Thirsty - Longing for God

"Just as a deer longs for running streams,
God, I long for you.
I am thirsty for God, for the living God!
When can I come and appear before God?
My tears are my food, day and night,
while all day people ask me, “Where is your God?” - Psalm 42:1-3

"The soul must long for God in order to be set aflame by God's love; but if the soul cannot yet feel the longing, then it must long for the longing. To long for the longing is also from God."- Meister Eckhart

"All who are thirsty
All who are weak
Come to the fountain
Dip your heart in the stream of life
Let the pain and the sorrow
Be washed away
In the waves of his mercy
As deep cries out to deep"- Brenton Brown 

Thought: As you long for the presence of God, I pray that you would encounter God's mercy and grace.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

A prayer for the night

There are many wonderful and insightful prayers that come to us from the Celtic tradition. Here is one entitled: A Celtic Night Prayer (written by Beth Maxwell Boyle).  

"Creator God who upholds me,
Send your peace to sooth me,
When this world and its troubles,
Press hard down upon me.

Like a fair breeze from the south,
Your words they comfort me.
They make me long each day,
For everlasting justice and peace.

You alone have the wisdom of the ages,
You alone understand my heart.
Please Holy One give me rest and repose,
Give me the peace that only you can grant.

Give me repose this night and every night.
In the name of the Lamb,
The redeemer and the comforter,
Christ our King. 

Amen."

Psalm 42:8 - By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life. 

Living in Grace

D3LM3

 Prayer

r God who upholds me,
nd your peace to sooth me,
When this world and its troubles,
Press hard down upon me.

Like a fair breeze from the south,
Your words they comfort me.
They make me long each day,
For everlasting justice and peace.

You alone have the wisdom of the ages,
You alone understand my heart.
Please Holy One give me rest and repose,
Give me the peace that only you can grant.

Give me repose this night and every night.
In the name of the Lamb,
The redeemer and the comforter,
Christ our King.

Amen

​

By Beth Maxwell Boyle

Dark night of the soul

The term 'dark night of the soul' has been used to describe an intense period of spiritual emptiness or longing. It is a phrase that can cover a lot of different aspects, especially relating to the silence of God or even feeling as if we are wandering in the desert of loneliness. 

As we mark the shortest day/longest night (in the Southern Hemisphere) today, I want to ask you how you push through the times of darkness? If you have ever experienced the dark night of the soul, what helped you to hold on during those difficult times?

St John of the Cross believed that it was from these experiences that he encountered the light of Christ. He wrote: In the dark night of the soul, bright flows the river of God.

It seems that David also believed that by hanging on, he would eventually crawl out of his dark spaces and encounter the light of God. He says:

"Yet I am standing here depressed and gloomy, but I will meditate upon your kindness to this lovely land where the Jordan River flows and where Mount Hermon and Mount Mizar stand." - Psalm 42:6

May you lean on the promises of Jesus as you walk out of darkness into his glorious light.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Discouraged

^"Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!   I will praise him again—
my Saviour and my God" - Psalm 42:5

The Psalmist asks a very deep question in this Psalm - he wants to know why his heart has become discouraged and sad. Sometimes we experience the same feelings and we aren't even sure as to why we feel the way we do. It could just be an accumulation of things - like a dripping from a tap, that gets faster and faster, until it eventually bursts out like a dam.

I believe it is vital to acknowledge how we feel before we can start to heal. Once we come to the "why", then we can get stronger and stronger. In this case, the Psalmist chooses to praise God and to place his trust in the goodness of the Lord.
 

The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, 'O God, forgive me,' or 'Help me.'
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/discouragement

"The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, 'O God, forgive me,' or 'Help me.'" - Billy Graham

Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/discourageme

 

 

Living in Grace
D3LM3