23. My Soul Longs After You

‘As the deer pants for the water
So my soul longs after you
I love you more than any other
And I long to worship you

You alone are my strength, my shield
To you alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart’s desire
And I long to worship you’

Excerpt from ‘As the Deer’
Song based on Psalm 42

I have been thinking a lot lately about connection. When we long after God and He is our first love; when we desire Him more than anyone or anything, our relationships as a whole are better.

I have always loved the above song of worship and adoration to my heavenly Father. I feel the lyrics are very intimate and depict a thirst for knowing God in all His fullness and loving Him above all else. ‘As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after you’ – That is not some mild wishy-washy love. That’s all consuming!

Therein lies the secret.

He comes before all. Before your family. Before your husband or wife. Before your children. Before your career. Before your lifestyle. Before all the things you hold dear. When He is your focus, you have clarity and the right perspective. You are at peace.

My fiancé has recently gone away for a trip. Last summer he was away for about three months and we found ways to keep in regular communication, navigating the distant time zones and differing schedules with some skill!😅

I noticed it last time but it has become even clearer this time around – even though admittedly we are only a few days in. The times I feel most connected to him, despite the distance, are when we are praying for each other or reading from the Bible to each other.

When he is away and prays for me through a voicenote – not even in real time, I can feel the Holy Spirit fill me from my head to my toes. The Holy Spirit is at work. Despite distance and despite time zones. This brings comfort and closeness in a much deeper level.

This is what I’ve come to realise. We are at our most connected when we are spiritually in tune. We are at our most connected, when our greatest love and focus is not each other, but is towards our heavenly Father. I know God is using times like this to speak to us and teach us.

Speak Lord, for your servants are listening!

I pray that the lyrics of this song reflect our mindset and attitude now and for the rest of our lives. I pray we will always worship our Abba first and foremost and hold Him as our greatest love and desire. I pray that we will always fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our faith. I pray that in doing so, the Holy Spirit will be at constant work in our lives, will be the third strand of our cord, and that our relationship with God would only grow deeper and more intimate.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.

Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes 4:9‭-‬12 NIV

Love,

Abbie x

https://youtu.be/FBppKZ0eJlQ