Loving the Lord with Life

Posted 1/2/2002

Our souls are what make us alive. The Bible refers to the soul as the living part of people, what God has created, and is what needs to be saved.

We choose to disobey God, do our own thing, and go our own way:

• Just like senseless sheep Is 53:6
• We don't seek God on our own initiative Rom 3:10-12
  This is quoted from Ps 14:3 and Ps 53:3, which are interestingly enough almost identical psalms.
• Our ways our wicked and our thoughts unrighteous Is 55:7
• Our nature is to be as greedy and selfish as dogs Is 56:11

We need to be returned to God, away from our own ways; but this only happens through the work of God, not of anything we can do:

• The perfect law of the Lord converts our souls Ps 19:7
• The Shepherd brings us back to the paths of righteousness Ps 23:3
• The Lord gives eternal life to our souls Ps 30:3
• He heals sinful hearts Ps 41:4

A healthy soul longs for God, and cannot be satisfied with anything else:

• His salvation brings joy Ps 35:9
• His lovingkindness satisfies like cake & ice cream Ps 63:5
• His goodness fills hungry souls and triggers praise to the Lord Ps 107:8-9
• His life as urgently desired as water to a thirsty deer Ps 42:1

As for loving God, it is remarkable that the Bible always combines "all your soul" with another part of us: the heart, the mind, or strength. Most often, it's the heart, your emotions and motives. Well, the restored state of a saved soul gives the heart great joy, the mind wonderful things to dwell on, and energy to act with strength in service to God.

All verses in this article