“As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.” Psalm 42
“There is something to be lamented in this state of mind, for if the psalmist had maintained unbroken communion with his God, he would not have been so much panting after him as enjoying him. … Wherefore do we wander? Why do we grieve his Holy Spirit? Why do we turn aside from God, our exceeding joy? Wherefore do we provoke him to jealousy, and cause him to make us grope in darkness, and sigh out of a lonely and desolate heart? There is much of an evil heart of unbelief in these departings from the living God; … it is an equally certain sign of a want of more grace, and the loss of a privilege which we should strive always to possess. … At the same time there is very much which is commendable in the desire expressed in the text; the insatiable desire which burned in the psalmist’s heart is a heavenly flame enkindled from above. If I have not my Lord in near and dear communion, it is at least the next best thing to be unutterably wretched until I find him. … blessed are they that do hunger and thirst after righteousness. … so long as I am not contented without him, so long as I sigh, and cry, and follow hard after him, I may be assured that I am in the possession of his love, and that ere long I shall find him to the joy of my soul. … Brother, … search and look, and pray the great Spirit to remove the ill and nourish the good.” Charles Spurgeon
This spoke to me of the beginning of our last Roundtable when we discussed Watch 351 which included this instruction from Mrs. Eddy, “If the fire burns low (devotion to Christian Science) or appears to be getting extinguished, replenish it with faith and love.” I am deeply grateful for all that is available at this church to help us keep the fire burning.