A Passion For God

A Passion for God

Psalm 42:1-2

1. As the hart pants after the water brooks, so pants my soul after thee, O God.

2. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

A recent poll was taken among pastors across then nation. The question was asked, “What do you consider to be your church’s greatest threat?”

The number one answer was, “lost passion for God.”

Another question was asked, “What do you consider to be your church’s greatest weakness?”

The number one answer was, “Lack of zeal or commitment among members.”

The number two answer was, “Lack of burden for lost souls.”

Now, already you can discern that this message is not the popular “make me feel good” message.

It is a message designed to arouse us to have a greater passion for God.

The word passion has several different definitions that share the same qualities, yet we get something different and distinctive from each word.

The word passion means; intense emotion such as love or joy.

Enthusiasm for something

Hunger, thirst, craving

Delight, fervency, obsession

Do we have an intense emotion of love for God?

Are we enthusiastic about serving God?

Do we hunger and thirst for God?

Do we delight to be in His presence?

Do we have fervency and even an obsession to please Him in all we do?

These are challenging questions! Questions that demand an explanation if we are guilty of deficiency in these areas!

Let’s face it! Christians ought to have a passion for God!

We do not know for a certainty who wrote this psalm, but whoever it was had an intense hunger and thirst for God.

He wrote, “As the hart pants after the water brooks, so pants my soul after you, O God!”

The writer here compares his thirst for God with a deer that is thirsty for a stream of water.

The fields may have been dry and barren with the deer wandering for hours or days trying to find a little nourishment.

Or, the meaning here could be of a deer being chased by the hunters; being tired, exhausted, and worn he longs for the streams of water.

Either way the writer had an intense desire to be in the presence of God.

It’s always comforting to be in the presence of God! And it is also distressing to be away from His presence.

Sometimes we as Christians stray away from the “Living fountain” and we become parched and dry.

The things of this world cannot quench the thirst of the soul.

Once we have tasted of the things of God and have had the pleasure of being in His presence, nothing else will satisfy our soul.

Isaiah 41:17 “When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue failed for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.”

If you are dry this morning; if you feel parched in your soul; run to the fountain!

Mt 5:6 “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

Maybe you have fallen prey to the attacks of Satan and he is continually on your trail.

He won’t let up! He is fervently tracking your every step and you have become exhausted and weary.

Don’t give up! Don’t let the devil take advantage of you!

2Co 2:11 “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

Begin to thirst after the “water brooks”! Keep on running until you come into the presence of God!

Oh church! Let us thirst for God! Let us hunger for the presence of God!

Don’t lose your passion for God! When you lose your passion for God you lose the benefits of that close relationship with Him.

Passion for God brings a passionate relationship! For God has a desire to have fellowship with you.

Now, I ask the question, “Do you have a passion for God?”

Some people have a passion for sports. Some have a passion for fishing! Others have a passion for cars, etc.

They love to be at the ballgame! They can’t wait to get out on the lake! They are excited about riding that Harley Davidson!

And, it’s okay to be excited about those things to an extent.

But what about our passion for God! Where does He fit in?

And what about our hunger and thirst for Him; to be in His presence; to come before Him with thanksgiving and praise!

Ps 27:4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.