Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.”- Psalm 103:1
Judah Smith concludes Chapter 1 of How’s Your Soul? by noting it’s notoriously hard to define the term soul. Since we cannot see our souls, we find it difficult to describe them, much less proactively care for them.
Statements like “I really need a vacation” or “When I go hiking I feel alive” truly reflect the state of our souls. Therefore, these statements express not only sour external physical conditions, but also internal realities.
Citing Genesis 2:7, Pastor Smith emphasizes the origin of our souls speaks to how our souls were meant to function. Specifically, The Lutheran Study Bible states that “God shaped man in His own image and breathed into him the breath of His own life.”
Furthermore, Judah comments on the incredible significance of Genesis 2:7. He states:
“Whenever we breathe, speak, or sing, we do so because God’s life has given life to our souls. . . . Our souls came from, depend on, and long for God. He gave us life, so his presence is essential to our ongoing health. . . . Our souls long for God on a fundamental, foundational level because his life-breath created us and sustains us.”
However, many people function as emotional and internal nomads- restless and unsettled. Yet, we’re instinctively, intuitively, and subconsciously driven to return to our place of origin: God.
Therefore, a healthy soul frequently and wholeheartedly comes back to God. That’s when you’re most human and alive- and home.
Today’s question: How does all that is within you long for God? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: the latest addition to Crown’s Annotated Bibliography- The Broken Way by Ann Voskamp
