The Water Brooks of God

“As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You…My tears have been my food day and night...I pour out my soul within me…O my God, my soul is cast down within me; Therefore I will remember You…” Psalm 42:4, 6

A few weeks ago, a woman came to me for prayer at church and began telling me her situation. The details of her circumstances were certainly exhaustive and completely overwhelming with her husband’s medical issues, one after another. Her situation had been going on in its extremity for over 5 years. It is an understatement to say her soul was ‘panting like a deer who was experiencing a drought with no brook in sight.’ But the haunting image she said to me right before the prayer was an image that penetrated my heart reminding me of the season when my daughter’s life was ebbing away through drugs. She stated, ‘I feel as if we have been dangling our feet on the side of the grave for 5 years.’ My stomach dropped, and the memories of that season were resurrected. She gave expression to my emotions in such a powerful image. For 8 years we had our feet dangling on the side of the grave, but thankfully the grave did not yet call for her through the will of God.

Any time I am feeling discouraged about other ‘heart hopes and desired dreams’ I can’t help but to remember just like our psalmist. I can’t help but to remember how God restored my marriage after a season of sinful spending. I can’t help but to remember how God placed 3 children into my arms entrusting me as their mother. I can’t help but to remember how God snatched Kristen from the grave and gave her new life. I can’t help but to remember how God looked upon my sister’s broken body and carried her home, making her perfect and whole.

I’ll just bet some of you may be feeling like your feet are dangling in an open grave, but like the psalmist we must gain future hope from past mercies given from God. We must remember that Jesus overcame the grave! We must remember that anything lost in this world will be found in Heaven! We must remember that through Christ, nothing is impossible! We must remember that God will quench our souls in our droughts when we remember our personal history with Him during other times of suffering.

When we approach the water brooks of God, we will be refreshed with the hope of a future reality of no death and no sin. By remembering His faithfulness in the past we can claim His faithfulness for our future.