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Psalm 42 contains a tale of two verses.
Verse 7 …
Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls; All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me (NASB1995).
Life doesn’t get more difficult than oceans of frustration, defeat, anger, and disappointment breaking over our heads.
Yet in verse 8 …
The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime; And His song will be with me in the night, A prayer to the God of my life (NASB1995).
Life doesn’t get better than enduring deep disappointment in the lovingkindness of God during the day and a song of joy in the middle of the night.
But how do we get through disappointment to the song of joy? Let me suggest something radical — we don’t, we don’t even try.
What? Please don’t unsubscribe to this blog until you have read this entire Interruption.
I’ve heard many say, “How do I get through this?” I’ve heard others tell me, “Tomorrow, things will get better.” And I hear from mature believers that “The mercies of God are new every day.”
Amen and amen! I believe this, too. But something else …
God is sovereign, and He rules over every aspect of our lives. Nothing happens to us without His approval. If God has decreed trials for our lives, perhaps it’s a season of God calling us to a deeper relationship with Him.
Paul writes …
… may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:18-19, NIV).
I’m learning to mellow a bit in my disappointment. God may be telling me something, purifying my motives, or best of all, like Job, allowing my suffering as an innocent so that He can give me greater blessing.
This makes sense. If I want a great filling of the Spirit, I must have the depth of soul to contain it.
A few years back, noticing my wife’s growing affection for country music, I began listening regularly to country songs on SiriusXM radio.
I tread lightly comparing Psalm 42 to songs by Carrie Underwood, Jelly Roll, and Morgan Wallen, but over and over, I’ve noticed that both the Psalms and country music tell stories of justification through trials.
God allows disappointment in our lives so that He can compose our life song for eternal glory.
As Psalm 42 ends … so it will be with us …
Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again — my Savior and my God! (v. 11).
Deep calls to deep!