By John Stallings
I’m a part of you that is more you than any other part, but you’ve never seen me. In fact you’ll never see me, because I’m invisible. I am the repository or collector of all your experiences, & attitudes but I’m more than that. Much more.
I’m way stronger than you’d ever think yet I’m also very vulnerable & tender. I’m affected by your health, emotions & thinking patterns yet I can stabilize or sabotage all three.
Though I freely admit it was the union of your mother & father that brought you to this earth, they didn’t create me. God did. And because God created me I’ll outlast the Universe. Without me the others parts of you, the totality of you would make no sense at all.
If I’m not taken care of & properly nourished, everything else you do will end in hollowness & despair. If you become wealthy & famous but don’t use honorable methods to do it, or strive for unworthy goals, or in general leave me unnourished, sooner or later in your darkest hour, I’ll whisper in your ear; “So what?-- It’s all meaningless.”
I’m the part of you that integrates mind, will & emotions. I’m the part of you that can get restless, bored or blindsided by guilt at the height of pleasure or success, because, really, pleasure & success don’t satisfy me. Love, peace, true joy & significance do.
As a matter of fact, I’m the part of you that’s controlling your life as you read this piece & for that matter, anything else you do. Like your car engine, if I’m not running right, it doesn’t really matter how many accessories the car might have, or how big & shiny it is, nothing is going to work.
Of course the reason I’m talking to you like this about me, is, one day you’ll have to give account for me to the one who made me, God.
The only Manuel I know for my care & feeding is The Bible. I can also tell you that the information is extremely accurate because it was written by the one who made me. I know what it is to feel intense pain & the book that talks the most about my pain is Psalms.
David & the other Psalmists can provide lots of help in categorizing the different situations that can cause me elation or agony. The Psalms give great insight into my needs & experiences. In this book alone I’m mentioned 141 times.
Have you figured out yet who am I? - O.K I’ll tell you my identity. I’m your soul.
Now that you’re wise to my riddle,
LET’S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE CARE & FEEDING OF THE SOUL.
Talking about the soul is as hard as any topic I can possibly think of. What is the soul? How do you care for the soul & what does it mean to-- love God with all your heart, soul, strength & mind…..Luke 10:27
Thinking about the soul brings to mind thoughts of the deepest dimensions of human experience. We don’t hear the soul talked about much in our society because of its invisibility. A surgeon doesn’t have to cut around it in doing major surgery. When a person dies we can’t see the soul leaving the body. We tend not to put much focus on things we can’t see & touch. Some think the soul might be real but not as real as the things they can see & touch.
SPIRIT AND SOUL ARE DIFFERENT
If you go to a rally on the 4th of July & wave a flag, that would be your spirit. Spirit is enthusiastic & exuberant. Spirit bubbles over with joy & excitement. Soul is different, deeper. Soul shows up on Memorial Day when the president lays a wreath on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. No one waves a flag on that day because its representative of struggle, hurt & loss. That’s soul, & so is Gettysburg, & 9/11/01.
Spirit is when you get the promotion you’ve worked so long & hard for. You got your picture in the paper because you represent the best in your line of endeavor & your life’s plan is finally coming together. Soul is when you look around & realize the money you’ve made & the name you’ve made for yourself have failed to make you happy. You’re surprisingly empty & miserable & you think there has to be more to life than this.
You shrug it off as a passing mood until a few months later it returns to knock on your door like a homeless waif & you ask, “What do you want?” That’s soul. Soul won’t be satisfied with a cliché’, it wants truth from you. Soul wants you to face the truth.
The soul is often shy & tentative but will show up when you least expect it. It will jerk you awake in the middle of the night to tell what’s not working in your life. The serious person may need to listen to a soul that wants to laugh & sing a bit & the jokester may hear his soul saying, “let’s get serious for a while.”
Though people don’t think & talk about much about the soul, in God’s economy it’s the most important subject. Jesus emphasized the importance of the eternal soul when He said,
I’m a part of you that is more you than any other part, but you’ve never seen me. In fact you’ll never see me, because I’m invisible. I am the repository or collector of all your experiences, & attitudes but I’m more than that. Much more.
I’m way stronger than you’d ever think yet I’m also very vulnerable & tender. I’m affected by your health, emotions & thinking patterns yet I can stabilize or sabotage all three.
Though I freely admit it was the union of your mother & father that brought you to this earth, they didn’t create me. God did. And because God created me I’ll outlast the Universe. Without me the others parts of you, the totality of you would make no sense at all.
