“As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, o God”
Psalm 42:1. NKJV
We use a thermometer to measure our temperature and another type of thermometer to measure our body temperature. What can we use to measure our spiritual temperature? For this I like to use Psalm 42:1. Upon reading this verse, I feel within my heart and spirit a response that says, “ Yes, Lord, I do desire You with longing.” Then I know that I am in tune with God and my spiritual temperature is where it should be. A desire to read and study God’s Word also tells me things are right. Another sign of a right relationship is my communion with God when it is on a personal, intimate level, and I feel His responses to my greetings of love. These checks, however, do not always give a positive response. Sometimes intellectually my mind says, “ yes, I want to pant after You, but I’m not doing that.” My mind may consistently prefer to read something other than the Bible or I might feel distanced from God when I pray. With any of these negative responses, it is time to put other interests aside and concentrate on my relationship with the Lover of my soul. I need to start spending time reading His Word and thanking Him for all the many benefits that He has given to me. He is what really matters in my life and I value our relationship. Therefore, I need to take my spiritual temperature often. How about you? have you taken your temperature lately? Do so today.
From David we learn that hope is most alive when everything seems hopeless. That is when he had the closest relationship with God. That is when he pants for God and seeks Him in a new way.
🙏 Father God, that is the cry of my heart. That my soul will pant after You every day. That I will be in a close relationship with You. That I might study Your Word and follow Your precepts all the days of my life. Help me to check my spiritual temperature often and even daily. Jesus, thank You for dying on the cross for me and making a way for me to have eternal life. It is in Your name that I pray.
Amen