Truths About The Living God - Psalm 42:2

Psalm 42:2


"My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?"


What do we learn about the living God?


Think of a day in your life when it was extremely hot outside, and you were working or playing hard in the blazing sun. Perhaps you were running a marathon, or playing an indoor sport. I don't know. When you were done doing whatever it was you were doing, what did you do? I'm going to guess that you were thirsty, and that you got something to drink. That would be the logical thing wouldn't it? Remember that awful feeling of thirst? Your mouth was all dry and pasty, and hardly able to swallow anything. You would just about give anything for some water, or anything to cool you down.

Does your soul feel that way about God? Do you desire nothing more than to be in God's presence, and to experience a close relationship with Him? Do you want to be filled with Him? Jesus said in John 7:38, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink."

Now think of when you got your drink. I bet you didn't just sip it a little at a time. You probably chugged it down and possibly dumped some of it on your face, but it felt great didn't it? Oh and you probably didn't stop with just a couple swallows.

This is the way it should be in our relationship with God. You should always have that thirst for the living God, and when you are in His presence, you should be satisfied, refreshed, and renewed. If you don't thirst for the living God, chances are, you're filling yourself with other junk. Jesus said to the woman at the well in John 4:13, "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." Only God can fill that thirst that you have. Dwell in His presence, and always be thirsty for God. Only He can satisfy.

Called, Not Hired

There is much confusion in churches today as to whether a church hires or calls a pastor. I would like to suggest to you that a pastor is called by God to a specific congregation and the church acknowledges that call.

From a logical standpoint, if a pastor is hired by a church, then he could be fired by the church. This alone can be a detriment to a pastor's ministry. He will lack the job security that comes from knowing that God has placed him in a church. He will also be afraid that if he fails to preach adequate sermons, the congregation could let him go. This mentality will be also do damage to the pastor who runs into conflict with his congregation. The tendency here will be to run away from the conflict rather than face it and seek peace.

If, on the other hand, a pastor is called to a congregation, his ministry will be accompanied by the stability that God gives. The pastor will be confident that God has him in the right place, doing the right thing. The church will be confident that God has put the right man in their church. They will be more willing to work through difficult issues and more willing to listen to their pastor's teaching--even when he might step on their toes.

From a biblical standpoint, Jesus teaches these things in John 10:11-15:


"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. -John 10:11-15

So pastors, let us follow Christ's example and care for our congregations, even in the midst of turmoil and attack. Remember, you are called to your ministry by God. He will use you to accomplish His will in that place.