If I’m not taken care of & properly nourished, everything else you do will end in hollowness & despair. If you become wealthy & famous but don’t use honorable methods to do it, or strive for unworthy goals, or in general leave me unnourished, sooner or later in your darkest hour, I’ll whisper in your ear; “So what?-- It’s all meaningless.”
I’m the part of you that integrates mind, will & emotions. I’m the part of you that can get restless, bored or blindsided by guilt at the height of pleasure or success, because, really, pleasure & success don’t satisfy me. Love, peace, true joy & significance do.
As a matter of fact, I’m the part of you that’s controlling your life as you read this piece & for that matter, anything else you do. Like your car engine, if I’m not running right, it doesn’t really matter how many accessories the car might have, or how big & shiny it is, nothing is going to work.
Of course the reason I’m talking to you like this about me, is, one day you’ll have to give account for me to the one who made me, God.
The only Manuel I know for my care & feeding is The Bible. I can also tell you that the information is extremely accurate because it was written by the one who made me. I know what it is to feel intense pain & the book that talks the most about my pain is Psalms.
David & the other Psalmists can provide lots of help in categorizing the different situations that can cause me elation or agony. The Psalms give great insight into my needs & experiences. In this book alone I’m mentioned 141 times.
Have you figured out yet who am I? - O.K I’ll tell you my identity. I’m your soul.
Now that you’re wise to my riddle,
LET’S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE CARE & FEEDING OF THE SOUL.
Talking about the soul is as hard as any topic I can possibly think of. What is the soul? How do you care for the soul & what does it mean to-- love God with all your heart, soul, strength & mind…..Luke 10:27
Thinking about the soul brings to mind thoughts of the deepest dimensions of human experience. We don’t hear the soul talked about much in our society because of its invisibility. A surgeon doesn’t have to cut around it in doing major surgery. When a person dies we can’t see the soul leaving the body. We tend not to put much focus on things we can’t see & touch. Some think the soul might be real but not as real as the things they can see & touch.
SPIRIT AND SOUL ARE DIFFERENT
If you go to a rally on the 4th of July & wave a flag, that would be your spirit. Spirit is enthusiastic & exuberant. Spirit bubbles over with joy & excitement. Soul is different, deeper. Soul shows up on Memorial Day when the president lays a wreath on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. No one waves a flag on that day because its representative of struggle, hurt & loss. That’s soul, & so is Gettysburg, & 9/11/01.
Spirit is when you get the promotion you’ve worked so long & hard for. You got your picture in the paper because you represent the best in your line of endeavor & your life’s plan is finally coming together. Soul is when you look around & realize the money you’ve made & the name you’ve made for yourself have failed to make you happy. You’re surprisingly empty & miserable & you think there has to be more to life than this.
You shrug it off as a passing mood until a few months later it returns to knock on your door like a homeless waif & you ask, “What do you want?” That’s soul. Soul won’t be satisfied with a cliché’, it wants truth from you. Soul wants you to face the truth.
The soul is often shy & tentative but will show up when you least expect it. It will jerk you awake in the middle of the night to tell what’s not working in your life. The serious person may need to listen to a soul that wants to laugh & sing a bit & the jokester may hear his soul saying, “let’s get serious for a while.”
Though people don’t think & talk about much about the soul, in God’s economy it’s the most important subject. Jesus emphasized the importance of the eternal soul when He said,
“What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world & loses his own soul. Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?-Matt.16:26
I realize I write a lot about Joseph but to me he’s the perfect example of a man who truly grew a great soul. His story begins with spirit & joy. He’s a youngster reveling in his fathers love. He has dreams & visions & he’s the star in all of them.
But Joseph’s brothers grew jealous of him & went into a murderous rage. Joseph suffers in the pit. He suffers in Egypt & he suffers in jail. At the end of Genesis Joseph becomes a leader in Egypt & saves his family & much of the world from starvation. Through all of it he embraced the life God had given him. He blesses his family & forgives them because he turned all his suffering into wisdom. That’s soul.
The best comparison I can think of is the root system of a tree. The part we see may be impressive but it’s nothing without roots. Cut a tree off from its root-system & its dead. It may hang around for a while but it will eventually dry up, get hard, stop producing fruit & rot.
If a 100 foot tree has the root system of a sapling, when the strong winds come, POOF! It’s going down! In fact the tree’s stability & survivability in a storm are a testament to its root system.
