Running and leaping over fences, a deer flees from hunters. Her sides heave and her nostrils quiver. Her heart beats overtime. Her open mouth pants for water. Will her enemy ever stop pursuing her? Where can she get some water to give her strength to keep going?
“As the deer pants [longingly] for the water brooks,
So my soul pants [longingly] for You, O God.”
Psalm 42:1 AMP
We can identify with a deer’s plight, can’t we? Satan is relentless in pursuing us. Every moment is hunting season for him. He will stop at nothing to devour us. He knows where we are the most vulnerable. He batters us with lies: God doesn’t care about you. You’re insignificant to Him and to everyone. You have no purpose in this life. And on and on… He will stop at nothing to discourage us and keep us away from the Fountain of living water we so need to refresh us, energize us, and revive our fainting spirits.
As a deer pants longingly for water brooks, every fiber of our being can long for a refreshing and reviving drink from Jesus, the Fountain of life. Without His life-giving strength, we can’t go on. We try to keep replacing Satan’s lies with God’s truth, but we can become so battle-weary. Come, Lord Jesus, come!
Jesus knows when we are too weary to keep going. He constantly invites us, “Come, My child, come. You don’t have to do this alone.” His longing for us is infinitely greater than ours. He is the Fountain of living water that longs to quench our thirsty souls. He is the Fountain of love and mercy that never runs dry. He is the Fountain of sufficient grace that is available every second of day or night.
All Who Are Thirsty
by Kutless
“All who are thirsty
All who are weak
Just come to the fountain
Dip your heart in the stream of life
Let the pain and the sorrow
Be washed away
In the waves of His mercy
As the deep cries out to deep, we sing…”
Freed to Fly 
Trudy, good morning. Thanks for this needed reminder right here –> ‘ Every moment is hunting season for him.’ Maybe that’s why the writer of Lamentations was quick to remind us that God’s mercies are new every morning and great is His faithfulness. We need Him every hour to battle the lies from the enemy.
Oh to be quicker to be refilled by our Savior as soon as we awake …
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Thank you for the hope-filled reminder of the Lamentations verse, Linda. Yes, we truly do need Him and His new-every-morning mercies every hour to battle the lies of the enemy. I so desire with you to “be quicker to be refilled by our Savior as soon as we awake.” May our hearts truly embrace the truth of His faithfulness to supply us with the grace we need to battle the enemy!
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Thank you for these encouraging words, Trudy! It was just what I needed this morning. 🙂 Blessings to you!
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It warms my heart that God gave you the encouragement you needed through these words, Liz. It can be a tough battle, can’t it? I’m so grateful God cares for us and gives us sufficient grace from the Fountain of life. May we open our hearts more and more to drink from the Fountain of living water to sustain us through this life!
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It can indeed be a tough battle, and He’s been talking to me about it. This just reinforced what I was already hearing. 😊
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I love it when God reinforces what He’s been telling us, Liz. He will be with us and never abandon us, even in those times when He “feels” far away.
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Oh Trudy I have never thought of this verse in relation to that deer being hunted and chased. Oh such a beautiful perspective to know God’s great protection as He leads us to the Living Water, His own dear Son. Thank you so much for sharing this! I needed this today. Our Lord is so near to us. Blessings and love to you Dear friend!
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I’m so grateful this spoke to your heart, Bettie. You go through so much. On our way to my pulmonologist visit last week, I thought of you and prayed for you. I do more often, but I was just feeling thankful that my doctor is more attentive to my needs than what you have often experienced. We so need the Living Water to sustain us each and every moment, don’t we? People can let us down, but He is near us and will never leave us. Blessings and love to you, too! May we cling to and keep drinking from the Living Water whose mercies are never-ending!
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Lovely post Trudy. Inscribe Writers recently had a conference called Come To The Well. I didn’t make it, however heard the opening message was about how we need to continually dip into the well, like a dip pen into it’s ink well to keep on writing. Wonderful reminder how it is a constant filling, not just a one-time shot. We just need to keep going there.
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Thank you for sharing that opening message and inspiring me, Lynn. I love the analogy of a dip pen needing to continually dip into the ink well to keep on writing. Yes, a constant filling, not just a one-time shot. May we surrender all our self-sufficient ways and keep returning and dipping into the bottomless Ink Well!
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I like this … “Every moment is hunting season for him. ” Had never made that connection!
