As the Deer

Thirst is a powerful motivator.

Our bodies are 70% water, but since we’re always depleting our water supply to the functions of cooling, cleansing and even breathing, we can't go long without a drink. On average we need 2.5 litres a day - ten cups - usually more in the summer. It’s a compelling need.

When you’re healthy, your body regulates your fluid balance quite nicely. If you drink more water than you need, your kidneys dispose of the surplus. But if the fluid balance drops, your body sends signals. A 2% short-fall and you know you’re thirsty; a 5% deficit makes you confused and groggy; by 8% your muscles spasm, and 15% is pretty much fatal.


The simple act of taking a drink is one of life’s deep satisfactions as well as being a necessity.  Our bodies resonate with the gift of water. We are created for satisfaction.

All living things are the same – antelope and humming-birds, oaks and tomatoes. Without water we die, but give us a drink and we flourish. This creaturely dependence on water reminds us of our common cause with all creation, which is why we ought to pay attention to ecology and respond to our fellow-creatures suffering lack of water - especially, these days, the hundreds of thousands forced from their homes by the severe drought currently ravaging East Africa.

Our response to them is a mirror of our spirit - whether we are self-absorbed or self-giving, whether we see ourselves autonomous or God-dependent.

One of the ancient Hebrew song-writers saw a spiritual analogy in this biological demand of thirst- As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants after you, O God. Psalm 42:1

As animals need to drink so humans need to pray. As deer crave water, something in us craves connection with God. At the very least, we thirst for glimpses of God. But at the core of our humanity we long to experience relationship with God. Eugene Peterson vividly reflects this soul thirst in his paraphrase - As the white-tailed deer drinks from the creek, I want to drink God, deep draughts of God. I’m thirsty for God-alive.

In his book Desiring God, John Piper reminds us that the deepest human pleasure comes in knowing and enjoying God. It's not just a compelling need, it's also a profound privilege. 

But some days we come to the well and find it dry. Some days God is hard to find. Our souls grow dry and confusion sets in. This may result from neglecting our souls, or it may be a time of testing, intensifying our thirst to deepen our dependence on the only One who can truly satisfy.

My prayer for you today is that, like the deer, you may quench your thirst in God's stream, the wonders of grace lavishly supplied to us in nature, scripture, and above all in Jesus.

Photo Sources:
drinking water - The Telegraph
deer at stream - Stock.XCHNG