When David had people determined to destroy him he said, My soul is full of trouble. Not many people talk about their soul do they? But Jesus also talked about His soul. He said,--My soul is exceedingly sorrowful even unto death. Matt.14:34.
Sometimes life has a way of crushing your soul. Sin is the soul’s number one enemy. Sin like cancer replaces healthy tissue with diseased tissue. Jealousy & envy are diseases of the soul. Moving from one sexual partner to another damages the soul. A piece of the soul is left with each promiscuous partner. That combined with guilt can do a lot of damage.
When we put money, success, pride, friends, pleasure, our appearance, or anything before God it ultimately affects the health of our soul.
At Calvary, Jesus made it possible for our souls to find what they need; forgiveness & soul-cleansing. If we neglect proper care of our souls we become cynical, critical, self-pitying, discouraged irritable & driven. When our souls are healthy we’re light-hearted, passionate, loving, forgiving, trusting, hopeful, peaceful, resilient, and transparent & have close friendships.
It’s important to remember that God loves & treasures your soul & He wants you to take care of it. He knows the joy, peace & security we all want so much for ourselves comes from having a healthy soul. A philosopher once said, “There’s a god-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person which can’t be filled by anything but the creator Himself.”
Jesus said, -- If anyone thirsts let him come unto me & drink.-John 7:38-9. Of course He was speaking of soul-thirst.
Have you ever gone to Jesus & invited Him to fill that vacuum in your life & really experienced the slaking of your soul-thirst He was talking about?
In the whole of Psalm 42, a wonderful vision of the processes of the soul is presented. The Psalmists says;
Vr.1--As the heart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee O God….
Vr.5—Why art thou cast down O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.
In Psalm 103:1, 2 --David actually talks to his soul & gives it instructions;
Bless the Lord O my soul; & all that is within me bless His holy name. Bless the Lord O my soul & forget not all His benefits….
In the New Testament we read of the surety of God’s promises---that they are unbreakable & never fail;-
Which hope we have as an anchor for our souls.—Hebrews 6:19
HOW DOES GOD CARE FOR OUR SOULS?
I love the 23rd Psalm because it gives us good a description of the way God satisfies our souls.
1. HE STARTS WITH OUR RESTLESSNESS & TENDENCY TO WANDER.
23:1—David says, The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing.
What are the I WANT issues of your life? If you’ll let God be the care-giver & doctor of your soul He’ll take care of all those issues.
2. GOD DEALS WITH THE SECOND NEED OF THE SOUL-PEACE
Psalm 23:2—He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside the still water.
Peace isn’t the lack of ambition it’s the sense that all is well. Do you know what its like to have peace at the core of your life?
Sheep experts tell us their very health is dependant on the rest they get. The basic needs of sheep are food, rest, the feeling of being safe, not being driven crazy by insects & being at peace with the other sheep. Isn’t that interesting?
HOW’S YOUR PEACE QUOTIENT THESE DAYS?
Being too busy is the greatest enemy of spiritual growth. We have to make time for God & sometimes it’s a sacrifice but one that pays dividends.
I’ve always being intrigued with the wording; -He makes me lie down…. If you’ve ever raised children you understand that they occasionally resist going to bed. We literally have to make them lie down & rest because sometimes they’re too tired to sleep. Have you ever been so tired you got silly & really didn’t feel like going to bed? That’s why God has to make us lie down.
3. SOMETIMES THE SHEEP NEED RESTORATION
A sheep can get into a situation where he gets down & can’t get up. If a sheep is too full or pregnant, & it happens to roll over on its back, & its wool gets wet or they’re just plain fat, the Shepherd will have to come “restore them.” If the Shepherd doesn’t find them in time & get them on their feet & restore them, they die.
That’s exactly what David is speaking of when he says,- HE RESTORES MY SOUL. - Ps.23:3
Have you ever had your soul restored? I’m not going to be a hypocrite here; I enjoy watching T.V & have always enjoyed movies if they’re decent, have a point & in short, are worth watching.
But in the last several years I’ve found that my soul is rarely satisfied with much of anything the entertainment world has to offer. This also goes, at least for me, for some of the religious programming available to watch. I certainly don’t mean that in a harsh judgmental way but rather I’m just sharing my thoughts with you.
It’s retreating to my place of prayer & study that I revel in more & more. On a daily basis I sit before the Lord & wait. Sometimes I have to wait for a while before anything happens but invariably way down deep inside I hear the voice of my Shepherd, leading me into green pastures & restoring my soul.
