the evils themselves. We may beg of God that these evils may be averted, yet the petition must be in its due order, and in the last place. There are not a few who honor God and pray unto Him only that they may be delivered from evil; that is all they seek after. Such never think anything about the first petition, that they are to prefer the honor, Name and will of God to everything else. They seek their own will only, they want to be delivered from their troubles whether God will or no, and whether it is to His honor or not. Whereas a truly God-fearing man prays thus: “O dearest Father, the affliction of this evil that is come upon me burdens and distresses me much, and I suffer much adversity and disquietude of mind. Deliver Thou me therefore from these evils, and yet, in no other way than in that which may redound to Thy glory, honor, and praise: not my will, but Thine be done. For the honor and will of Thy divine Majesty are dearer to me than all my own peace or advantage, either temporal or eternal.” This is a consistent and right prayer, which will without doubt be heard in heaven; but if we pray in any other way, or from any other motives, such a prayer will neither please God nor be heard at all. We ought to pray to be delivered from evil to that end, that the will of God may be done, and that His kingdom may corne, unto the praise and glory of His holy name.

From evil, Lord, deliver us!
The times and days are perilous;
Redeem us from eternal death;
And when we yield our dying breath,
Console us, grant us calm release,
And take our souls to Thee in peace.

Rev. J. Spaans is pastor of the Netherlands Reformed Congregation of Norwich, Ontario.

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