Deep Calls to Deep

This is our third time taking you to the writing of Lori Thomason at Pure Devotion. Click the title below to read at source. Click here to read her story.

Deep is Calling

Psalm 42:6-8 (Message) When my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse everything I know of you, from Jordan depths to Hermon heights, including Mount Mizar. Chaos calls to chaos, to the tune of whitewater rapids. Your breaking surf, your thundering breakers crash and crush me. Then God promises to love me all day, sing songs all through the night! My life is God’s prayer.

“Deep calls to deep” is a verse read many times. It is a sense of longing for the gentle whisper that requires a response. Reading the same passage in The Message translation is a more apt description of what the deeper things of God feel like. Chaos calls to chaos. The violent shaking of the storm with the wild winds and waves tossing us from the complacency of what is to the confident hope of what could be if we walk by faith and not by sight. Deep calls out to deep as the Lord beckons us to come closer to step out of the proverbial boat to walk on water with Him. We call out to the deep but prefer wading. There is no real interest in what is beneath the ocean’s surface where grace turns to obedience and calling becomes our destiny. When our soul begins to slump, it is in that moment we look for the Living God to bring His Power and New Life. When He rushes in and change begins to unravel our comfortable, convenient and seemingly controlled existence – we are shaken from the security of what is and to be completely undone to new possibility.

Living in the south, our physical intuitiveness can feel the rain coming. The humidity descends with all the damp pressure. The air is thick. The clouds circle overhead and it becomes overcast. The thunder begins to roll and lightening begins to flash. Sometimes just a few gentle droplets or a torrential downpour – its all the same. Spiritual discernment sees pasts the rising waves. It perceives the winds of change sweeping through our life. Our heart comprehends what our mind does not want to accept – transformation always requires a transition. You cannot stay where you are and find a new position. You cannot remain who you are and assume a new identity. You cannot hold on to the past and fully embrace the future. God put this longing to answer His Call in our heart and mind calling it eternity. He planted a measure of faith in us to achieve that calling equipping us from our creation with exactly what is needed to be who He created us to be. Nothing in this world can stop God’s Plan. We must only answer His Call.

Hebrews 12:25-29 (Message) So don’t turn a deaf ear to these gracious words. If those who ignored earthly warnings didn’t get away with it, what will happen to us if we turn our backs on heavenly warnings? His voice that time shook the earth to its foundations; this time—he’s told us this quite plainly—he’ll also rock the heavens: “One last shaking, from top to bottom, stem to stern.” The phrase “one last shaking” means a thorough housecleaning, getting rid of all the historical and religious junk so that the unshakable essentials stand clear and uncluttered. Do you see what we’ve got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander. He’s actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won’t quit until it’s all cleansed. God himself is Fire!

“He is jealous for me… Loves like a hurricane… I am a tree… Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy… When all of a sudden…. I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory… And I realize just how beautiful You are and how great your affections for me… Oh how He loves us so.”  (John Mark McMillan)

We sing this popular worship song often not really listening to the words but repeating it from memory. What if God’s Love for us produces violent shaking in an effort to make us release the ordinary and receive the extraordinary? What if our hunger and thirst is to seek more and discover full satisfaction? Could it be that all the “chaos” in our life is to stir up the inner gifting and anointing planted by God for His Purpose? God wants to prosper us. It begins in our soul. Makes its way through our heart. Enters our mind. Changes our thoughts. Transitions us from fear to faith and we become courageous in confident hope. See God is doing something in us far greater than the immediate gratification sought after by a weak flesh and fickle heart. He knows exactly what it will take to draw us into the deep. He creates the vortex that will soon overtake us.

Our God is likened to an “all-consuming fire.” Like the burning bush before Moses, thought engulfed with flames, the bush remained. God loves us like that in an explainable display of His Glory that complete overtakes our life yet within Him – we are safe and secure. Like the three Hebrew boys cast in a fire, yet they were never forsaken and certainly not alone. The Lord was waiting in the fire for them. He accompanied them until it was time to come out. Not a hair singed or garments reeking of smoke, they were presented to the people no worse for wear. The people recognized the Living God in that moment. Our calling will always include those who are watching for and waiting on the Kingdom of God to be presented.

Psalm 93 (Message) God is King, robed and ruling, God is robed and surging with strength. And yes, the world is firm, immovable, Your throne ever firm—you’re Eternal! Sea storms are up, God, sea storms wild and roaring, sea storms with thunderous breakers. Stronger than wild sea storms, mightier than sea-storm breakers, Mighty God rules from High Heaven. What you say goes—it always has. “Beauty” and “Holy” mark your palace rule, God, to the very end of time.

