July 5, 2019 -- Psalm 25:1 -- What is your soul?
/To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. Psalm 25:1 ESV
Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me! Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. Psalm 25:20 ESV
Jesus asked:
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?
Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? Matthew 16:20 ESV
How often do you think about your soul? It is such an abstract concept for so many of us. Something I read recently helped to make the concept of the soul more concrete to me. The Scottish theologian Henry Scougal (1650 - 1678) wrote:
The worth and excellency of a soul
is measured by the object of its love.
from “The Life of God in the Soul of Men” H. Scougal
When no one is looking or listening in, what is it you love? What do you think about many times during the day? This will give you a pretty good sense of what your soul is lovingly fixed on.
The psalmist realizes how his soul is prone to wander and begins his psalm, inspired by the Spirit, to write: “to YOU, I lift up my soul, O LORD.” At the start of the day, at the beginning of any endeavour, I offer my soul to God. Notice the soul is lifted. It is delivered from low and measly thoughts and brought to the glories of the presence of God—at the invitation of Christ Who has cleansed us by His blood.
As the psalm continues, and the writer acknowledges the challenges of the day, the battles engaged in, and the temptations of his own heart and the enemies gathered around him, he pleads with God: “guard my soul and deliver me!” It takes the very power of the Spirit of God to break the chains of sin that would bind our soul to worthless loves that would drive us from the most excellent, great and extravagant love of God. I can imagine this prayer being repeated often in a difficult day or when someone is keenly aware of his inattention to God: “guard my soul and deliver me!
Sin has trained our thoughts and been allowed so much leeway do not be surprised at the despicable objects of your soul’s loves. It might be harboring bitterness against others. Your soul might love the idea of hard, mean revenge against someone who has hurt you. Your soul might love an ideal image of who you might be, shaped by the ideals of this world. You can fill in the blank. What is the object of your soul’s love?
Today, when you are aware of an unworthy object of love, join with the psalmist and lift up your soul to the LORD—the Sovereign of Heaven and Earth—magnificent in power and worthy of praise.
Today, when your soul goes back to the old objects of lust and contemplation, go to prayer: “LORD, guard my soul and deliver me!” Pray this. Plead this as often as is necessary. Remember sin is persistent. It has had free reign in some areas of your life and only now is caught in the Light of Christ.
Today, know this: your soul is of inestimable value. The Spirit of God awakens your soul to know Jesus Christ so that your mind and body are enlivened by faith to see Jesus as the greatest Person, the highest good to which our soul can be lifted.
God of Compassion and Tender Mercy, I confess the worthless thoughts that so often crowd my thinking.
God of Holiness send Your Spirit to cleanse my heart and mind and soul of all the filth that threatens to be hoarded there which obstruct the view of Your excellencies.
To You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I lift up my soul.
Spirit of God, guard my soul. As often as I become aware of the distracting things and lesser things inviting me to take my attention from Jesus, guard and deliver me!
O God, the Joy and Life of all who believe, increase the capacity of my soul to love You more nearly and purely until this life is no more and my mind, body and soul will never again be troubled by sin or temptation, and You Triune God will be all in all. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.
