April 29 Daily Devotional

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. David preferred to all the enjoyments, riches, pleasures, and honours of this world, the opportunity of access to the sanctuary, that in this way he might cherish and strengthen his faith and piety by the exercises prescribed in the Law. David, then, considering that the way of access was shut against him, cried to God, because he was excluded from the outward service of the sanctuary, which we cannot bear to miss by reason of our infirmity. The similitude which he takes from a hart is designed to express the extreme ardour of his desire. Being naturally of a hot and sanguine constitution, the hart suffers much from thirst in the Oriental regions. When in want of water, and unable to find it, it makes a mournful noise, and eagerly seeks the cooling river. And at certain seasons of the year, harts, with an almost incredible desire, and more intensely than could proceed from mere thirst, seek after water; which is probably what is referred to by the prophet here.

When can I go and meet with God? David does not simply speak here of the presence of God, but of the presence of God in connection with certain symbols; for he sets before himself the tabernacle, the altar, the sacrifices, and other ceremonies by which God had testified that he would be near his people; and that it behoved the faithful, in seeking to approach God, to begin by those things.

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Here there are two evils specified, which, however apparently different, yet assail our hearts at the same time; the one is discouragement, and the other disquietude. When we are quite downcast, we are not free of a feeling of disquietude, which leads us to murmur and complain. The remedy to both of them is here added, hope in God, which alone inspires our minds, in the first place, with confidence in the midst of the greatest troubles; and, secondly, by the exercise of patience, preserves them in peace. In what follows, David very well expresses the power and nature of hope by these words, I shall yet praise him; for it has the effect of elevating our thoughts to the contemplation of the grace of God, when it is hidden from our view.

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