July 4, 2025 -I Don't Want to Be that Deer

PSALM 42

PSALM 43

PSALM 44

PSALM 45

PSALM 46

Chronological Bible Readings

Psalm 42:1 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?

I can never read this and not be struck by the image of this deer and want my soul to pant for God. I know I have said these words and wanted them to be true. But in reflection today of how intense this picture is, I have to be honest to say that I don't think I have ever thirsted for God as this deer. I have also never thought about the "When can I go and meet with God?" before either. Does the palmist want to die, or does he feel like he can't access God? After finishing the reading for today I was thinking about what does it take for that deer to be panting? I found an archery blog that one person said that he saw a deer that was panting really hard, and he had never seen that before. He asked if anyone else had seen that and some had not and some said they had seen it when they were being pushed. So, I googled do deer normally pant. The AI overview said this..."No, deer do not normally pant. Panting in deer is a sign of distress, often indicating they are overheated, dehydrated, or under extreme stress. Unlike dogs, deer do not pant to regulate their body temperature under normal circumstances. If a deer is panting, it's usually because it's in a state of emergency." This gives so much more meaning to this verse for me. Now I don't want my soul to pant for the Lord like a deer panting for streams of water. If I am like the deer panting for water because it is dehydrated that would mean that I have not been drinking from the living water enough. And of course, I don't want it to be because of distress. In times of trouble if I am distressed that would also mean that I am not turning to and trusting in God.

Psalm 42:5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?

    Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

    for I will yet praise him,

    my Savior and my God.

Psalm 42:11 Why, my soul, are you downcast?

    Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

    for I will yet praise him,

    my Savior and my God.

Psalm 43:5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?

    Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

    for I will yet praise him,

    my Savior and my God.

The reason I started thinking about the why does the deer pant was because of finding "Why, my soul, are you downcast..." 3 times in 2 psalms. I don't think I have ever read more than one of these at a time so reading them in a row now made it stand out to me. If the psalmist is downcast and disturbed, then he is like the deer who is panting because of extreme stress. No wonder he said, "When can I go and meet with God?". In his distress his panting soul speaks to what he needs to get through it. "Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." In our distress we need to drink deep of God and put our hope in Him. As difficult as it may seems we need to praise Him. Praising God is not just the right thoughts, words or song. Praise that refreshes the soul comes from a heart that is acknowledging all that God is in spite of our struggle. Praising God can help us know just say the words but believe the truth is who God is.

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength,

    an ever-present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way

    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

3 though its waters roar and foam

    and the mountains quake with their surging.

When we regularly paise Him and drink deep of the living water we don't need to be a panting deer as in the psalm, but we can be more like the young deer in the picture above. Coming to the river and calmly drinking of the living water daily.