Hello , For the life of me...
"Then the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person." Genesis 2:7, NLT.
You've no doubt heard that saying.
"For the life of me..." It's pretty common, "For the life of me, I can't figure out why he does that." It's a saying used when folks can't figure something out. However, it has great spiritual significance. "For the life of me" can equate life and the soul. They are pretty much the same. We have life by our Father, you know. He caused us to be, and Jesus, according to John 1:3, is our creator. Jesus makes people with a soul/spirit first and then a body. Psalm 139 explains this well. With that said, the most important thing about us is our soul. After all, the body falls away in time; the spirit, though, is immortal.
We need to take care of our souls.
There is a way by which we take care of our souls. The source of that care is God's word, the Bible. His word teaches us three things about the care of the soul. First, some do nothing about their soul. That would be a most miserable existence. That's like someone who doesn't care for his body. Ruinous. Second, some abuse their soul, they live a hard life of drugs, alcohol, and ignore God. Most miserable! Yet, and finally, a few understand the importance of the soul and go to great effort to have a healthy soul.
So, how do we take care of the soul?
One listens to the words of the Creator as expressed in the New Testament. It's that simple. Of course, obeying His word is implied in listening. It's in believing and obeying that we align our souls with God. That's the first, most important, thing we ever do. And after that, we change our lives according to Scripture. You see, our character depends on what God says, and our behavior stems from that. Our words, our actions, are based on the Bible. The love we have and express to our Lord and others comes from Bible teaching. Scripture guides each role we play. And, In the end, at the judgment, those who care for their souls enter heaven. You can imagine what happens to those who do not promote their spiritual well-being. Amen.
We exist by your word Father. We live, breathe, and move by Your gift of life. We need You to guide us, protect us, and show us the way home. What amount of gratitude should be ours? The only thing we can do is give You our hearts, minds, and souls. We recognize our spiritual lives are made sure by Jesus' death and resurrection. You give great gifts to each soul through Jesus. You offer eternal life. A home is made for us where You are. We long to be there with You, Father. In Your Son's great Name, we pray. Amen and amen.
This message is from Garland Van Dyke at Bible Points!Matthews St. church of ChristPO Box 1522, Bay City, TX 774141915 Matthews Street, Bay City, TX 77414(979) 318-2463Contact me at [email protected]www.matthewsstreetchurchofchrist.com facebook.com/matthewsstreetchurchofchristWant your own copy of our devotional in your inbox? biblepoints.org/bible-points(It's twice weekly and we don't bombard you with stuff!)
