The Thirsty Soul

“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?” (Psalm 42:1-2)

“O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (Psalm 63:1)

We exist in a vast, incomprehensible ocean of infinite frequencies which is the Sound of Heaven, the very life of God Eternal. Psalm 29 says: “The voice of the Lord is over the waters….” which says to me that the voice of God, or the Sound of Heaven, is not only the source; but, the substance of all that exists, the very ‘water’ of life.

Water is one of the foundational elements of life itself, and is a powerful emphasis throughout all of Scripture, from Holy Spirit moving over the waters at creation in Genesis 1:2, to the river of life flowing from the throne of God in Revelation 22:1.

As most of us know, not only is about 71% of the earth covered in water; but, we share almost the same percentage as human beings. We are mostly water and maintaining a good water balance is vital to our health and well-being.

That said, I want to focus on one aspect of water as it applies to our life in God. Water that is moving, flowing, as Jesus said: “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” (John 7:38)

Moving water carries a sound, the vibrational movement of energy that literally changes the atmosphere, charging it with healing properties.

For example, think of how alive you feel near a waterfall, or the ocean, or a mountain stream, or after a rainstorm. A big reason is found in ‘negative ions’ released by the moving water. These have a positive impact on health, mood, and energy, affecting the serotonin levels in the brain. They bond with impurities in the air, adhering to suspended particles and removing them, producing ‘clean’ air. Now there’s an opposite effect near water that is blocked off, not moving. It’s called ‘stagnant’, which is defined as “not flowing, often foul smelling, stale. Showing little or no vitality, not growing or developing.” Stagnant water breeds disease. Flowing waters bring life.

What we see here in the natural is really a physical manifestation of a greater spiritual reality. Both our opening passages above speak to this. Our soul ‘thirsts’ for streams of water, living water flowing from the presence of the Lord. A deep thirst for God himself. Everything in our natural life is as a “dry and weary” landscape to our soul. Deep within we long for our God, our soul crying out “when can I go and meet with God?” This cry is not a desire to go to a location someplace to meet with God; like say, going to a church or revival meeting, for it’s not directional, but relational.

This is a longing for a deeper union between Lover and Beloved. Like the Beloved in Song of Songs, our soul is constantly awake yearning for the intimate touch of her Lover, a yearning that the things of this earthly world can never satisfy. Our soul; therefore, searches for Him whom she loves till she is joined more deeply with Him in the Secret Place of intimacy. (see Song of Songs 3:1-4) In this search, the soul is drawn to the movement of the ‘waters’, which are not earthly but spiritual, in that they are the Living Water of Holy Spirit experienced only in the deep place of intimacy. It is the deep and powerful movement of the Spirit in the currents, the flow of the Sound of Heaven. Deep does, indeed, call unto deep and the soul will, like the deer panting for streams of life giving water, abandon everything to taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

We have, as a nation and people, lived too long on the surface and find ourselves in a desert of our own making. We are thirsty but find only stagnant waters. And, if it were not for the Voice of the Lord over the waters we would be without hope.

His Voice; however, is once more being heard, “Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me.” (Song of Songs 2:13b).

An Awakening is upon us as the Blood-redeemed Beloved rises, turning from the barren places to come away with Him, her Lover, into the Deep Waters of Life-“He has taken me to the house of wine and his banner over me is love” (Song of Songs 2:4). This movement of the Beloved is not an escape from the the world; but, a return to the place of intimacy with the Lord in order to be transformed into His image, filled with His glory for the sake of the world.

Our identity and purpose, who we truly are and why we are here, is never experienced in the natural earth realm until it is first nurtured and perfected in the eternal realm of the Spirit. We will never make the barren places, the Valley of Baca, a place of springs until we are first filled to overflowing in the Deep Water, the place of union with our Lord.

“Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.” (Psalm 84:4-6)

It is time to go deep!
Selah