Lawrence of Arabia: My Soul Thirsts for God (Psalm 42:1-2)

In Lawrence of Arabia, T.E. Lawrence crosses the Nefud Desert—the Sun's Anvil—where no water exists for days. Men die of thirst; mirages taunt survivors. When they finally reach the well, the drinking is almost religious. As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. The Psalmist knew physical thirst; he used it to describe spiritual desperation. Lawrence's men did not merely want water; they needed it to survive. Do we need God like that? Or is God a preference, not a survival necessity?