Thank God, the deer found the waterbrook! It had been a long, hard day for the poor deer. Under the scorching African sun, she had been chased by two terrible lions, and was almost trapped by one of them. But she had been able to escape, and now the problem was: the poor deer was thirsty. Imagine the satisfaction she must have felt after finding, and drinking to her fill of some life-giving streams!

In clearer terms, to “pant after” or to “pant for” something is to desire that thing so strongly. In the example of the deer illustrated above, it means to have a great need for something and this is reflected in one's physical actions. Another word used in place of “pant” in the Bible is “long”. We have all experienced longing for someone or something at some points in our lives, whether it was as children, desiring a particular type of sweet or video game, or as teenagers having our first feelings of infatuation towards an opposite sex, or even to adulthood. There are so many different things that people “pant” after. Money, success, fame, position, family life and so on. But there is a greater sense, a deeper meaning of desire and longing which we were all created to have a limitless capacity for: longing for God.

And as a matter of fact, it's only God who is completely able to satisfy us. And as King Solomon found out, every other thing we chase after will end up as "vanity upon vanity". (Ecclesiastes 1:14, 2:1). This life is just a drop of water in the ocean of eternity and there are only two destinations: either separation from God or life forever with Him. Can we hope to live forever with God when we didn't even spare Him a thought while on earth? Can we spend our entire lives seeking after pleasure and sin, and expect to live forever with God? This is the first step in panting after God, coming to know Him. It entails repentance from our sins and putting our faith and trust in Jesus. As we do that, we find our desires and affections being changed to be more like Christ even as we get to know Him more.

Ways of Panting After God

1. Prayer: Prayer is our way of talking to God. When we believe in Jesus, God becomes our Father and He welcomes us into a relationship with Him. That involves talking with Him. There are numerous examples and instructions in the Bible on prayer. We can tell God about what is going on in our lives, express our joy, our needs, our problems, our questions; and we get closer to God in this way. (Matthew 6: 5-13, Philippians 4:6)

2. The Bible: Just as we speak to God in prayer, God speaks to us also in His word, the Bible. By studying the Bible closely, we begin to see the way Jesus lived, and we get direction for our own lives. (2 Timothy 3:16, Heb 1:1-2)

3. Serving God: Our service to God is another way to show our devotion and love for God. This includes serving at your church. But it's not just that! Something that seems as small as just showing love to people around you is another way of serving God. (John 13:35, Matthew 25:40, Romans 12: 5-8)

Bolu’s Story

In so many ways, I am grateful for the way I was brought up by my parents. I remember my Dad encouraging me to choose a musical instrument to learn to play at church, long before I knew I had any real potential in music. But even far above that, was the spiritual investment of prayers he and my mother prayed, for my salvation. There is a difference between just doing stuff at church and actually serving God. And over time, I came to realize that. Our devotion to God is way more important than what we “do” for Him. God wants us to be young people that truly want to know Him, people who serve Him from our heart and because we want His will to be done, not just because we want to feel good or impress others. This, I think, is the deep essence of panting after God.

John’s Story

Over time, I've realized that the best way to begin my day is to start with God. Some people call it quiet time, some people call it devotion. On the days I forget or when I rush into the day's activities, I just find out that things don't really go so smoothly. But when I intentionally pray and read my Bible in the morning before doing other things, I feel God's help and guidance and I am able to have a more productive day. So, one practical way to pant after God is to start your day with God. (Matthew 6:33).

Finally, back to the analogy we began with, the deer will always need to return to the streams of water to get refreshed. The water she got today won’t be sufficient to last her through the next week, not even through the next day. And so it is for us. Panting after God means seeking him for love, help, guidance, and strength; every day.

Selah.

Boluwatife and John Elusiyan

Bolu and John are amazing young ministers of Christ. I had the honour of working with them in the Chapel drama group and we continue to be blessed by their music exploits.

© SELAH SERIES 2021