Saturday, May 20, 2006

Deep Calls Unto Deep

Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;
All Your waves and billows have gone over me.
The LORD will command His love in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me —
A prayer to the God of my life.
(Psalm 42:7-8)
“Deep calls unto deep.” Christians use this phrase most often to refer to a deep, personal experience of the Lord ministering to them — from the depths of God’s heart to the depths of their own. Indeed, it is a profound thing.

But the psalm writer here was using it in a different way. He was going through very difficult circumstances, sorrow and affliction were pounding him relentlessly, and he was overwhelmed by the weight of it all. All he could hear was the roaring waters of trouble. But at his core, he realized that God had something much better for him. Though disoriented by his situation, he addressed it in faith. His refrain was:

Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.
(Psalm 42:5, 11; Psalm 43:5)
So how did the “deep calls unto deep” of verse 7 transform into the positive and moving expression it is today. Perhaps it is because of the testimony of verse 8:
The LORD will command His love in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me —
A prayer to the God of my life.
This is the centerpiece of the psalm. Even in the midst of the worst trouble, those who are in covenant with God have a source that will not only comfort them and get them through the time of distress, but will cause them to overcome and rejoice. God’s love, provision and protection will be made manifest to them in the broad daylight, where everybody can see it. In the night, there will be no terror, no worry, no sorrow—only a song hope.

Deep calls unto deep. Outwardly, the depth of misery and pain weighed heavily upon him. But there is a depth that is greater and much more powerful, powerful enough to overwhelm sorrow and affliction and carry them far away. It is the depth of God’s love, the revelation of His heart. This is the will of God being made known on our behalf, and it is always for the working of our good.

There is also the depth of God’s song stirring inside us, the song of His Spirit always encouraging us, renewing our hope and rekindling our faith. This love and this song come from the heart of God and penetrate to the depths of our own hearts, bringing forth prayers of faith, hope and love. So the psalmwriter speaks to his inner man and instructs himself:
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help* of my countenance and my God.
It is as T. S. Elliot said at the end of his Four Quartets, in the poem, “Little Giddings”:
And all shall be well
And all manner of things shall be well.
Do not be overwhelmed by the depths of sorrow and circumstance. Set your expectation on God and He will deliver you completely. Let the depth of His love overwhelm the depths of your heart and fill you with songs of rejoicing and praise. The peace of God that passes all understanding will flood you, and all shall be well.

[* The Hebrew word used for “help” here is yeshuah, the word for salvation. Used as a name, it is Yeshua, rendered in English as Jesus.]

12 comments:

  1. Anonymous2:48 PM

    I also see this as one believer being understood spiritually, without having to explain very much, by another believer...

    thanks Jeff...am blessed going through your Blog.

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  2. Anonymous1:08 AM

    Thanks... Thanks... Thanks... You just don't know what this means to me... Though constantly walking in God's Love and Care, I've been subjected to the torments of my heart... But I know that he will wash them all way, set me free from my afflictions, and manifest His glory!!! All praise to Him!!! Thank you, instrument of His Love, Thank You

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  3. This is exquisitely beautiful. Thank you for posting.

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  4. We are each in a unique position of spiritual growth and maturity...we have been introduced and proferred a personal relationship with the Creator YHWH through the washing of the water of His Word.
    May He graciously and mercifully continue to grow each of us according to His infinite wisdom and insight and "Will".
    It continues to be for "whosoever will".
    -Ovie3

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  5. Anonymous8:42 PM

    yes.....His depths reaching to our depths.....depths to depths, longings to longings, His healing for our aching depths....what a glorious mystery...the reward of covenant love!
    THANKYOU for sharing.

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  6. Anonymous4:36 AM

    I agree with marion, is see 'deep calls unto deep' as an understanding. And in a way a certain attainment in equaling god, on a certain level as humanly possible.

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  7. although you wrote thsi four years ago, today it spoke to me! Thank you so much for your reflections about deep calling unto deep!

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  8. Anonymous10:40 PM

    wow...as Casey said you wrote this 4 years ago and here it is May 3, 2010 and it ministered to the depths of my soul....thank you.

