Deep Calleth Unto Deep
By
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr
OPENING: - This phrase of scripture is a humbling, powerful, and often a scary verse of scripture because it literally deals with an intangible often indescribable feeling that can only be filled by the deep unsearchable greatness of God. It is us at our deepest and darkest despair, anxiety, fears, and uncertainties that cries out in total desperation and connects His Holiness.
I have stated before that I love the book of Psalms because they are honest and true passages, they put a voice and a verse to what we are often feeling. They say the things that deal with the difficult emotions in our lives and will boldly ask the questions we are either afraid to ask or have been conditioned that we should not ask like God is intimidated by our questions.
PRAYER
SCRIPTURE: - Psalms 42 Focus verse 7
I was reading down through this week, and this hit me like it never did before and revealed to me something new, not that it is new, but God revealed it in my life and in my personal situations anew.
UNDERSTAND: - The power of human emotions is truly expressed in this text. It is often encouraged by different scholars that the 42 & 43 Psalms should be read together because they say, here I am again dealing with yet another issue in my life and the pressure is overwhelming, but I know that God can and God will bring me through I must go through this in order to be refined and matured to another level, but sometimes I feel God this is too much and where are you when I am dealing with this..
Deep calleth unto Deep.
What does this actually mean? This is not typical language that we hear, so what is the writer of this Psalm trying to say. I come to understand that this is the place of one feeling overwhelmed, overpowered by the flood of despair, grief, anxiety, emotional unease to the point that it feels like the windows of heaven have opened issuing out a deluge and you are drowning in the oceans deep or you have been cast into the bottom of Niagara Falls while billions of gallons of water is falling down on you and you are being crushed by the water, smashed into the rocks, unable to catch your breath and you are desperate not knowing how you are going to survive. It is from this depth of grief, anxiety, and desperation that you call out to the deep all sufficient presence of God, my deep despair calleth unto His deep resources. God, I need HELP.
Now let me inject this here because there are those that will say that a saint of God should never feel this way and that is a lie and a misconception that has caused many people to turn their back upon God because they have been conditioned to think that they are not saved when these feelings arise. Jesus said in John 16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulations: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world”. So, in this world there will be times when we feel this way, there will be times when our emotions are experiencing waves of tribulations and uncertainty, but which is a conjunction and negates everything before, be of good cheer because Jesus overcame the world.
BACKGROUND: - Let me give a little history of this passage of scripture then we will be able to understand it better and then can truly apply it to our own situations. Psalms 42 – 49 are attributed to the sons of Korah and not David as many believe. The sons of Korah are the descendants of Korah that rebelled against Moses and although Korah and 14,700 Israelites died these are his descendants that remained – Numbers 16:25-33. These sons of Korah are the descendants of Korah 3 sons Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph that followed Moses and departed from Korah in order not to be destroyed. These sons of Korah are Levites they are priest that perform duties in the Tabernacle, they are people that have and assignment and hold true to their assignment and duties and understand that it is how they worship God. Let me run down a rabbit hole right quick, so often we think worship is singing, shouting and speaking in tongues and although that is part of worship when you understand your assignment and that your assignment goes beyond what is assumed we are to do then you operate and worship according to what you are assigned to do. It took me a while to understand this, but my assignment is to teach, the platform that I have been blessed to fulfill my assignment on is Facebook, the Internet, Sermon Central, and Youtube. People will assume it should be in the church behind the pulpit and although that is where I started and there is nothing wrong with that for those that are assigned that platform that is awesome. However, when you operate in your assignment rather that is the church, our in an assisted living facility, school, or office and the platform suddenly is taken then you are dealing with emotions that will overwhelm you, because your worship has been affected.
How so Bishop – Jesus said what you have done unto the least of these you have done unto me; therefore, if your assignment is taking care of someone and you do that to the glory of God because whatsoever you do in word or deed do unto the glory of God, then you are worshipping God and what you do to them you do unto God and when that is taken away your worship is affected.
The sons of Korah were with David when he was exiled from Jerusalem by his son Absalom and they were suddenly taken away from their assignments, they were not able to worship God by performing the assignment they were given, they were sad, crying, depressed and had people tormenting them mentally by saying “Where is your God”, emotionally they were messed up, spiritually they were confused, and they were in exile and not able to perform their assignment. Their worship assignment platform had been taken. They are remembering the times and how things used to be. They feel as though they are useless and without hope because their assignment has been interrupted and the platform has been taken away. Emotionally they are frustrated, spiritually they are depressed, physically they are weakened WHY because they are not able to fulfill their assignment.
So, they begin to pen how they are feeling, and we have today 7 chapters of heartfelt Psalms from people that are understanding their assignments, their purpose, their destinies and are not able to fulfill them and we are given insight to their feeling as they express them in a beautiful and poetic manner.
