Deep Calls to Deep I Asked for a Drink and Got a Waterfall

Deep Calls to Deep

I Asked for a Drink and Got a Waterfall

Psalms 42 starts with the image of a deer

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.

The quiet restful place of a stream flowing on top of the mountain

A place of refreshing for a lack of water-filled succulent plant diet

And running from predators
In verse 7, the stream turns into a waterfalls

From from the mountain highs, the quiet stream is now a roaring waterfall

Rushing down to the depth, the lowest places on earth

It is roaring, it is pounding; it is not quiet or gentle

The roar of a water falls is like the voice of God

You cannot hear anything else and your predators cannot hear you crying out 

This is not the picture the Psalmist is looking for in verse 1 & 2

And the reason we too should speak to the depths of our soul like the Psalmist

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

 

Deep Calls to Deep

I Asked for a Drink and Got a Waterfall

Psalms 42 starts with the image of a deer.

A beautiful majestic animal.

My wife, Sandy, loves deer.

Whenever we travel and the scenery is

fields or woods, she is looking for deer.

It has become a challenge for me to

see a deer before she does because

she is so good at spotting them.

Verse one of Psalms 42 has been

put to music and sung by millions.

 Maybe you have song that song.

A picture of a deer by a scenic stream being

refreshed by the cool, crystal clear water.

It is a great picture of refreshing…

A desire to be refreshed by the Lord.

Recently, I learned white tail

deer do not need to drink much.

Their diet of food is 50% to 90% water,

so they do not have much of a

need to go hunting for water.

 

So why does the deer search for water?

When water-rich foods are not available

and eating things like acorns verses

succulent plants is the diet,

 there is more need for water sources.

The same is true when the sun and heat

dry the moisture out of earth’s surface.

 Or, in winter time when succulent plants die.

 

There is another reason a deer goes to a stream

and that is to erases the scent trail from predators.

It is thought that this Psalm is referring

to David when he was running

from Saul and his son Absalom.

David describes his tears as his food and drink.

Verse 3

A time when he could not go

to the temple and worship.

His regular diet of worship in the temple

with the rest of the saints, was kept

from him because he was

running from his predator.

 He cannot go to the place of worship so he

asked the question where and when can he go…

…When can I go and meet with God?

Verse 2

Verse 4, shows us the picture of David being

with the saints worshiping the Lord.

These things I remember as I pour out my soul:

how I used to go with the multitude,

leading the procession to the house of God,

with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.

But this is just a memory,

 as his life is threatened.

It is interesting to see David’s response

not once, but twice, in this short Psalm…

  

Why are you downcast,

O my soul Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God.

Verse 5 & 11

Verse 6, David is depressed because he remembers

the heights of Mount Hermon and Mount Mizar.

But he is in the valley, a deep place.

Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls;

all your waves and breakers have swept over me.

Verse 7

The quiet restful place of a stream flowing on top

of the mountain is now a roaring waterfall

rushing down to the depth, the lowest places on earth.

It is roaring, it is pounding;

it is not quiet or gentle.

The roar of a waterfalls is like the voice of God…

 You cannot hear anything else and

your predators cannot hear you crying out.

 

This is not the picture the Psalmist

is looking for in verse 1 & 2.

Look at the Psalmist he says…

By day the LORD directs his love,

at night his song is with me —

a prayer to the God of my life.

I say to God my Rock,…

Verses 8 & 9

God’s Love, God’s Song

and a prayer for his life.

And in one breath…

 I say to God my Rock,

"Why have you forgotten me?

Verse 9

God is there in a powerful way.

In the depth of his suffering and

agony, but the psalmist is crying out…

My bones suffer mortal agony

as my foes taunt me,

saying to me all day long,

"Where is your God?"

Verse 10

This is a Psalm that could

only be written after the fact…

As in the trials of life.

When our regular diet of succulent

foods quenches our thirst…

And the safety of being surrounded

by the saints gives us…

Security is taken away from us…

When the suffering and agony goes deep

within our soul and the soul cries out…

“Where is your God?”
Verse 3

  

God is there.

He is the Rock
Verse 9

The mountain from top to bottom.

The streams and quiet waters on top of

the mountain become forces of power…

Roaring to the depths of our valleys.  

The power of the water, the force

of the waves are overwhelming…
Verse 7

  But God is there.

Therefore, the Psalmist says for the second time

and closes the psalm by rebuking his soul…

The deepest place within himself.

 And says…

Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God.

Verse 11

Next time you find yourself wanting to eat of the

water-rich plants and you are left with acorns

or you have been running from your predators…

You are panting for a quiet stream to hide

your scent trail and get a refreshing drink…

Think of the waterfalls.

When the quiet water turns

into a roaring force of power.

 

That waterfalls is a picture of…

God’s power to meet your need.

So look at a waterfalls and tell your soul…

 

Why are you downcast, O my soul?

 Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God.

Scripture Reading

Psalm 42 NIV

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, "Where is your God?" 4 These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.

5 Why are you downcast, O my soul Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and 6 my God.

My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon — from Mount Mizar. 7 Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.

8 By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me — a prayer to the God of my life.

9 I say to God my Rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?" 10 My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, "Where is your God?"

11 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.