How Much Do You Think Your Soul Is Worth?
Good Morning Friends,
The general view of most of the scientific world and modern psychology is that the soul is just an expression of man’s brain and physical life. But I believe there is more too this. The average person on the street may not even know that they have been given a soul that needs to be cared for and loved and nurtured and yes saved. Scripture says that God breathed a soul into Adam but for us it happens perhaps not with our first breathe but even before. Some people believe that God created all human souls at the same time, and bestows a soul to each human being, but you will not read such a thing in the Bible. Biblical thinkers believe the soul does not exist prior to conception. And whether it is God who creates a new human soul at the moment of conception or whether God designed the human reproductive process to reproduce a soul as part of the process of birth and development I do not know. But I am sure Jesus and John had a soul in the wombs of their mothers and yes they were fearfully and wonderfully made. Regardless, God is ultimately responsible for the creation of each and every human soul. And it is clear that God values our souls as we should too. Books have been written about the selling of souls and the drama of such transactions. How Much Do You Think Your Soul Is Worth?
Scripture: Even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you. For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.
Psalms 139:12-14 (NRSV)
Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matthew 10:28 (NRSV)
so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be yours made careful search and inquiry,
I Peter 1:7-10 (NRSV)
Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.
Jeremiah 6:16 (NRSV)
For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?
Mark 8:36 (NRSV)
Message: Whether you know it or not you have a soul to save, as well as a life to live. So the message is that you are priceless. Realizing this and its implications is really important stuff. The salvation of our souls may well be the end game and aim of God’s divine revelation in the Bible. I believe that the reason Jesus left heaven and appeared on earth was to save the souls of mankind through His Kingdom to come but also to demonstrate for us how to be saved. This necessarily implies that the souls of mankind are in some kind of danger from which they need to be saved. And the danger I think is not being in the unity of a triune love that forms our life and connects us to God. Now I have for a long time wondered what differentiates our soul from our body and spirit. I have wondered what differentiates the body of the church from its spirit and soul. I do not know if I have a complete answer for you, but I figure it is all joined together in the ultimate purpose of the salvation of souls. So as I read scripture, these physical bodies we have now cannot enter heaven and be saved without being transformed. The Spirit returns to God so the most important work we can be about is helping make possible the salvation of people’s lives. We are to have a purpose driven soul that is not here simply to exist or to support ourselves or to support our families, but a soul with a higher calling. Maybe we are triune creatures made in the image of a triune God and somehow this unity needs to continue. So friends, this is my message to you… your soul is who you are and you are special just like everyone else so do not get uppity but still know you are priceless. For we are not just a body but a spirit being woven together in this life so that we might be born again in a love that lasts with a new body living in the Holy Spirit with a soul that God has saved.
Pray we realize that prayer is to help make us more effective as we discover the anatomy of our soul. Pray God calm the restlessness in our souls. Pray we realize that just as sin sinks the soul, grace lifts us up. Pray we experience the joy of the salvation of our souls. Pray we learn how to plow, plant, water and weed the garden of our soul. Pray that when our souls thirst for a relationship with the divine we drink deep of the refreshing water of life. Pray we realize that each and every soul is priceless. Pray that our mind, spirit and soul is stretched in prayer. Pray we keep our lamps lit with the light of Christ in our very souls.
Pray we have an anchor for our souls in a relationship with Jesus. Pray that our song of testimony to others generates music in our very soul that heals us. Pray we allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us, ignite our imagination and soothe our souls in the hope of God’s will being done on earth as in heaven. Pray we hold fast to what is good so that God will sanctify us and that our spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Pray we have a soul that lasts.
Blessings,
John Lawson
P.S. Front page Naples Daily News business section today highlights The Taste of Immokalee and the work of youth to create a new business to give back to the community. Rejoice in their work and in their souls. The link is http://www.naplesnews.com/business/local/taste-of-immokalee-products-expand-into-publix-as-high-school-students-grow-the-business-2a80c8f6-53-367442081.html
Daily Devotionals 