Psalm 42:1–2
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? NIV
David speaks there about a thirst of the soul. He says, “My soul thirsts for God.” I suppose we are all familiar with what thirst is in our personal experience. For me, it’s something very vivid and personal because I spent three years during World War II in the British army in the deserts of North Africa – in barren, dry, waterless, thirsty country. During those years, many times we found ourselves short of water. We were thirsty and we didn’t have a source of supply, and I realize from experience that when we lack water and when we are thirsty there’s only one thing that matters at that time and that is to get water, to drink, to satisfy our thirst. But David speaks about a relationship to God that’s parallel to physical thirst. He says, “My soul thirsts for God. When can I go and meet with God?” Do you know what it is to thirst for God? Have you ever felt that deep, inner longing that cannot be satisfied with anything less than God Himself? If you have, I want to tell you that God is waiting. You can go and meet with Him and satisfy that thirst in your soul, which cannot be satisfied by anything but God.
—Derek Prince