What Do You Pant For?

photo credit: allposters

You're in the wilderness. It's hot and it's dry.
The heat has been beating down upon you.
You've been walking.
You've been walking a really, long time.
You've even run some of the time.
Sometimes it seemed so unbearable
that you even crawled.


Your mouth is opened and you're panting.
What do you pant for?



photo credit: allposters

"Water!",
the children answer unanimously,
as they sit at the table, Bibles open,
as we are reading through Scriptures
and listening to Mama's illustration...

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"How bad do you want that water?",
Mama asks.
"Really bad, huh?
You thirst, you long, you ache for it, right?"


They all heartily agree,
"Yes! Really bad!"

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Mama shares the Scripture, again,
that they had just read aloud...


"I opened my mouth, and panted:
for I longed for Thy commandments."
Psalm 119:131


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"Do you see how YHVH wants us
to pant after His commands? His Word?",
Mama questions...

"Just as much as if
you were running in a desert wilderness,
with no water...
but you thirsted and panted for it... badly."

"He wants us
to want His commandments, His Torah, that badly.
Even more!"

"He wants us to open our mouths...
ready to receive it and drink it in.
Just like we would that beautiful glass of water!"

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It was a good illustration for the children.
They understood.

It was a good illustration for me.
I was reminded.

It is a good illustration for all of us.

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I wonder...
What do we pant for?
What do we have such a desperate longing for?
What do we open our mouths for to receive?





Abba, may I always thirst, long, and pant
after Your commandments, Your Torah...
Your beautiful commandments, beautiful Torah,
full of revelation of You and Your heart.



"I opened my mouth, and panted:
for I longed for Thy commandments."
Psalm 119:131