Fasting Day 1 – 1/12/2009

Adult / Teen Journal

January 12, 2009

Day 1. Panting after God

    Psalm 42:1-3

1 As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say to me, “Where is your God?”

So, here we begin! I trust that you have committed to this spiritual journey not because you have been asked, but because your soul is thirsty after a deeper, more fulfilling relationship with God. Here the Psalmist equates the desire for God’s presence to that of a deer panting, perhaps after a long run, and so desperately needing a refreshing drink from a cool stream. After that drink, imagine that deer lying down for a rest, the sound of the brook nearby, close enough to know it has not gone away. It is then the writer says, “When can I come and appear before God?” My answer for you is, “Now.” Now is the time for you to begin to satisfy your hunger and thirst with the presence of God. Go ahead! Give it a try! You will find that as desperately as the cry of your heart is for God, He will be there with exactly the refreshing you need.

Children’s Journal

January 12, 2009

Day 1. God Loves Everyone

God wants everyone to love Him. He wants us to know that He wants to forgive us of anything wrong we have done. God wants us all to be a part of His family. He always wants the best for us.

Today’s Puzzle