Your neighbor at #TellHisStory
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Thank you for visiting, Mandy. Yes, Satan seeks to devour us every moment. But thank God, we have victory in Jesus and His truth to battle those lies of Satan. May we keep drinking from the Water of Life that is so strength-giving!
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It definitely helps to stay alert to the fact that the battle is real. I love that God’s fountain of living water is always available to refresh us and satisfy us. May we learn to continually go there rather than seeking satisfaction elsewhere! Love and blessings to you!
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“May we learn to continually go there rather than seeking satisfaction elsewhere!” Amen! It’s so easy to try to find our fulfillment elsewhere, isn’t it? Then we just become more empty. Love and blessings to you, too, Lesley! May we cling to Jesus who alone can give us fulfillment!
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Trudy, I love your observation that every moment of every day is hunting season for Satan. He is relentless! But our gracious Lord is much more relentless in His love and care for us. We can lean upon Him to quench our greatest thirst and longing. May our souls ever seek the love of the Lord!
Blessings!
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I love that God is infinitely more relentless in His love and care for us, Martha. Blessings to you, too! May we constantly seek to be fulfilled in His love, not in anyone or anything else!
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Awww, Trudy, these reminders are crucial. Yes, there are seasons where my soul feels overwhelmed by the enemy’s pursuit. But God . . . is the refresher of our spirits and souls. He gives us founts of living water from which to drink. And He is the One whose mercies are new every morning. Thank you for these beautiful reminders. I’ve definitely walked through seasons where I needed to remember these truths.
Thank you for all the beauty you portray here in words, colors, and songs.
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I love those two words, Jeanne. “But God…” It has such a wealth of meaning we can’t do without. Yes, He is the refresher of our spirits and souls when we are overwhelmed by the enemy’s pursuits. I’m so grateful His mercies are new every morning! Thank you for your kind words. May we together remember each moment to drink from the Fountain of living water!
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Although the enemy of our souls batters at our hearts and might be determined to ensnare us each day with his poisonous barbs, I love that God is the relentless Hound of Heaven, who races after us to care, strengthen and protect. After several months of wearying physical and emotional onslaught, I certainly need to remember this: “Jesus knows when we are too weary to keep going. He constantly invites us, ‘Come, My child, come. You don’t have to do this alone.'” Indeed we cannot, yet how often we forget His willingness to be with us in our struggles and pain. Thank you for this glorious reminder and uplifting song! Blessings and love to you, dear Trudy. xoxo ❤
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Yes, what a blessing that God is relentless in His love and “races after us to care, strengthen, and protect.” I’m so sorry for these months of wearying physical and emotional onslaughts, Joy. I, too, often forget His willingness to be with us in our struggles and pain. I’m so glad this uplifted you. Blessings and love to you, too! May we more and more deeply trust His faithful love and longing desire to be with us through our struggles!
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Wonderful reminded to our souls, only He can refresh. For over a year the Lord has been prompting me to drink deep, so lets Him fill all the cells of my heart with truth. I could not see ahead as to all the whys but just recently I have had to go to the well for more then normal due to a struggle with a family member. I know God is trying to teach me something about my thinking about this struggle, about myself and how I respond or don’t respond. So very grateful I can drink and drink from His eternal love because I don’t think this person loves me and right now I don’t love them. BUT…through Him I can love on them. Another lesson on humility and letting go of pride and listening deeper then ever before, it’s an important relationship. Thank you for these wise words.
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I’m so sorry for your struggle with a family member, Betty. That’s really hard. I pray God will give you strength and guidance. Yes, the Lord certainly wants us to drink deep. I like how you word it about letting Him fill all the cells of your heart with truth. We need that so badly, don’t we? May we keep drinking deeply of His eternal love!
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Beautiful, Trudy. I’ve been reminded of this recently in a few specific areas, and it’s so true. Especially when you decide to address long-held strongholds and generational issues … Satan won’t just stand by and let that happen without a fight. I’m so grateful that “greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world.” Love and hugs, my friend!
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Thank you for reminding me of that verse and song, Lois. “Greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world.” Amen! That is such a comfort, isn’t it? I’m so sorry about your struggle with long-held strongholds and generational issues. Yes, Satan will try his hardest to pit people against each other. 😦 I’m so grateful Jesus is the Ultimate Victor! May our hearts embrace the truth of that each moment! Love and hugs to you, too!
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