Its awful to have to say it but many of the people & things we’ve put confidence in & trusted in would never come looking for us if we were in need like our Shepherd will. If we lean on the arm of flesh we will almost surely be profoundly disappointed. Only Jesus the good Shepherd doesn’t kick us around. He helps us on our feet again, restores us & helps us find our way.
4. THE SHEPHERD LEADS US IN THE RIGHT PATHS
The wisest man who ever lived said these words twice in the same book, --There is a way that seems right to a man but in the end it leads to Death. Proverbs 14:12—16:25—NIV
That’s why our soul needs a Shepherd who knows the right way to guide us. Though I think I’m a pretty good judge of character & like to think I’m not easily fooled, I have been fooled by people in my life & I know the value of a good guide.
5. OUR SOULS NEED FREEDOM FROM FEAR
David said,--Though I walk through the valley of death I’ll fear no evil; your rod & your staff they comfort me. Ps.23:4
A good Shepherd carried two things besides his lunch; a big stick to clobber snakes & wolves, & a staff with a hook on it to pull sheep out of bad situations. Our soul’s Shepherd doesn’t carry sticks but He works the night shift so we can sleep.
Fear is destructive & that’s why the Bible says 365 times, fear not. Don’t be afraid.
6. OUR SOULS NEED PROTECTION FROM ENEMIES
David said,-You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
In the early spring the Shepherd would go into the table lands where the best grazing was & prepare them for the sheep. He made sure to trap predators, pull poisonous weeds—things like that. Wherever the sheep went the Shepherd had been there first.
7. ONE MORE THING OUR SOULS NEED IS HOPE.
David said, -Surely goodness & mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.—Ps.23:5-6
David is believing life will kiss him until he’s an old man. Hope is knowing all your kids will turn out fine & then, absent the rapture, you’ll die without much pain & be ushered into the presence of the good Shepherd.
8. ANOTHER THING OUR SOUL NEEDS—HOME.
David said, --And I will dwell in the house of the Lord….forever. Ps. 23:6
Let me close this with some comments that are extremely practical. The bottom line is, real soul food is TIME WITH THE LORD.
Have you ever considered the fact that a good meal shared with someone who you care about is truly one of life’s great pleasures? It’s true. Listen to Isaiah;
Wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread? And your labor for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me & eat that which is good & let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear & come unto me; hear & your soul shall live……Ish.55:203
When we pause in God’s presence, the fog clears & our values sharpen. During these times we align ourselves with the commitments we’ve made to God & others. Important things come to the fore while secondary things recede into the background where they belong. The busier you are the more desperately your soul craves time alone with God.
In 2 Samuel 12, David receives word that his young son who was conceived in sin with Bathsheba was going to die. Some people read that story & marvel at how quickly David was able to get control of his emotions, get off the floor, wash, change his clothes, worship God, eat & comfort his wife. Even the people around David asked him, “Why are you acting this way?” While your child was alive you fasted & wept but now that the child is dead you get up & eat?”
The explanation for that was right under their noses but they couldn’t see it. David had lain on the floor in the presence of God for seven days. During that time in God’s presence he received God’s healing power. Not only that, he received forgiveness for his sin & gained eternal perspective regarding his son’s death. He was fortified in his soul so that he could trust God during this painful loss & could also offer solace to his grieving wife.
The Psalmist said;--Open my eyes that I might see the wonderful things in your law. Psalm 119:18. God delights in answering this prayer so when you ask, lean toward Him in anticipation. Read His Word in His presence & listen to what His Spirit might say to you.
Jesus said, -Ask & it shall be given to you; seek & you will find; knock & the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds, & to him who knocks the door will be opened.—Matt.7:7-8.
He also said,
Come unto me, all ye that labor & are heavy laden, & I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you & learn of me; for I am meek & lowly in heart:
& ye shall find rest unto your souls.—Matt.11; 28-29
Blessings,
John
I realize I write a lot about Joseph but to me he’s the perfect example of a man who truly grew a great soul. His story begins with spirit & joy. He’s a youngster reveling in his fathers love. He has dreams & visions & he’s the star in all of them.
But Joseph’s brothers grew jealous of him & went into a murderous rage. Joseph suffers in the pit. He suffers in Egypt & he suffers in jail. At the end of Genesis Joseph becomes a leader in Egypt & saves his family & much of the world from starvation. Through all of it he embraced the life God had given him. He blesses his family & forgives them because he turned all his suffering into wisdom. That’s soul.
