Waiting at the Waters

 

Psalm 42:1,2   “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.  When can I go and meet with God?”

I fondly remember once sitting next to the weir* in Montreat, North Carolina, having my morning coffee. The sound of the falling water was very peaceful and reminded me of Psalm 42. As the water cascaded, I felt the presence of God’s blessings all around me. I recognized that He is the source of all the goodness and grace that I know. He is the Sustainer of all the life that was beside me; the fish in Lake Susan, the people at other tables chatting, and even the small ants that were foraging all over my picnic table.

When I was a child, I used to sing a hymn called “God is always near me.” That particular day, I felt like a child again, cherished by my Heavenly Father, loved by His Son, and comforted by the Holy Spirit. Montreat has always been a trysting place for me, where Heaven and Earth gently meet and melt into one. I was glad to be there and, just as the deer pants for water when exhausted and ready to fall, I was also prepared to be refreshed and renewed by the Living Water of the One, Triune, and Everlasting God.

Take time today to find a trysting place of your own and come to the holy waters, where God is waiting to renew, refresh and re-inspire your weary soul.

Prayer:                        Heavenly Father, thank You for sacred places and trysting moments. Thank You for whispering Your peace in our hearts and placing Your abiding presence in our souls. Help us to come and find You today, to be blessed by Your grace and strengthened by Your love. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

* ‘weir’ is a Scottish name for a small dam

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.