Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me. (Psalm 42:7)
I woke up this morning seeking direction on beginning my twenty-one-day prayer and fasting season. I had a laundry list of things I wanted to bring before the Lord on the second day of the new year. Stuff about my family, the church I serve, the people I know, the community I belong and the nation I love. Then God reminded me of this passionate soul who visited my office asking, “Pastor, something is wrong, but I cannot point it out. I love the church, and I love the messages. Don’t get me wrong, but I feel empty. What should I do? I feel like I am all poured out, is it ok if I move to another church… what should I do?”
Then, the Holy Spirit began to prompt my heart with these words: DEEP CALLS FOR DEEP! In the opening of Psalm 42, David is in agony, seeking divine intervention over circumstances he has no control. The best he can describe is that “As a deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after God.” The King seems distant from a God he knew previously and longs for God’s Presence. “When shall I come and appear before the living God?” He is overwhelmed by mockers surrounding him, demanding, “Where is your God?”
Like the soul who visited my office, David evaluates his previous experiences with God, which do not measure with his present longings. It is then that he writes in pain… Psalm 42:7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me. David is so overwhelmed and believes that “trouble” invites more “trouble,” his pain brings more pain, and his needs usher even deeper needs. “My tears are my food day and night…” he cries…
Do you feel the same, drenched in your tears, of experiences you currently face and have no control over? Drowning in your storms and your screams for help can barely be heard. Is your deep calling for deep? Do you have a “laundry list” of things you must bring before God as you begin your prayer and fasting season? I am there too, what must we do? This is not the time to do, but to wait… Wait and see the salvation of the Lord. In “doing”, we take over God’s formation process, but In “waiting”, we submit ourselves to God’s formation process. In the depth of our “care,” so should be the depth of our “call, “let your “deep” cares call for your “DEEP” encounters with God today.
NOW Take your Bible and pen, read Palm 42, and wait upon God; as He speaks, write down. You may be asking how the spiritual formation process works. There are four dimensions to your formation process as one engages God:
- THE PERSON: Who is being formed? The soul that longs after God. David exclaims, “My soul longs for you, oh God…” v/s 1. Your “longing” invites your “forming”.
- THE PRESENCE: By whom is the formation done? God. David realises that change can only be procured in the presence of God. “Hope in God…” v/s 5. It is not in our relocation away from the storms but God’s presence even within the storm that formation occurs.
- THE PROCESS: How is this formation accomplished? The work of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. David feels like a person jumping from the frying pan into the fire, yet in the depth of his anguish, he makes the deepest of his calls. “Deep Calls for Deep…” v/s 7. It is not the time that counts but faithfulness to allow God to complete His work in you.
- THE PRODUCT: Into what are we formed? Into Christlikeness. David longed for a complete overhaul. “When shall I come and appear before God?” v/s 2. Remember you may come out limping after wrestling with God, some mute like Zechariah the father of John the Baptist, or blind like Paul of Tarsus. You can never encounter God and remain the same!
Oh, longing soul, you now ask, should I move, change a spouse, leave a job, seek for new opportunities, stop going… “What must I do?” Nothing… yes, nothing… Stop “Doing” and begin “Waiting.” Wait upon God in His word.
- Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might, He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31)
Every Deep “Care” is an opportunity for a Deeper “Call” for God’s Prescence.
How can you describe your longing for God?
This is for me, thank you pastor, God bless you. Brother and follower of Christ
Dr. Sang, may you continue to grow deeper as you release yourself in his presence, your “longing” has invited your “forming.”
My longing for God is a steady flame in the quiet corners of my heart, flickering with a warmth that draws me closer to the divine. It’s like a pilgrimage, where each step brings me nearer to the sacred, and every challenge becomes an opportunity to strengthen my connection with the divine. There’s a mix of joy in moments of spiritual revelation and anticipation as I navigate the unknown. Overall, my longing for God is a journey, an evolving landscape of emotions that deepens my understanding and appreciation of the divine presence in my life.
Wow Carol (Mama Ndazi) I would not have said it better. Consider writing a devotional as you walk this journey.
Great post!
“Waiting” rather than longing! Wow!
Thanks for the message
Mwalimu, our human thing is to DO! We often feel, I must do something, but honestly sometimes in our doing we cause more harm! Wait…