I've been doing a lot of reading lately about the soul. If you've read much of the Bible, you probably know that it is mentioned in there. I guess I didn't realize how often it is mentioned. If you don't believe me, go ahead and go to an online Bible and search for the word "soul." You might be surprised about how much is said about it.
The soul of mankind seeks to be in relationship with the Lord above all things. The soul of course is the spiritual side or dimension of all human beings, and it will endure far beyond the point at which the body fails. The only real issue in this life is where the soul will be in the next life. That issue in a nutshell is why we are here in the Northwest: to be concerned about where the souls of the people here will be for eternity.
In the book of Isaiah, the prophet said that "we are all infected and impure with sin." An infection is the result of the rapid spread of something that doesn't belong in the body. The body has methods to attack and even destroy the invader, but more often than not the body needs a bit of help to rid itself of the infection. Rest, medicine, and proper nourishment help in healing. Yet when it comes to healing of sin, we are unable to do it on our own. That same passage of Isaiah says that "when we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags." So even the best, most beautiful, most pure and clean deeds we do are equivalent to a pile of dirty rags or a pile of garbage. Many in this world sit proudly on top of a dump, picking up pieces of trash to brag about them.
Only One can bring healing to the soul when it has been overrun by life, beaten down by the infection of sin, or overwhelmed by the day's activities. That One is Jesus, the God behind the "still, small voice" which is easily missed when we are in the normal hurry of modern life. My soul seeks the Savior. My body seeks busy and selfishness.
I was fortunate last weekend to travel to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island for a retreat with Amanda. This town is about 2 hours from Everett; one hour by car and another hour by ferry. It is a place that ranks highly in my mind as most beautiful of God's creations. It is an island full of meadows, pristine rocky shoreline, emerald green water that is crystal clear, and wildlife all around that includes Orca whales and sea lions. To look anywhere around this place is to see the very hand of God, the works of His creation that were spoken into existence long ago.
I spent so much of my time enjoying the quiet solitude. Some of the best times were simply staring out the hotel window at the harbor, watching ferries dock and depart. Others were on a whale watching cruise just watching the water go by. I talked less on this trip than I probably have in a long time, and I think it worried Amanda a little bit, but in the quiet I enjoyed fellowship with the Lord. Truly for this time my soul found peace and rest dwelling on seemingly little.
I rediscovered during this time that my heart's desire, the desire of my soul, is the Lord Himself. I often wish He would appear and speak to me directly, telling me which direction to go now, or, explaining what long-term plan will be fulfilled by me enduring a trial I'm going through now. But so far that has not happened to me. I don't think it is because I've done something wrong or because the Lord is incapable of this. Rather I think it is because His desire is for all of me. All of my surrender of all of myself in all moments at all times. The only way for that to happen is through prayer, when I withdraw from the world to spend solitude with this God who, for whatever reason, cares to spend time with me.
In these moments while I'm really thinking about it I feel exposed to Him, as though I just walked into a public place with no clothing on! I get a more keen awareness of the sin that infects me and become sorrowful in those moments of closeness both that I have sinned, and that I'm the type who continues to sin. I'm infected like everyone else, and this deep-seated infection is rebellion and betrayal against the one who set me free! And yet, when I bother to stop like I did this weekend, and spend time with the Lord, strangely I find that He is still there waiting on me. HE doesn't move at all. It was I, the sheep too stubborn to rest and too slow to perceive the truth, who wandered some distance away from the Great Shepherd.
This great shepherd cares deeply for all of His sheep. This vine provides nourishment for the branches. But sheep need proximity to the Shepherd, and branches need connection to the vine. There is no other way.
My great learning this weekend is that I need to spend more time with my Shepherd. I cannot be ashamed that I need Him as much as I do. My body tells me to pray less so I can go get something useful done, but my soul says the only useful thing is time with the Lord. Quiet time daily with the Lord is important, but a regular quiet day with the Lord is important because of re-connection I do with the Savior. I need Him not only daily but hourly and even minute by minute. My very survival depends on Him.
I now see why Jesus didn't spend every waking moment at work. He didn't spend all of His time with crowds of people. He also needed time with the Father to have enough to endure his hour by hour and minute by minute walk here on Earth. The path is too difficult otherwise.
That leads to you. How much time do you spend in the presence of Jesus? How often do you go off alone to pray? I'm not counting time spent at church as part of that because that isn't personal time. With that in mind, where do you stand with Him, and what will you do about it tomorrow? Your soul has a hole in it that can only be filled and satisfied by the Lord. There is no other way.
