Deep calls to deep

Deep calls to deep

Many years ago, I was fortunate to do a scuba diving course. I absolutely loved it. I wish I were able to do it more often. Still, the few opportunities I had to go diving will always stay with me as some of my best experiences ever.

One specific diving event stood out as a remarkable memory of the fantastic world of scuba diving.

As part of the dive training, we went to Mozambique to dive in the beautiful Indian Ocean. On one specific trip, the sea was a bit choppy. We felt a bit unsettled while we were in the boat, waiting to hop into the water. We weren't sure if these were ideal diving conditions, but our diving instructor was confident we would be fine. So, we geared up and dropped into the water. We bobbed in the water, waiting for the rest of the divers to join us before we descended. While treading water and waiting to descend, the choppy water made us feel even more sceptic about how this dive would turn out. There is a saying in diving circles that the worst day of diving is better than the best day at work, so we felt a bit cocky, sure that it would all work out.

Finally, everyone was in the water, and we could descend. Slowly but surely, we went under the water, deeper and deeper. As we continued to descend, something unique happened. The seas around us became calm and peaceful. We were able to enjoy that dive to its fullest and appreciate the fish and coral around us. The water on the surface didn't stop being choppy whilst we were underwater. We know that because when we returned to our boat at the end of the dive, the water was as choppy as before.

In Psalm 42:7, the author describes something fascinating.

Deep calls to deep

    in the roar of your waterfalls;

all your waves and breakers

    have swept over me. (NIV)

This verse has always fascinated me. What did the author mean by: 'deep calls to deep'? At first, it sounded like the rambling of poetry, the kind where the words don't seem to make any sense, but it sounds good and works with the poem. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit helped me understand. Over time, as I considered the verse and read it in other translations, the Holy Spirit reminded me of my diving experience. I also read something that helped this thought along. However, suddenly it made sense.

During my diving trip, I experienced something unique. Calm in the middle of restlessness. It would be like being deep underwater with a waterfall above you. It is surreal.

It doesn't make sense. How can I have calm deep underwater when, above on the surface, there is chaos of choppy sea water or a crashing, thundering waterfall?

This is a very apt analogy for describing what the Bible calls a peace that passes understanding. In Philippians 4:6, the apostle Paul urges the Philippian church not to worry or be anxious about anything but to make their requests known to God through prayer and petition. Then he said, the peace that passes all understanding will guard their hearts and minds. Notice how the apostle Paul didn't promise that God would automatically remove everything, causing worry and anxiety. Instead, he promised peace. Could peace during trials be possible? Yes, that is what the apostle is alluding to. A peace that passes understanding. It sounds like the type of peace that confounds people. A kind of peace that you would not expect, considering the circumstances.

Trials and tribulations are a part of life. If you have never experienced difficult times in your life, then you haven't lived long enough yet. According to Jesus, we will have trouble in this life, John 16:33. There is no getting around it. The Bible also teaches that we need life's difficulties to build character. Romans 5:3&4 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Could it be that God calls us to a place of deep and abiding peace even in our times of great turmoil? Emphatically, yes! We can experience a peace that surprises us and those around us while the waves are crashing over us. It happens when we go deeper through prayer and petition by spending time in the presence of the Lord.

In diving terms, the longer you stay on the surface where the water is choppy, the more anxiousness and disorientation can overwhelm you. Going deeper, we can find peace and direction and enjoy the beauty of God's presence, even amid chaos.