Out Of The Depths I Cried

“Out of the Depths I cried”

By

Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.

When we think of Depth we think of the distance from the top or surface to the bottom of something. It is used to specify the distance below the top or surface of something to which someone or something percolates or at which something happens.

SCRIPTURES:- Psalm 130:1-2 “Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. Psalm 42: 11 “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God”. Jeremiah 20:3-13.

It amazing how so many-times I find myself repeating something my father has said with just a little twist on it. I heard my father tell this story a little different but the same concept! The Devil had a garage sale and he was selling most of his tools. All the tools were laid out on the table and had been marked with prices. There were a lot of treacherous implements of destruction for sale: tools of hatred, envy, jealousy, deceit, pride, lying, adultery, fornication and so on. However, over to the side apart from the rest of the tools was a special tool, it was worn more than any of the others and was it did not have a price on it at all. What's the name of this tool? asked one of the customers. That, the Devil replied, is the tool of discouragement. You do not have a price on that one why? Because that is not for sale, the tool of discouragement is more useful to me than all the others. With it I can pry open and get inside a person’s heart when I cannot get near them with any other tools. It is extremely worn because I use it on almost everyone. Therefore it is not for sale.

Stay with me for a little while because today we are going to deal with this tool and learn how to react when it is used against you. Don’t think that it won’t be used because it will, but how we deal with it is paramount.

PRAYER:

OPENING:- I want to start this message off with a question? How many of you feel this way:- Tired, overwhelmed by news reports, puzzled by political rhetoric, sadden by riots, proud of peaceful protest, concerned about a second wave of coronavirus, praying against hate and racism, mad at watching black men being killed on national television, outraged at police brutality, proudly know why we need to say Black Lives Matter, support good cops, will kneel during the national anthem until things change, respect the flag, prayerful, frustrated, alone, scared, profoundly impacted by the situation in our nation and very well aware of the changes that need to take place both in policy and behavior. There seems to be a loss in society of time and place, a disconnection from reality, and a disappearance of normalcy and any hope of being heard. You feel like you are drowning in the depths of despair, anxiety, confusion, disappointment, discouragement, and hopelessness. Don’t worry you are not alone.

Discouragement is part of life. Discouragement comes most often when you do right things but experience poor results. You work hard, but you don't make progress. You have expectations and goals and they don’t come to pass. You seek change and yet nothing changes.

Discouragement eats a hole in our hearts. It makes us want to quit, saying things we shouldn't say, even get upset at God and feel like He doesn’t even care. We call into question our very souls asking like David said Why art thou disquieted with in me.

Understand this feeling does not negate my salvation; however, if you do not know how to handle when discouragement comes it will destroy you physically, mentally, and spiritually.

One mistake that people have is believing that every moment of your spiritual life in Christ that you are going to be on the mountain top experiencing great joy, but every mountain top has beneath it a valley. It is those valley experiences that build your character, endurance, and make your mountaintop experiences even greater.

One time I said what I am about to say and someone said in utter shock, how could you say that and I was like how could I not say that WATCH THIS:- there are even times when I don’t feel like praising God at all. Jeremiah said in Jeremiah 20:9 “Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name…” WHY because he had just prophesied and Pashhur had him put in the stocks. Now he is spiritual and a prophet, but he is still living in flesh and flesh wareth against the spirit and flesh doesn’t deal well with discouragement and disappointment.