Why did the Psalmist today choose to use the image of a deer panting for water rather than a dog? I have two dogs. Toby is my short legged, stocky French Bulldog. I love to take Toby on walks through the woods with me because I don't need a leash as he will walk at my pace right by my side. Toby loves to walk with me but only just 5 mins in he starts to pant. By the end of our walk he is drooling waterfalls of slobber and his tongue is hanging out and bouncing up and down from the heavy panting he is doing. I lower the water bowl to him and he needs a few moments to slow down his panting so that he can lap up the water and replenish himself. After his fill and a short nap he would happily go back out with me for another exhausting round of a panting walk in the woods.
Deer are different. Deer get most of their water from the food they eat and they supplement water by lapping it from a river or stream when in need. Deer pant when, like a dog, they overheat. Warm temperature and exertion such as running from danger or an enemy are two things that can cause a deer to pant. But deer tend to stay in heavily wooded, thus shaded, areas and not in direct sunlight. They will, at times, have to go out into open fields and direct sunlight to find food, but it is not their first choice. Deer also tend to only run for short distances, preferring to run quickly into areas of cover and protection, which saves them energy and helps prevent too much overheating. But deer do pant. I learned that panting actually causes less water loss than sweating so it is a more efficient way to keep their body cool without severe dehydration.
So why a deer panting rather than a dog in today's Psalm? Deer pant when unpleasant circumstances cause a change in their life and routine. Deer will often learn from their circumstances and do their part to try and avoid similar situations in the future. Dogs tend to pant after they have played and gone out and enjoyed life. As soon as they have recovered they will go right back out and do it all again.
Today's Psalmist was clearly thrown into a situation that he did not desire. The heat of life was turned up on him and caused him to feel the discomforts of trials and affliction. The Psalmist was clearly overwhelmed and in agony but he does not appear depleted of God. He appears to have stored up truths of God in his heart that are still able to sustain him, still able to remind him of God's faithfulness, to guide his thoughts back to the one who has not abandoned him but who can help him. Like a deer, he knows that the heat of life, the exertion of dealing with his enemies is beginning to cause his reservoir of spirit strength to dry up. It is important to return to the stream of spiritual refreshment as that is the only thing that will help him to endure the heat of this trial in his life.
The trial the Psalmist is in is still roaring, the chase is still on, he is still in the middle of difficulty. Despite this fact he has a talk with himself and asks himself a question, "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?" He has reason to be (read verses 9-10) but he also knows that his hope during this time, his soul quenching relief comes from God alone. The Lords love is directed toward him during the day and can be seen if the Palmist watchful eye is looking and he can drink it in. By night the Lords song can be heard if listening and bringing comfort in place of sorrow.
Like a deer who gets and stores most of its water from the food he eats I believe the same is true of us. We read God's word daily because it provides and stores up for us the soul quenching relief we need to get through life's day to day struggles and helps prevent us from quick spiritual dehydration when the blazing trials erupt. If we have filled up on the truths of God's word then, rather then sweat through the difficult times, we can pant as a deer and approach the Lord for hope, affirmation of his love, and comfort to get us through our struggle?
Are you feeling spiritually dehydrated? Are you panting after the comfort and hope of the Lord or are you sweating through it and loosing hope quicker than you are able replenish it? It is never too late or too soon to go to the Lord and find rest, comfort, and hope for whatever you are going through. Let us all be available to one another so that we can help be a source of the Lord's encouragement and hope to those who need it.
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