As the Deer

As the deer pants for streams of water,

so my soul pants for you, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, the living God.

When can I go and meet God?

Psalm 42:1-2

Today’s hymn, As the Deer, was written in 1981 by Marty Nystrom.  Marty was taking summer school at a Bible College in Dallas when he wandered into the Music Department one day.  Sitting down at a piano, he decided to try and write a worship song.  As he was playing, he noticed a Bible on the music stand of the piano, open to today’s scripture.  Marty began to paraphrase the words of Scripture, and As the Deer was born.

In 1992, Word Music Publications put out a songbook, Songs for Praise & Worship and that was how I was introduced to this wonderful hymn.  Many hymnals do not have As the Deer, and several have this song as a simple one verse chorus, including The Faith We Sing.  However, Mr. Nystrom wrote three verses – all of which are included in today’s video.