SAFE AT LAST. Psm 42:1

‘As the hart pants after the water brooks, so my soul pants after thee, O God.

The sun shone brightly down in the little glade, and out from the shadow of a bush, leapt a hart. He nibbled at a leaf on the bush, which was sweet to its taste. Then the baby deer pulled another leaf chewed it, and sucked out the moisture.

Before nibbling again, the hart lifted its head, twitched its ears, listened for a moment, and quickly leapt away. Over a rock, along a path, down a rough track, pursued by a dog, which chased hard after the timid animal. On and on leapt the hart, leaping over rocks and bushes to elude the dog.

As the hart leapt along, so swiftly came the dog, gaining ground. If only the hart could outrun the dog, which had caught the scent of the hart. No matter how the young hart turned and swerved, the dog followed.

Ahead, a stream wound its way along to the sea. If only the hart could reach the water first, for the dog to lose the scent of the hart, and be outwitted. Although the hart began to tire, not for a moment would it hesitate or stop. But it panted, looking for the stream, to plunge into safety with its scent lost to the dog.

Suddenly the hart leapt ahead around an overhanging rock, at the corner of the trail, with the water-brook ahead. Into the stream, it leapt into safety from the dog, which slunk away. His chase was over, defeated by the hart, whose instinct lead him to the place of safety.

The Christian knows that there is safety in the Lord Jesus, who is like the water-brook, where the hart leapt for safety. God’s children know that they can always trust in the Lord.

Satan is like that dog. He chases Christians to try and trick them and make them go his way. He always tries to make us do evil rather than good.

The little deer knew he would be safe in the water.

Just as the baby deer rushed for the safety into the water, so Jesus, who is called the Water of Life, rescues us from Satan’s temptations when we ask the Lord Jesus Christ to help us.

Gwenda