“It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone…’ “
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever.
Amen.
God’s plan is to instil His spirit in His people and then the presence of God would not be simply a distant dream or a distant place but an everyday reality. Through Jesus each of us is transformed to become a place where the presence of God can live. And we are being built together as the new Jerusalem, the city of God (Zion).
The word of God exhorts us to pray for ‘kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness’ (1Timothy 2:1-2).
Whenever I read the word ‘panting’ now my memory flashes back to this experience. The intensity of my needs and clear desire for the water are a very poor and very pale picture of the deepest desires we should have to find all our needs met in our relationship with God.
Apply spiritual moisturiser at least 3 times daily for the rest of your life.
The contradiction is between what he knows to be true – verse 8, ‘at night his song is with me – a prayer to the God of my life’ – and what he feels – verse 9, ‘Why have you forgotten me?’; between perception and reality, between facts and experience.
When we are spiritually thirsty Jesus has provided the perfect living water in himself to ease our thirst and to bring life and health to our spirits.
Years later I began to understand the true setting of the Scriptures without losing its ability to speak directly to me.
With the wealth of content that we have access to, I can sometimes forget to own my faith journey, and just piggy-back on someone else’s.
I don’t think this has to do with remembering birthdays. Rather I think it means whatever our circumstances, whether trouble and sorrow, or great joy, the psalmist prays that his days will count.
The psalms taught me that I can rant and rave to God – and I confess sometimes at God – and he can, believe it or not, handle it. I found that by telling God all about it I was less inclined toward hurtful and unhelpful outbursts.