Why Deep Calls to Deep?

 

Why Deep Calls to Deep?

Psalm 42:7 "Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me"

Analysis Focus	Core Principles	Specific Content	Things to Avoid	Practical Application	Related Scripture
Root	Principles of Deep-to-Deep Interaction	• Only depth can respond to depth • Superficiality cannot reach depth • External contact cannot reach inner life • Life depth determines influence	• Staying at surface level • Expecting shallow work to produce deep impact	• Pursue building depth of life • Cultivate inner life quality	Psalm 42:7 "Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me"
Principle	Laws of Life Building  and Maintenance	• Need invisible life (roots) • Build hidden life • Maintain personal characteristics from God • Balance between visible and hidden	• Focus only on external performance • Neglect foundation building • Lose personal characteristics	• Continue to deepen roots • Maintain unique relationship with God • Balance revelation and hiddenness	Mark 4:5-6 "Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root"
Experience	Principles for Handling Spiritual Experiences	• Like Paul's 14-year hidden spiritual experience • Experiences should be preserved before God • Sharing needs God's guidance	• Easily revealing spiritual experiences • Sharing for showing off • Lack of waiting and confirmation	• Cherish experiences given by God • Wait for God's leading • Share for others' edification	2 Corinthians 12:1-4 "I must go on boasting... was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell"
Life	Principles for Daily Life Practice	• Build secret life before God • Maintain spiritual experiences • Be careful in sharing life experiences	• Casually revealing spiritual experiences • Pursuing experiences for testimony • Using experiences as conversation pieces	• Cultivate secret prayer life • Preserve spiritual experiences • Share appropriately and timely	Isaiah 39:1-6 "Hezekiah... showed them everything in his house... Everything in your palace will be carried off to Babylon"
Application	Guiding Principles for Practical Application	• Continuously build secret prayer life • Guard spiritual experiences • Communicate under Holy Spirit's guidance	• Neglect secret life • Lack discernment • Inappropriate sharing	• Establish regular prayer life • Practice discernment • Appropriately edify others	• Matthew 6:6 "When you pray, go into your room" • Matthew 5:14-16 "You are the light of the world" • Acts 5:1-5 (Warning of Ananias)

Important Supplementary Principles:

1.      Life depth correlates with effectiveness: Greater depth leads to greater influence

2.      True spiritual influence comes from hidden life: Building in secret determines public effectiveness

3.      Principle of careful revelation: What is revealed may be lost

4.      Wisdom of balance: Finding equilibrium between public testimony and secret life

5.      Characteristics of God's work: Deep encounters are the true fruit of God's work

Key Reminders:

• Note that building life depth is a gradual process
• Consider timing, audience, and extent when sharing
• Maintain continuous sensitivity to God
• Keep appropriate fellowship in body life

 

*Please refer to the International Training for Elders and Responsible Ones, October 2024 General Subject: Living in the Reality of the Kingdom of God   Week 2: Living the Kingdom Life Through a Hidden Life