Death Calleth Unto Deep

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.