The best comparison I can think of is the root system of a tree. The part we see may be impressive but it’s nothing without roots. Cut a tree off from its root-system & its dead. It may hang around for a while but it will eventually dry up, get hard, stop producing fruit & rot.
If a 100 foot tree has the root system of a sapling, when the strong winds come, POOF! It’s going down! In fact the tree’s stability & survivability in a storm are a testament to its root system.
When David had people determined to destroy him he said, My soul is full of trouble. Not many people talk about their soul do they? But Jesus also talked about His soul. He said,--My soul is exceedingly sorrowful even unto death. Matt.14:34.
Sometimes life has a way of crushing your soul. Sin is the soul’s number one enemy. Sin like cancer replaces healthy tissue with diseased tissue. Jealousy & envy are diseases of the soul. Moving from one sexual partner to another damages the soul. A piece of the soul is left with each promiscuous partner. That combined with guilt can do a lot of damage.
When we put money, success, pride, friends, pleasure, our appearance, or anything before God it ultimately affects the health of our soul.
At Calvary, Jesus made it possible for our souls to find what they need; forgiveness & soul-cleansing. If we neglect proper care of our souls we become cynical, critical, self-pitying, discouraged irritable & driven. When our souls are healthy we’re light-hearted, passionate, loving, forgiving, trusting, hopeful, peaceful, resilient, and transparent & have close friendships.
It’s important to remember that God loves & treasures your soul & He wants you to take care of it. He knows the joy, peace & security we all want so much for ourselves comes from having a healthy soul. A philosopher once said, “There’s a god-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person which can’t be filled by anything but the creator Himself.”
Jesus said, -- If anyone thirsts let him come unto me & drink.-John 7:38-9. Of course He was speaking of soul-thirst.
Have you ever gone to Jesus & invited Him to fill that vacuum in your life & really experienced the slaking of your soul-thirst He was talking about?
In the whole of Psalm 42, a wonderful vision of the processes of the soul is presented. The Psalmists says;
Vr.1--As the heart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee O God….
Vr.5—Why art thou cast down O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.
In Psalm 103:1, 2 --David actually talks to his soul & gives it instructions;
Bless the Lord O my soul; & all that is within me bless His holy name. Bless the Lord O my soul & forget not all His benefits….
In the New Testament we read of the surety of God’s promises---that they are unbreakable & never fail;-
Which hope we have as an anchor for our souls.—Hebrews 6:19
HOW DOES GOD CARE FOR OUR SOULS?
I love the 23rd Psalm because it gives us good a description of the way God satisfies our souls.
1. HE STARTS WITH OUR RESTLESSNESS & TENDENCY TO WANDER.
23:1—David says, The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing.
What are the I WANT issues of your life? If you’ll let God be the care-giver & doctor of your soul He’ll take care of all those issues.
2. GOD DEALS WITH THE SECOND NEED OF THE SOUL-PEACE
Psalm 23:2—He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside the still water.
Peace isn’t the lack of ambition it’s the sense that all is well. Do you know what its like to have peace at the core of your life?
Sheep experts tell us their very health is dependant on the rest they get. The basic needs of sheep are food, rest, the feeling of being safe, not being driven crazy by insects & being at peace with the other sheep. Isn’t that interesting?
HOW’S YOUR PEACE QUOTIENT THESE DAYS?
Being too busy is the greatest enemy of spiritual growth. We have to make time for God & sometimes it’s a sacrifice but one that pays dividends.
I’ve always being intrigued with the wording; -He makes me lie down…. If you’ve ever raised children you understand that they occasionally resist going to bed. We literally have to make them lie down & rest because sometimes they’re too tired to sleep. Have you ever been so tired you got silly & really didn’t feel like going to bed? That’s why God has to make us lie down.
3. SOMETIMES THE SHEEP NEED RESTORATION
A sheep can get into a situation where he gets down & can’t get up. If a sheep is too full or pregnant, & it happens to roll over on its back, & its wool gets wet or they’re just plain fat, the Shepherd will have to come “restore them.” If the Shepherd doesn’t find them in time & get them on their feet & restore them, they die.
That’s exactly what David is speaking of when he says,- HE RESTORES MY SOUL. - Ps.23:3
Have you ever had your soul restored? I’m not going to be a hypocrite here; I enjoy watching T.V & have always enjoyed movies if they’re decent, have a point & in short, are worth watching.
