--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Debarred from public worship, David was…" description: "\"“Debarred from public worship, David was heartsick. Ease he did not seek, honour he did not covet, but the enjoyment of communion with God was an urgen..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/charles-spurgeon-82_christianity_debarred-from-public-worship-david-was-h_1769103.png" --- # Debarred from public worship, David was heartsick. Ease he… ![“Debarred from public worship, David was heartsick. Ease he did not seek, honour he did not covet, but the enjoyment of communion with God was an urgent need of his soul; he viewed it not merely as the sweetest of all luxuries, but as an absolute necessity, like water to a stag. Like the parched…” quote by Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/charles-spurgeon-82_christianity_debarred-from-public-worship-david-was-h_1769103.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/charles-spurgeon-82_christianity_debarred-from-public-worship-david-was-h_1769103.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/charles-spurgeon-82_christianity_debarred-from-public-worship-david-was-h_1769103.png) > ““Debarred from public worship, David was heartsick. Ease he did not seek, honour he did not covet, but the enjoyment of communion with God was an urgent need of his soul; he viewed it not merely as the sweetest of all luxuries, but as an absolute necessity, like water to a stag. Like the parched traveler in the wilderness, whose skin bottle is empty, and who finds the wells dry, he must drink or die – he must have his God or faint. His soul, his very self, his deepest life, was insatiable for a sense of the divine presence. . . . Give him his God and he is as content as the poor deer which at length slakes its thirst and is perfectly happy; but deny him his Lord, and his heart heaves, his bosom palpitates, his whole frame is convulsed, like one who gasps for breath, or pants with long running. Dear friend, dost thou know what this is, by personally having felt the same? It is a sweet bitterness. The next best thing to living in the light of the Lord’s love is to be unhappy till we have it, and to pant hourly after it – hourly, did I say? Thirst is a perpetual appetite, and not to be forgotten, and even thus continually is the heart’s longing after God. When it is as natural for us to long for God as for an animal to thirst, it is well with our souls, however painful our feelings”” [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage likens spiritual longing for God to a physical thirst that is essential for survival, emphasizing that without divine communion life feels empty and painful. **In simple terms:** Spiritual longing is as essential as water for survival. Key Takeaway Seek regular communion with God. Themes faith longing spirituality suffering hope Mood yearning reflective hopeful Type inspirational theological When to use this quote - personal prayer - church worship - daily meditation - times of crisis - spiritual counseling Key Concepts Divine presence spiritual thirst human need Questions to Reflect On - How can you cultivate daily moments of divine connection? - What practices help transform spiritual thirst into peace? A Different Perspective May overlook the practical steps to nurture that longing, leading to frustration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Communion God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communion-god/) [Communion with god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communion-with-god/) [Dear friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dear-friend/) [Deepest life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deepest-life-44147/) [Heart Longing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart-longing-309668/) [Longing God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/longing-god-592565/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) [Thirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thirst/) [Thirst Souls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thirst-souls-865500/) ## Related quotes > [May we have communion with God in the secret of our hearts, and find Him to be to us as a little sanctuary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/may-we-have-communion-with-god-in-the-secret-of-our-hearts-and-find/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [We taste Thee, O Thou Living Bread, And long to feast upon Thee still: We drink of Thee, the Fountainhead And thirst our souls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-taste-thee-o-thou-living-bread-and-long-to-feast-upon-thee-still/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [How prompt we are to satisfy the hunger and thirst of our bodies; how slow to satisfy the hunger and thirst of our souls!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/how-prompt-we-are-to-satisfy-the-hunger-and-thirst-of-our-bodies-how/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [There is a Wonderful story in the Gospel of Luke (6:12-26). 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Give him his God and he is as content as the poor deer which at length slakes its thirst and is perfectly happy; but deny him his Lord, and his heart heaves, his bosom palpitates, his whole frame is convulsed, like one who gasps for breath, or pants with long running. Dear friend, dost thou know what this is, by personally having felt the same? It is a sweet bitterness. The next best thing to living in the light of the Lord’s love is to be unhappy till we have it, and to pant hourly after it – hourly, did I say? Thirst is a perpetual appetite, and not to be forgotten, and even thus continually is the heart’s longing after God. 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