What is a soul?
How do I lift up my soul to God?
Why do I lift up my soul to God?
These are provocative questions. But they are important questions. You won't take care of important things unless you know how important they are. Books of theology are dedicated to such questions. This lesson must avoid tedious academic explanations and debates about the soul. We must be practical here.
What is a soul?
The word "soul" describes you. It might be stated that you have a soul. It is probably more accurate to say that you are a soul. "Soul" can refer to your physical existence. Or it can refer to your inner self: your desires, passions, fears, hopes, and dreams - what you love or hate, what you choose and plan. Your motivation, willpower, and endurance are matters of your heart and soul. Your soul interacts with life, with people, and with God. If you are not born again (John 3:3), your soul cannot know, or desire, or please God. Only Christ can make your soul have a true relationship with God (Matthew 10:28; 11:28-30; 16:24-27; 22:35-40; John 14:1-6; I Peter 3;18).
Just for clarity, please note that in the Bible the words "soul" and "spirit" can be synonymous and interchangeable - referring to the inner man. Other times there are specific differences between the two words (e.g. Hebrews 4:12; I Thessalonians 5:23).
Corporately, many people can be said to have one soul - i.e. unity of heart and soul. See Acts 4:31-33; Psalm 33:20-22 (cp. Psalm 34:1-3).
How do I lift up my soul to God?
Let's consider how I handle my body. My body needs care and feeding. My body needs rest and exercise. My body also needs pleasure, recreation, and work. My soul is the same. If we took care of our bodies, like we take care of our souls, we might not have a very good physical existence. By nature, we tend not to be aware and attentive to the care of our souls. Since God made us, we should go to God and His word for all of our soulish needs.
Therefore, lifting up my soul is a matter of reaching out to God with all my heart - seeking him for truth, wisdom, care, guidance, protection, and provision. I need to go to God, first thing in the morning and feed my soul with His grace, truth, and love (Psalm 143:8; Isaiah 50:4).
"I am the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt;
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it."
(Psalm 81:10)
"Call to Me, and I will answer you,
and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know."
(Jeremiah 33:3)
See also Psalm 23:1-6 (note vs. 3); Psalm 62:1-8; 116:5-8 (cp. Jeremiah 6:16); Psalm 39:12; 77:1-6; 119:147-148; 130:1-6; Proverbs 9:10; 19:2-3; Ephesians 3:14-19; Colossians 2:1-10.
Why do I lift up my soul to God?
To answer this question, we turn to our Scripture reading (Psalm 25) - examining specific verses.
Our soul should be lifted up to God. Psalm 25:1
- As an offering of our love, devotion, worship, and intimate fellowship.
- As an offering for examination and correction.
- As a request for truth, wisdom, guidance, care, provision and protection.
- As an offering / a gift for God to use at His disposal - separating us from the world to God.
Our soul is vulnerable before men. Psalm 25:2
Our soul should be aware and concerned about other souls. Psalm 25:3
(Desire for others to be ashamed / humbled before the Lord is a good thing. They need a change of heart and mind in order to repent. See Psalm 9:19-20; Romans 12:17-21; Matthew 5:44-48; II Timothy 2:8-10, 24-26; I Corinthians 10:31-33)
Our soul needs care and nourishment. Psalm 25:4-5
Our soul should be lifted up daily / continually. Psalm 25:5
Our soul is exposed to God and needs His mercy. Psalm 25:6-7, 10-14
Bring your soul to Jesus for proper care and preservation (Matthew 11:28:-30; Hebrews 4:12-16; John 10:27-30; I Peter 2:25).
In this lesson, we have sought to encourage you to lift up your soul to God. In the next two lessons, we hope to encourage your soul to "Bless the Lord" (Psalm 103 & 104).
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