Shalom! You don’t have to go far into the park until you see and hear rushing waters from the spring @ Dan. Mid-way we reach the strongest and fastest rushing water, the roar is louder than the roar of the ocean. These are living waters, here it is very different from both the desert and the wilderness areas that we have visited, this is a lush area full of life. It is very much like a sub- tropical area covered with lush green vegetation. We are asked to listen and absorb the sound and in absolute silence, we did. I will never forget the intensity of the sound, the absolute beauty of the surroundings. It is in this area that David wrote:

 

PSALM 42-LONGING FOR GOD

 

1 As a deer longs for streams of water,

so I long for You, God.

2 I thirst for God, the living God.

When can I come and appear before God?

3 My tears have been my food day and night,

while all day long people say to me,

“Where is your God?”

4 I remember this as I pour out my heart:

how I walked with many,

leading the festive procession to the house of God,

with joyful and thankful shouts.

 

5 Why am I so depressed?

Why this turmoil within me?

Put your hope in God, for I will still praise Him,

my Savior and my God.

6 I[a] am deeply depressed;

therefore I remember You from the land of Jordan

and the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.

7 Deep calls to deep in the roar of Your waterfalls;

all Your breakers and Your billows have swept over me.

8 The Lord will send His faithful love by day;

His song will be with me in the night—

a prayer to the God of my life.

 

9 I will say to God, my rock,

“Why have You forgotten me?

Why must I go about in sorrow

because of the enemy’s oppression?”

10 My adversaries taunt me,

as if crushing my bones,

while all day long they say to me,

“Where is your God?”

11 Why am I so depressed?

Why this turmoil within me?

Put your hope in God, for I will still praise Him,

my Savior and my God.

 

 David was at a crucial time of life when he was desperate for God. He was struggling to hear from God, seemingly depressed and maybe even despairing. 

 

How interesting to come here on this day, the day I buried my Mom (16 years ago) It was a great reminder how God hears and answers us. He hears the cries of His beloved, not only does God hear His children but He is moved by our cries. He will answer. It may not be the answer we want to hear, but God is faithful and He is with us always, in the darkest of times as well as the joyful times! He hears us and He answers our cries! It was a great reminder of how He heard my cries on that day that now seems so long ago and many days that followed. We may not get the answer we want to hear, but we can be assured that He answers and because His ways are higher than ours His answers are for our good, no our best! Only in Him, through Jesus can we find the life sustaining living waters that we all need to grow and flourish like a well-watered garden! It is in Him alone that we can find abundant life, satisfaction and the greatest love ever known.  Is He for us, yes! Can we trust Him, absolutely! Will we still have difficult times, almost assuredly…but in the end, with faith, obedience and our cooperation we will become more than conquerors in Christ who has exceedingly, abundantly, above and beyond all we can ask or imagine planned for those who choose to walk with Him thru this life.