“As a deer longs for flowing streams, so I long for you, God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I come and appear before God?… The LORD will send his faithful love by day; his song will be with me in the night—a prayer to the God of my life.” 42:1-2, 8
There is a direct correlation between how much effort we put into seeking God and how much of His presence we enjoy. Of course, if you are in Christ He is with you always and will never leave you nor forsake you. Additionally, as a believer one has the Holy Spirit and you have all the fullness of the Holy Spirit in you; that is all that you will ever have available. Yet, there are times in our lives when Jesus feels far away and other times when we can sense His palpable presence right there with us. The question is not how can you get more of Jesus; instead, the question is how can you become more aware of His presence with you.
The Psalmist likens his desire to know God face to face to a deer that is longing (some versions say panting) for flowing streams of water. Do you thirst for God the way you thirst for water when you are parched and dry? Do you focus on satisfying that thirst through His word and prayer and through solitude time with Him? Thirsting after God and slaking that thirst in the ways God prescribes is the secret to enjoying His presence. He is always there, but you become aware of His presence and you focus on it; then it consumes you. The Psalmist described God’s presence by Him sending His faithful love by day and giving us a song in our heart in the night. The more you are aware of Him and the more focus you place on Him day in and day out, the more you sense His faithful love and presence in your life.
One book that made a profound impression on me as a young believer was titled Practicing the Presence of God. It was written long ago by a monk simply named “Brother Lawrence.” In that little book, brother Lawrence says, “In order to know God, we must often think of Him; and when we come to love Him, we shall then also think of Him often, for our heart will be with our treasure. We should establish ourselves in a sense of God’s presence by continually conversing with Him. There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God.” This is what the Psalmist was getting at when he speaks about his longing for God. Brother Lawrence tried to do everything in his life, even the most minute detail, out of an abiding sense of Love for God. What if everything you did simply to show love to God and what if every minute of your day was a continual conversation with Him?
