“As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.”
Psalm 42:1
Our souls: the seat of our emotions, the real you and I, dwelling in us. Our souls can yearn, love, be at peace, sorrow, rejoice, worship, praise, glorify, hold faith, become meek, suffer, forbear, hunger and experience weariness, etc., and yes, become prideful, covetous, angry, bitter, faithless, disobedient, malicious, hateful, greedy, dishonest, etc. (Examples: Job 10:1; Prov. 27:7; Jer. 31:25; Ps. 107:9; Lev. 7:27; Mk. 7:20-23; Luke 12:19; and more)
To be in Christ, born of the Spirit: (“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3) (See John 3; Rom. 8); One can only manifest forth the peaceable fruits of righteousness. (“Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” Rom. 6:13) (“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” John 15:5) (John 15) Man by himself will manifest only sinful traits, even when seemingly good is done. For he is in self-righteousness and not born in Christ through the Spirit, by repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 20:21)
David’s soul (heart) throbbed, hungered, desired, thirsted, yearned (panted), for the living God. To be ever near Him who could sustain, uphold, and comfort him. (“Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.” Ps. 73:25) What or who is it which thy soul, my friend, doest thou desire? Fame, fortune, or money (earthly, worldly, vain, and temporal). (“And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” Luke 12:15) Nothing and no one upon this earth is worth eternity, besides our living God.
We ought to be as David, yearning, thirsting, and panting after our living Saviour and God Jesus Christ our righteousness. Let us with our whole soul (heart) continually in every moment to look up by faith in our living God for the furtherance of His kingdom, glory, and righteousness. (“My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?” Ps. 42:2)