Deep Calls to Deep: Resting in God’s Presence

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Revelation 22:1).

Welcome back dear student, this hot weather makes one long for cool waters that refresh. But a quick dip brings only temporal relief. The Scripture above reflects a vision that the prophet Ezekiel had (Ezekiel 47:1-12). In the prophecy he saw a river of living water, representing God’s Presence. God challenged him to become completely immersed. At times some people will only dip in their toes, others may go ankle deep for a paddle. The Lord longs for us to wade out deeper and swim, where suddenly the water takes on the weight of our burden.

In Psalm forty-two the writer remembers longing for the Lord’s Presence, with the same thirst that deer have for their daily cool drink. It tells a story of a once joyous relationship with God that had been left behind because of grief. The result was restless despair from dealing with life’s problems. He describes feeling like he was being battered in the same way that a waterfall crashes from a height unto the rocks below.

“Deep calls to deep at the thundering sound of Your waterfalls; all Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me” (Psalm 42:7).

Life’s hurts can feel like one is being pounded with no respite, but God is there with us. At Torc Waterfall in Killarney the huge boulders have been shaped by years of cascading waters, smoothing the rocks over time. We all have edges that need to be polished, and God is so gentle at that. Time spent resting in the river of His Presence smooths out the rough spots we’ve battled with; the heart aches that have broken us, and the worry lines that have scarred us. There’s no sanding machine or filler that compares to experience.

Finally, the Psalm writer remembers that God is His Rock, and His faithful Love will never fail, and it is the Lord Who will calm his soul – both his negative feelings, and his anxious thoughts.

"In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul" (Psalms 94:19).

“Why are you in despair, O my soul? Why have you become restless and disquieted within me? Hope in God, and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, my Saviour, and my God” (Psalms 42:11).

Sometimes people go through awful seasons of brokenness at the hands of the enemy - or we get ourselves into a mess through sin. But God promises that He will carry us – and He brings Healing and Hope from every dark situation for God is Faithful.

“…Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you. For I Am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour…” (Isaiah 43:1-3).

God promises to be the Glory in our midst - stabilising, comforting, and establishing us in peace (Psalms 46; Zechariah 2:5; Isaiah 26:1-3).

“If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us, they would have quickly swallowed us alive…the waters would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over our soul. Blessed be the Lord Who has not given us as prey to be torn by their teeth; we have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers. The trap is broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the Name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 124).

O Lord our God, thank You for Your Grace and Mercy