But I have stilled and quieted my soul. (Psalm 131:2, NIV)
“How is it with your soul?”
A knowledgeable church historian would recognize this question from the old class meetings of Methodism. Those meetings were small gathering of believers, much like you might find in some Links Fellowships, where men and women come together to measure the course of their lives in relation to the revelations of Scripture.
Class meetings are not so prevalent today, and the penetration of that question might set believers of all persuasions back a bit. Are we really required to be so very transparent with one another, especially regarding the state of our soul?
The condition and activities of the soul were no hindrance for the psalmists, neither the unnamed songwriter of Psalm 130 nor David in his writing of Psalm 131. For them, the soul was a recognizable, integrated component of one’s person. And by it, we connect with God.
Your soul is alive. It wars against what would disturb it and ignites with hope for what is to come in God’s kingdom.In Psalm 131, we find an activity of the soul that fits our more typical understanding: quietness. To say this is our “typical understanding” is to admit that we commonly think of the soul’s role as passive. But even a cursory glance at all the attractions and distractions calling for our attention reminds us how hard it is to be still and quiet. It takes real effort.
David compared the quieted soul to a weaned child with its mother. Before this weaning, a child may rise up in dissatisfaction at any time, crying for food, untrusting that it will come in due time. Once weaned, however, the child may still express hunger but has learned the patient trust of one who knows it will come with the asking. Maturity has begun to take hold. In the same way, mature believers do not make demands of God but requests of him, trusting that their soul can be “satisfied as with the richest of foods” (Psalm 63:5).
And yet there is an allowable impatience for those with faith. Their soul is eager for what is to come. This is what we find when we back up into Psalm 130 and read, “My soul waits for the Lord as the watchman waits for the morning.” Why does a watchman wait for the morning? Because this is the hour of safety for the people and the hour of relief for himself. In the night, the watchman is responsible and pensive; with the morning he may rest.
In this picture, we find our own current state—that is, if we identify with Paul’s words: “We ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:23).
Your soul is alive. It wars against what would disturb it and ignites with hope for what is to come in God’s kingdom. We should never be afraid to give our soul freedom to connect deeply with God and express our innermost urgings to him.
—
Jeff Hopper
August 29, 2018
Copyright 2018 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
OTHER DEVOTIONS IN THIS SERIES
Ascending: Common Complaints (Psalm 120)
Ascending: In God’s Care (Psalm 121)
Ascending: Joy and Peace in Fellowship (Psalm 122)
Ascending: The Mercy We Need (Psalm 123)
Ascending: How Great An Escape (Psalm 124)
Ascending: Stark Lines (Psalm 125)
Ascending: Sorrow and Joy (Psalm 126)
Ascending: Work and Home (Psalm 127)
Ascending: ‘Blessed’ (Psalm 128)
Ascending: Set Free (Psalm 129)
Ascending: Finding Forgiveness (Psalm 130)
Ascending: Despite Our Sin (Psalm 132)
Ascending: Together in Christ (Psalm 133)
Ascending: Earth to Heaven, Heaven to Earth (Psalm 134)