    E. Ray
    New Orleans, LA

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  9. Dave Ornellas3:43 PM

    I guess, In spite of how we feel sometimes, He draws us by His Spirit into deeper waters, where healing rivers flow!
    Thanks My Bro.

    Dave Ornellas

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  10. Mary.4:45 PM

    this is a quote from the book "Gypsy from the Forest" page 107. these words were said by Gypsy Smith himself to a young girl - "your greatest difficulty is Self Occupation. "Your only cure will be Self Oblivion, forgetting self.. let is be a settled thing that you are not slegoing to trouble about what you find, or do not find, in yourself. Believe that the Holy Spirit of God is DEEP HIDDEN within you, and enabling you to believe and to love." do not look for Him in sudden thoughts,and impulses and suggestions, He lives DEEPER DOWN, where you cannot at first find Him."
    Trust this quote will be helpful.

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  11. The words I keep hearing ministering in my spirit "When deep is crying unto the deep, what is the sound". I was not sure what this meant, but the diligent student that I am "a force from the Holy Spirit" would not allow me to relent from my searching. I had previously by the Holy Spirit been given Psalm 42:1-11; I am just amazed at the tremondous love of God to bring me directly to this post. I have seen in my spirit the Father reminding me that studying to show myself approved takes an understanding in my spirit-given only by the Father, that my soulish man must throw the fight over traditions of men, in order to encounter the Father's presences. Another place where flesh must be subject to death at all cost is specifically written within this Psalm. (Psalm 42: 1..My soul's thirst can only be quenched by the Father's spirit as its fleshly desires are put to death. (Romans 8:8) v2..Nothing will quench the thirst (this would be another form of relentless idolatry) except an intentional focus on God (His face-an encounter with glory, not his hands-"the place where all these things shall be added-prosperity); Note to selfish:* There is nothing wrong with the blessings of God when used properly to build His kingdom and glorify Him-but everything can and will go wrong when blessings are used in the wrong way "motives-even when they appear good, if not focused on God can and will have the wrong intention; forming false blessings". This is when I shall see his face (clean hands and a pure heart), His face is found in the actions of Jesus' "If you have seen me, you have seen my Father"; (faith, hope, love, long suffering, understanding, forgiveness, patience, peace, temperance, wisdom, strengthen). I wonder what this world would appear to look like when we get focused on the face of God (faith, hope, love...)and not the splendor/vengeance/wrath of his hand. I saw the body of God in a vision, having some holes, I was able to count them but they were distinguishly dark holes, within his raiment gown, as he drifted away from me "the esscence of all beauty within the earth is the way his gown appeared to me) How I wish I could remember the words of love he spoke to me-face to face, I could see him, but my feet stood still before his presences, but the gowns holes had a grip on my focus and I wondered what these holes meant, why is my Father appearing this way to me, tears would not drop until I could understand what I was seeing. His body was the essence of life itself, but it had holes.. The Father showed me what to do (Psalm 45:10-11)(deep crying unto the deep-his daughter is who I AM ("The Shack" pg 206-He knows me) in all that I be) then as clearly as watching from a drifting dream, the last vision was the picture of the cabin from the book "The Shack...WM Paul Young". Only on chapter five, but page 68...the prayer I prayed before falling asleep-May 27, got the book on May 28th; because I needed God to speak directly to me. I had heard of this book, but hesitated to read it, until this vision. My soul falls deeply in love with the Father all over again as He speaks to a place deep in my soul where only my spirit man (deep crying unto the deep) can see, hear and explain what I see, it is his presence to me in this way, that makes me all the more eager to find Him, he is my "Song of Solomon", His words as fresh oil upon my feet. Thank you Jesus with all that is within me to love you infinitely, Holy Spirit, God the Father, Christ Jesus the dew of the morning falling fresh, be glorified within me...this eats my soul up until there is nothing left to hold except the never changing hand of a Jeremiah 33:3 loving God relentlessly because he "IS" resting, ruling and reigning within me. Thank you Father for all the beauty that you cause me to see.

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  12. Anonymous2:35 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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