The Cure for the Soul
Of all the Biblical writers, no one knew better how to express the longings of the soul than David. Psalm 6:2-4 is an example: “Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am faint; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. How long, O Lord, how long? Turn, O Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love.” David was well aware of the state of his soul. Some may accuse him of just being a man—a big baby—when it comes to telling how much his soul hurt. He claimed that even his bones hurt because he was in so much anguish spiritually and emotionally. He also expressed well the cure for the soul. I believe David and others are on to something that many of us often miss. David may have seemed preoccupied with his soul, but we are becoming a soulless generation. When was the last time you paid attention to your soul? Do you ever listen to your soul? Many of us don’t know the cure for our soul because we don’t even know that our souls need curing. We have overwhelmed their cries with the busyness of this world. We have drowned out our souls with entertainment and vain pursuits. Some of us are walking around with dead souls that have simply stopped calling out to us because no one will answer. Spiritually, it is very healthy to have regular conversation with your soul. If you don’t know how, begin by reading the Psalms. Then use the outline you find there to write your own Psalms about the state of your own soul. I’m simply dumbfounded that so many of the Psalms describe harsh, hopeless situations that David’s soul is living through, but by the end of the Psalm, David is praising God with his whole soul! In reality, none of David’s circumstances have changed. What has changed is David’s soul. By crying out the hurt and hopeless agony of his soul, it made him open to receive the cure for an anguished soul—knowing God’s love. I find it an important practice to check in regularly with my soul. Soul talk is more important than self-talk. Over the years I have discovered the secret to curing the soul. It comes by exposing my soul before the presence of God. When a broken, bleeding soul thinks on the love and character and nearness of God, a strength of soul envelops it. Sometimes my soul is afraid, it is sad, it is disappointed, it is anxious. I have even had the same experience as David that at times my bones ache because of what is happening in my soul. My soul finds peace when it connects to the thing that cannot be taken away from it—the love of God that cures my soul. |
