Grace Upon Grace

Deep Calls to Deep

I sometimes think my emotions are wild, changing from one extreme to the next in a manner of seconds.  How can I go from a high to a low so quickly?  Thankfully, I am not alone.  As I read Psalm 42, I see that the psalmist is also in a state of emotional turmoil.  One minute he is praising God, and the next minute, the psalmist is crying out.  Not surprisingly, the human soul has deep longings.  In Deep Calls to Deep, I am reminded of a quote by Charles Spurgeon, “Great deeps of trial bring great deeps of promise.”

A Psalm of Trust

Psalm 42 is ultimately a psalm of trust.  A refrain of trust is repeated in this psalm which we find in both verses 5 and 11.

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?  Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

But while trust is the bottom line, the psalmist still experiences a wide range of emotions to get there.  I can identify.  There are times in life when I feel like I’m drowning, and I echo the psalmist’s cry.  

Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me.  Psalm 42:7

God Rescues Us In Times of Trouble

In Hebrew, deep refers to the deepest depths of the sea or to the abyss.

As I read Psalm 42:7, I picture myself in a flooding river.  All I see is dirty, debris-filled water swirling around me.  I’m fighting to stay afloat. Trouble is surging.  The water swells before my eyes. As it does, my confidence wanes.  I am going to die.  Doom and destruction await.  So as not to be swept away, I search for something to grab.  A floating branch is within reach.  

The psalmist in Psalm 42 also clings to something secure. His floating branch is God.  God is his refuge and strength. Consequently, the psalmist remembers what God has done for him in the past.  God has been faithful.  Subsequently, the psalmist  knows in his heart, that God will not forsake him now.  He holds on tight.

The Power of Remembering

I love this!  I know, from personal experience, the power of remembering.  Recalling God’s steadfast love in my past, essentially becomes my life jacket when the deep waters of life surround me.  Therefore, when Deep Calls to Deep, I can turn to the One who can deliver me, as the following song suggests. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCXeSU7tLus

Dear precious Lord, I am thankful that we have a history together.  Consequently, when life is overwhelming, I can remember how you have rescued me in the past, and therefore, will rescue me now.  Father, I want to go deep with You!  You are my hope and my deliverer, even when deep waters surround me.  Thank you that I can grab onto You.  Amen.

Questions to Consider: 

1. Who or what do you reach for when life is overwhelming?
2. Memory is a precious gift.  Keep a running list of all the ways the Lord has been faithful to you in the past. Once a month, read what you have written.