Let’s look at these verses:1-3 says, “As the hart panteth after the water brook, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thristeth 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”. Let’s understand the “hart panteth”, this is NOT BAMBI, this is NOT a picture of a cute little deer running up to the water brook and dipping down and taking a drink. In Hebrew the word is “Ayal” and refers to a Gazelle a great ram, the ones that have they long curled horns, this is a picture of a mature creature that is about 5 years old in English it is called a Hart. What the writer is portraying is that. What the writer is portraying is that the Gazelle doesn’t expend energy unless it is in danger, there is no other reason for a Gazelle to waste the time or energy to run and therefore will not pant, breath hard unless it is in danger and ran. When that happens, they have an extreme desire of thirst, and they pant profusely.
Here they are saying “as the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee O God”, it is a deep passionate, sincere yearning. It is a desire based upon intimate relationship, purpose, assignment, it is a desperate longing expressed by the tears have been their food day and night. There will come a point in your Christian walk when you are not able to perform the assignment for whatever reason and you will cry, your heart will be broken because you will not be able to do what you once were assigned to do. Then there will be emotions, feeling, people, that will make you feel and say where is your God now. How can this happen to you a child of God really! WHY because the adversary wants to destroy your relationship, your faith in God and will stop at nothing to do it. My soul thristeth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? The writer states something here that is paramount he says for the living God. Not only does the write thirst for God but for the living God they are stressing emphasis that God has many names and understanding a name is not just a name that identifies something or someone, but it describes the very nature and character. When they say the living God it describes the giver of life, the sustainer of life, the well of living water, the most active life. In Him is life and the light of the world. He is not a tree cut from the forest that has been cut and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman fasten to the floor with hammer and nails that cannot move. He is not like a scarecrow in the cucumber field that cannot speak that has to be carried because He cannot walk. The donkeys carry the idol of the nation, but the Living God carries His people.
Verses 4-6 “When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went to the house of God, with the voice of joy and peace, with a multitude that kept holyday. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar”. The writer is saying when I look back and remember how things used to be my heart breaks because I remember how I would go to the house of God, how I operated in my assignment with joy and peace. So I must say to myself why art thou cast down, why am I depressed, why am I discouraged, why am I disquieted deep on the inside. I must hope in God and praise Him in the midst of all my troubles. I will remember the great platform that I once had and where I operated from, but I will to continue to praise Him from the hill Mizar, not the great place I am accustomed to, not from the platform I once did, but even from the unfamiliar, unrecognizable, unknown place. The hill of Mizar is not known like Mount Olives or Mount Moriah.
Verses 7-11 “Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. Yet the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the day time, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. I will say into God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? Why go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me, while they say daily unto me Where is thy God? 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”.
Remember this is the place of utter desperation, anxiety, grief, loss, hurt, loneliness, heartache, and sadness. They feel as though they are drowning in an emotional waterfall that is tossing them to and fro. They are at a point in their journey with God and the enemy is doing their best to discourage them. They are at a point where a simple phone call is not going to do much good, but when they call upon the name of the Lord, He will deliver them.
You may be experiencing something in your life that may have caused your platform to have been taken away, maybe you are no longer taking care of a loved one, madakestybe your have given up your position, whatever it may be know that it is ok to express your feelings its ok to feel overwhelmed but when overwhelmed let Deep calleth unto Deep.
CLOSE: - Depression, anxiety, loneliness, lack of enthusiasm. Death of a loved one, growing older can often feel like insurmountable mountains, dangerous storms, or a never-ending battle and are oftentimes very complex and multifaceted struggles that we must face in life and we must understand that it is ok to acknowledge or pain, our desperation, our hurts, anger, frustration to the only living and true God. We must thirst for Him from the deepest, darkest, desperate areas of our life for it is here that our deep calleth out to His deep resources and fills what only He can fill.
I pray that through this passage of scripture I have been able to bring out several vital lessons to you. One that we are not immune to troubles and trials. We all will face the deep in life, just keep living, and you will experience emotional tsunamis that will billow over us tossing us in a seas of seemingly hopelessness, but we can rest in knowing that Jesus overcame the world and in Him we have peace.
Another thing I pray we understand is we can and must be honest with God about how we feel and what is in our heart, because He already knows what’s in there, He desires for us to express it to Him, not for His benefit but for ours because pouring out our heart to Him builds our relationship with God and releases us from trying to control everything. Lamentations 2:19 says “Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord”. I truly believe that can be translated to pour out thine heart from the deep places before the face of the Lord. When we feel overwhelmed and desperate, when our feeling and emotions seem to be running roughshod within us that we have access to the truth of God, to His Word, to the Hope that He and only He can give, understand that He will give us peace that passeth all understand and joy unspeakable full of glory.
So, when you are feeling overwhelmed by the deep issues of life that Deep calleth unto Deep – your deep desperation calls to the Deep resources of the Living God.
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
