As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitudes, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.

This powerful excerpt from Psalm 42 captures the depth of the psalmist's yearning for divine presence, likening it to a deer's desperate need for water. The image of the "hart panteth after the water brooks" evokes a sense of urgency and necessity, illustrating how essential spiritual communion with God is to the poet's existence. As he laments with tears as his sustenance "day and night," his longing is compounded by the taunts of others questioning the presence of his God. Despite this, the memory of joyous worship during religious festivals offers a glimmer of hope and renewal. Such recollections strengthen his resolve and anticipation for future worship, highlighting his enduring faith and the rejuvenating power of spiritual community.