Hearing the Voice of God: Deep Calling unto Deep-Part 7

There is something innate within the human heart that longs for what is eternal. It is a yearning for communion with the Creator. Blaise Pascal, the 17th-century French mathematician and philosopher, described this longing as "a God-shaped vacuum." It is a place within us that no one and nothing else can fill but God Himself. This deep desire was placed within us from the very beginning, because God "has put eternity in their hearts." (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NKJV)

The Search for Adequate Words

In an attempt to express this deep human longing, the psalmist searches for adequate words: 

"You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you....my whole being longs for you...." (Psalm 63:1 NIV) 

Elsewhere he writes, "My soul yearns...; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God." (Psalm 84:2 NIV) 

In one of Scripture's most vivid pictures of spiritual longing, the psalmist declares, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” (Psalm 42:1-2 NIV)

It is this reality that lies behind the psalmist's declaration, "Deep calls unto deep." (Psalm 42:7 NKJV) 

When Words are Inaudible

It is often in our deepest moments of need that this longing for God becomes most acute. Such was the case with Hannah (1 Samuel 1). Hannah was barren, and she carried a profound grief because of it. Year after year she watched time pass with little hope of ever holding a child in her arms. Her sorrow became overwhelming.

During one of her annual pilgrimages to Shiloh, Israel's spiritual center at the time, Hannah went to the Tabernacle to pour out her heart before the Lord, "In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly" (1 Samuel 1:10 NIV). Her longing reached depths beyond audible speech, for "Hannah was praying in her heart...her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard" (1 Samuel 1:13 NIV).

Being unfamiliar with such profound anguish, Eli the priest mistook her silent prayer for drunkenness, "' Not so, my lord,'" Hannah replied. 'I am a woman who is deeply troubled....I was pouring out my soul to the Lord....I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief'" (1 Samuel 1:15-16 NIV).

Eli heard no spoken words, but God heard the cry of Hannah's heart. As Scripture says, "People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7 NIV). What was inaudible to man was fully heard by God. He answered Hannah's prayer by giving her Samuel, Israel's prophet, priest, and judge. God gave her other children as well.

When There Are No Words

 There are times when the depths of our being are overwhelmed with grief and despair at an unfathomable level. It is an abyss where words cease to exist. Perhaps you have been there; I know that I have. Such moments can come suddenly when devastating news crushes the heart and leaves us speechless. In those times, we bend beneath the weight of anguish and utter groans instead of words. It is a place of "groanings too deep for words" (Romans 8:26 ESV).

God's Longing for Mankind

We are not alone. Deep within the heart of God is a longing for us as well. Scripture tells us that God "jealously longs for the spirit He has caused to dwell in us" (James 4:5 NIV). The Creator Himself longs for fellowship with those whom He has made.

God is relational in His very nature. He exists eternally as the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Relationship, therefore, is central to His being. Jesus revealed this when He declared the two greatest commandments: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30 NIV), and "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Mark 12:31 NIV). The commandments that summarize all others are rooted in relationship.

God Initiates the Pursuit

For a brief time, perfect harmony existed between the Creator and mankind. There was no anguish, no unfulfilled longing, no cry rising from the human heart. But through deception and disobedience, sin brought paradise to an end (Genesis 3:1-8), and humanity's longing for restored fellowship with God began.

Yet it was God who initiated the first movement toward restoration. While Adam and Eve hid from Him in shame, God came searching for them. "Where are you?" He called out (Genesis 3:9 NIV), like a Father searching for a child who has suddenly disappeared from his sight.

God's Pursuit through the Prophets

God never stopped pursuing His people. Under the Old Covenant, He sent prophets as His spokespersons to convey His deep love and desire for His people. "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing love" (Jeremiah 31:3 NIV).

Despite the fact that His people were in full rebellion, having rejected Him completely, He still invited them back into His arms. "All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people," (Isaiah 65:2 NIV)

God's Pursuit through His Son

After speaking through the prophets, God ultimately sent His only Son. The writer of Hebrews tells us, "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets...but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son" (Hebrews 1:1-2 NIV).

It is difficult to comprehend a love so great that God would give heaven's greatest treasure to humanity. Yet, His love was that profound: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son..." (John 3:16 NIV). God had spoken His heart through the prophets, but He gave us His heart through His Son.

Humanity's Uncrossable Gap

Despite humanity's longing for God and God's longing for mankind, sin had opened a deep chasm between the two—one that mankind could never cross on their own. In fact, it would require a cross to bridge the gap.

The Ultimate Sign of God's Pursuit: The Cross

The ultimate demonstration of God's desire for reconciliation with humanity took on the shape of a cross. There, His Son endured unimaginable suffering as He bore the sins of the world, opening the way for restored fellowship with God. "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV). In this way, “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 NIV). At Calvary, God gave what was most precious to Him so that those separated by sin could be brought near and reconciled to Himself.

Conclusion

God hears the cry that rises from the depths of the human heart for a relationship with the Creator. Even when words fail—when prayers become tears, groans, or silent anguish—God still hears the cry.

Our longing for God is a reflection of His longing for us. From the moment mankind fell in Eden, God began pursuing His lost children. He called out in the Garden, spoke through the prophets, and ultimately gave us His own Son so that the separation caused by sin could be removed. 

At the cross, deep truly called unto deep. Humanity's deepest needs met the depth of God's love and mercy. There the cry of the human heart and the heart of God met in reconciliation.

And now, through Christ, the invitation still stands. From Genesis to Revelation, God continues to draw us into intimate fellowship with Himself. From the Father's call in Eden, "Where are you?" (Genesis 3:9 NIV), to the Son's invitation in Revelation, "Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in...." (Revelation 3:20 NLT), deep continues to call unto deep.

For more from Julia, see her Substack, “Reflections on Knowing God” @juliakamleiter