Psalm 42 always draws a response from me, as it does from all who love the Psalms of David. Maybe because David so often found himself separated, first as a shepherd and later while hiding from Saul, from the joyful things taking place in the Temple in Jerusalem during the annual cycle of feasts that celebrated the relationship between the people of Israel and their glorious and merciful LORD. I know what it is to be far from home and from loved ones, and to have my heart call to theirs over the distance.
Before developing this theme, allow me to first go to Ephesians 5:18-19, where Paul the Apostle warns us not to be drunk with wine, but to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The sense of the NT Greek word translated “filled” is “be being filled, continually”. We are filled with the Holy Spirit when baptized in the Spirit, but we need to stay filled!
Paul encourages us to do so by “speaking to ourselves in psalms, hymns, and spiritual song” (“Speaking” in NT Greek is “laleo”, a word which refers not to constructive, logical, understandable speech, but to chatter.
Have you ever heard a little girl talk to her doll? That’s “laleo”-speak! We are to speak to ourselves likewise. How? “In psalms (NT Greek): psalmos, hymns: hymnos), and spiritual songs (odes); singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” “Making melody” in NT Greek is one word: psallo, which refers to the twanging of a stringed instrument (then a harp; now more often a guitar). This is to be done “in your heart to the Lord.” Can’t play a guitar? No problem, just play on your heartstrings!
“In your heart” means that you are to be your own musician! The best music is the kind you play in your own heart, as thoughts of God’s love and grace to you in Jesus pluck at your heartstrings! So, how long since you made your own melody? How long since your heart stopped singing the praises of God?
How about singing an ode from your heart to the Lord: a personal spiritual song? Songs sung by the praise and worship team out front in your church are great! But you don’t have to wait until you are next in church! God wants you to make your own music! When you enter church with your heart singing, the Spirit of God will blend it with the praise and worship ascending from other members of the Body of Christ — the Church!
The “deep things” of God call to your own deep needs, which are deeper than you might know; however, God’s supply is much deeper! The Apostle Paul was overcome at the “depth” of God’s wisdom and knowledge as seen in relation to His long-time faithfulness to Israel, which was and is to this day — expressed in His mercy toward them (Romans 11:33). Paul ends the chapter with a spontaneous doxology! (The word “doxology” has its origin in the NT Greek word “doxa”, which means “glory”. Doxology is, to coin a word, gloriology.
It’s sad that we only discover the depth of our compassion when a bushfire rages through a township, consuming property and harming people. The depth of feeling is there in us – it’s just that often it takes a tragedy for it to rise up, gain strength, become a stream of heartfelt compassion that causes us to give generously, or pitch in to help as best we can.
The recent release of the Israeli hostages no doubt brought many doxologies from the lips of God’s people — both Jew and Christian — worldwide! Likewise, the yearning of the Spirit of God in us expresses the heart of God toward us and through us toward others (Romans 8:26).
Holding an abandoned baby in your arms in a Third World slum would soften the hardest heart and wet the driest cheeks. Likewise, involuntary intercession happens when the depth of someone else’s need opens up a depth of love in you that you didn’t know existed — or maybe hadn’t experienced for a long time.
When “deep calls to deep,” the “deep things of God” call to the deep things in you – and when it does, you can’t help but respond! You may be far from your loved ones, due to mission work or on business or whatever, but your “deep” feelings for God and for the Lord Jesus Christ can rise from within you, wherever you may be, and can ascend to God through the Spirit of God, who dwells within you!
You can have days of doxologies, days when you glorify God for saving you, healing you, filling you, preserving you, protecting you — the list is endless — that gloriologies from the deep things of God within you arise and the music made by your heart flows from your mouth in words that you don’t know from languages you never learned!
We well know the old saying, “There’s no distance in prayer” but there’s no distance in praise, worship, thanksgiving, or in words that flow uninterruptedly from your heart to God’s throne! There’s no distance. Period. Although separated by distance from the church at Corinth, Paul was with them in his spirit as they met together. Not through some ethereal form of spiritual time travel, but rather because the Spirit in him and in them was the same!
“And truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son, Jesus Christ.” What a great Yours Truly! You need never be lonely again.
Download Peter E. Barfoot’s free book, ‘Faith: God’s Gift to the Heart’ https://peterbarfootministry.com/books/book-3/