But in the last several years I’ve found that my soul is rarely satisfied with much of anything the entertainment world has to offer. This also goes, at least for me, for some of the religious programming available to watch. I certainly don’t mean that in a harsh judgmental way but rather I’m just sharing my thoughts with you.
It’s retreating to my place of prayer & study that I revel in more & more. On a daily basis I sit before the Lord & wait. Sometimes I have to wait for a while before anything happens but invariably way down deep inside I hear the voice of my Shepherd, leading me into green pastures & restoring my soul.
Its awful to have to say it but many of the people & things we’ve put confidence in & trusted in would never come looking for us if we were in need like our Shepherd will. If we lean on the arm of flesh we will almost surely be profoundly disappointed. Only Jesus the good Shepherd doesn’t kick us around. He helps us on our feet again, restores us & helps us find our way.
4. THE SHEPHERD LEADS US IN THE RIGHT PATHS
The wisest man who ever lived said these words twice in the same book, --There is a way that seems right to a man but in the end it leads to Death. Proverbs 14:12—16:25—NIV
That’s why our soul needs a Shepherd who knows the right way to guide us. Though I think I’m a pretty good judge of character & like to think I’m not easily fooled, I have been fooled by people in my life & I know the value of a good guide.
5. OUR SOULS NEED FREEDOM FROM FEAR
David said,--Though I walk through the valley of death I’ll fear no evil; your rod & your staff they comfort me. Ps.23:4
A good Shepherd carried two things besides his lunch; a big stick to clobber snakes & wolves, & a staff with a hook on it to pull sheep out of bad situations. Our soul’s Shepherd doesn’t carry sticks but He works the night shift so we can sleep.
Fear is destructive & that’s why the Bible says 365 times, fear not. Don’t be afraid.
6. OUR SOULS NEED PROTECTION FROM ENEMIES
David said,-You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
In the early spring the Shepherd would go into the table lands where the best grazing was & prepare them for the sheep. He made sure to trap predators, pull poisonous weeds—things like that. Wherever the sheep went the Shepherd had been there first.
7. ONE MORE THING OUR SOULS NEED IS HOPE.
David said, -Surely goodness & mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.—Ps.23:5-6
David is believing life will kiss him until he’s an old man. Hope is knowing all your kids will turn out fine & then, absent the rapture, you’ll die without much pain & be ushered into the presence of the good Shepherd.
8. ANOTHER THING OUR SOUL NEEDS—HOME.
David said, --And I will dwell in the house of the Lord….forever. Ps. 23:6
Let me close this with some comments that are extremely practical. The bottom line is, real soul food is TIME WITH THE LORD.
Have you ever considered the fact that a good meal shared with someone who you care about is truly one of life’s great pleasures? It’s true. Listen to Isaiah;
Wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread? And your labor for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me & eat that which is good & let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear & come unto me; hear & your soul shall live……Ish.55:203
When we pause in God’s presence, the fog clears & our values sharpen. During these times we align ourselves with the commitments we’ve made to God & others. Important things come to the fore while secondary things recede into the background where they belong. The busier you are the more desperately your soul craves time alone with God.
In 2 Samuel 12, David receives word that his young son who was conceived in sin with Bathsheba was going to die. Some people read that story & marvel at how quickly David was able to get control of his emotions, get off the floor, wash, change his clothes, worship God, eat & comfort his wife. Even the people around David asked him, “Why are you acting this way?” While your child was alive you fasted & wept but now that the child is dead you get up & eat?”
The explanation for that was right under their noses but they couldn’t see it. David had lain on the floor in the presence of God for seven days. During that time in God’s presence he received God’s healing power. Not only that, he received forgiveness for his sin & gained eternal perspective regarding his son’s death. He was fortified in his soul so that he could trust God during this painful loss & could also offer solace to his grieving wife.
The Psalmist said;--Open my eyes that I might see the wonderful things in your law. Psalm 119:18. God delights in answering this prayer so when you ask, lean toward Him in anticipation. Read His Word in His presence & listen to what His Spirit might say to you.
Jesus said, -Ask & it shall be given to you; seek & you will find; knock & the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds, & to him who knocks the door will be opened.—Matt.7:7-8.
He also said,
Come unto me, all ye that labor & are heavy laden, & I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you & learn of me; for I am meek & lowly in heart:
& ye shall find rest unto your souls.—Matt.11; 28-29
Blessings,
John
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