The deep calls us to be drowned in His Grace. It is an invitation to die to self and be overtaken with life. If you find it easy to exist in God – there is so much more to discover. The deeper you go the less likely it is that your flesh will survive. Full surrender is required to fully accept salvation and eternal destiny. God is King. He is Sovereign. He is All-Power, All-Knowing and everywhere at the same time. He knows us inside and out. He created us with a purpose and definite plan that is in full execution. The answer of our heart to the deeper things of God is always the same – “yes”. It doesn’t have to loud or dramatic. Most often it is in the darkest place or most dangerous height when a single step of faith seems illogical and impossible – and the Lord says, “Do it anyway…”

Will you? Will you allow the chaos of calling overtake you? Will you answer His Call to come deeper? Will you let God mess up your ordinary life to make it extraordinary? Will you say, “Yes” to it all? Delayed obedience is considered disobedience. It is a quiet rebellion that denies the impossibilities of miracles to accept the ordinary. God has something waiting for you and me that is just beyond our comfort zone, outside the boundaries of convenience, and just outside of our control. Do you want it? Do you desire the Lord above all things? Deep is calling deep. Chaos is crying out to chaos. Our destination is called beautiful and holy. Do you want to meet Him there? He is calling you deeper… Just say, “Yes!”

I Peter 2:9-10 (Message) But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.

Considering Your Strength

by Russell Young

It is often considered prudent and is a common practice by most to consider the measure of their resources before undertaking a project or a ministry.  We live in a day where independence is applauded, abilities are fully considered, references are given and taken, and resources are counted.  Based on the consideration of our assets concerning the particular need a decision is made on whether to proceed or not.

From God’s perspective decision-making based the assessment of our human resources can be insulting.  The Lord does not want to be left out of consideration and when he is, failure is often the result of neglecting him and his resources to meet the particular need. Those “in Christ” are promised good results when trying to honour his purposes in their lives. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purposes.” (Rom 8:28 NIV) This promise is offered only to those who are attempting to honour his calling upon their lives, to those who have subjected themselves to the sovereignty of the Spirit and are attempting to live in obedience to him. To be clear, the promises of the Lord’s blessings are not offered to those who have made a confession of faith and of Christ’s lordship and who are living their own lives on their own terms. Unfortunately, many find themselves disappointed and weakened in faith when the “good” does not happen even when God is not being honoured in their hearts and through their practices. Also, the “good” may not always be that which was anticipated.

Near the end of his reign King David decided to consider the strength of his nation by having the number of fighting men counted.  “The king’s command was evil in the sight of God; so he punished Israel.” (1 Chr 21:6 NIV) We are told that Satan had incited David. (v 1) Had pride filled his heart?  Was he wanting to consider his accomplishments and the military strength of the nation apart from God? His attitude had ignored an important issue.  God had been responsible for his successes and would remain the strength of the nation. The mighty hand of God had been removed from David’s consideration.  In spite of his history and experience with the LORD, even to the point of asking whether or not he should go into battle, David’s command that a count be taken implied the intention of weighing Israel’s strength through the nation of Israel, its people, and apart from God. The prosperity and strength of Israel was being credited to its people and leadership, and not to God.

A lesson should be learned from David. God is not to be left out of consideration. He is the believer’s strength and wisdom.  It is he who is accomplishing his will in the life of the believer and to leave him out of consideration is simply and abandonment of God and he will not bless when those who identify themselves as his children are determined to take the credit that belongs to him.  He will not give his glory to another.  In David’s case, a plague descended on the nation and many died. The Lord’s significance in the life of the believer is not to be restricted to certain times and for certain situations, he is to be lord at all times and in every situation. Without full and constant submission, his overall will cannot be achieved.

It is easy, and perhaps even expected, for decisions to be made based on the measure of human resources available, but it is not God’s way. The godly will walk with God; not apart from him.  He will be sought for direction and honoured through obedience.  God cannot be measured and his provision cannot be counted.  He is the source of all things good for the believer and will bless those who are obedient.

“And God is able to make all things abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Cor 9:8 NIV)

The wrath of God had been laid upon Israel many times because of their neglect to recognize his sovereignty over, and his place in, their lives.  It has been, and remains, a common failure of humankind to trust in themselves.  Today people build their wealth and count the resources that they can muster in order to assure comfort, peace, and security.  Society elevates those who have gathered the most.  But even God said that it was almost impossible for the wealthy to find salvation. In the end, their “counting” will have fallen short and their own resources will have been inadequate.

The Lord does not want to be left out of the believer’s planning, nor should a person presume to know his will without humbly seeking it.  God should be pursued and loved “with all of the heart, soul, and mind.” (Mt 22:37) His people will not find comfort in taking inventory, but will place their strength in their God and his resources.  (Mt 19:23-24; Mk 10:25; Lk 18:25).

---

Russell Young is a weekly contributor to Christianity 201 and the author of Eternal Salvation: “I’m Okay! You’re Okay!” Really? available in print and eBook through Westbow Publishing, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble; and in Canada through Chapters/Indigo.  9781512757514 $17.99 US