“But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”  Deuteronomy 4:29 NKJV

My soul is that inanimate essence that makes me uniquely me.  It is this that causes me to seek the Lord.  And with all my heart and all my soul I do yearn after Him.  It is my belief that a soul is eternal, that it is immortal and never dies.  It is that which departs my body as I cease to breathe and my heart no longer beats. King David said in Psalm 42:2 NKJV, “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”

“But take careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”  Joshua 22:5 NKJV.  As hard as I try, I do backslide to Satan’s temptations.  But the gift of God’s grace lifts me up again.

Webster’s New World college dictionary defines the word soul as an entity which is regarded as being the immortal or spiritual part of the person and, though having no physical or material reality, is credited with the functions of thinking and willing, and hence determining all behavior; the moral or emotional nature of a human being.

As a child, one of the first Bible passages I ever remember memorizing was the Twenty-third Psalm.  “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.  He restores my soul.” Psalm 23:2-3a NKJV.   The Lord provides rest, renews and restores my being, my soul.  The immaterial essence of a human being, the very heart and core of a person is his soul.  As DNA is the substance of our genes so the soul, I believe, is the center of our morality and judgment.  This is the center of our being, our conscience.  Matthew Henry said the body is but a tabernacle, or tent, of the soul.

“And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord; It shall rejoice in His salvation.”  Psalm 35:9 NKJV.  He provides me spiritual care and fills my soul with joy.  He is the ultimate Shepherd of our soul.  It is our soul that is of value to Him!  Not our physical body or physique, not our shape or build; rather it is the quality of our soul that is desirable and valuable to the Lord.  Because of my soul, that mystery that defies science, I am able to have a spiritual communion with God through Jesus Christ.  We can practice the exercise of good judgment or common sense in all matters and become wiser; however, it takes a long time to grow wisdom.

The disciple Mark quoted Jesus as saying, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Mark 8:36 KJV.  Forget the ego-driven desire to own things.  Reach for and focus on the abundance of life around you; God’s magnificent creation.  Refresh your soul in all of God’s glory.  Tell your mind to stop and just listen to your soul.  When you nurture your soul you will find more joy in your life.  You will feel it and your family, friends, and associates will notice it as well.

John Flavel, a sixteenth century English Presbyterian clergyman, puritan and author wrote, “The soul of a man, like the bird in the shell, is still growing or ripening in sin or grace, till at last the shell breaks by death, and the soul flies away to the peace it is prepared for, and where it must abide for ever.”

LORD, lead me away from the sinful and worldly works of these times.  Give me insight and wisdom to make decisions that are pleasing to YOU.  Guide my steps that they may take me closer to YOU.  LORD I thank YOU for YOUR sacrifice for my sins and for the salvation of my soul.  In JESUS name I pray, Amen.