06252022 Internal and Emotional Blessing

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of our soul-strengthening God. With all the levels of needs we possess, perhaps none is so critical as what God does for our souls.

A ninth category of God's blessing on His children involves their internal and emotional state. Simply stated, the righteous have a strength in their soul that is divinely, rather than humanly, achieved. “In the day when I cried, thou … strengthenedst me with strength in my soul” (Psalm 138:3). In spite of all boasts and claims, humans do not naturally have strong souls. A strong soul comes from God. “LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare [strengthen] their heart” (Psalm 10:17).

One notable component of a strengthened soul is that it has received comfort from God. Human souls are easily assaulted by sorrow, grief, and pain. People become crushed internally, and it is not always easy to recover. God gives His children comfort and restoration in these challenging times. “Thou, LORD, hast holpen me, and comforted me” (Psalm 86:17). This strengthened soul enables a believer not only to recover from pain but also to walk through troubling times without fear. “He restoreth my soul. ... Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (Psalm 23:3-4).

God's comfort to the soul is so abundant that it can actually reverse a troubling situation. A believer can move from anxiety to delight with God's help. “In the multitude of my [anxious] thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul” (Psalm 94:19). A believer can move from deep sorrow to great gladness through the healing of God. “Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness” (Psalm 30:11).

God does not merely provide comfort to a hurting soul, but He goes so far as to provide healing and new life. “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3). “This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me” (Psalm 119:50). This means that the believer is able to do more than just plod or struggle valiantly ahead. He is able to resume useful and meaningful life with renewed vigor.

Even a Christian does not have the strength of soul to manage life on his own. Aside from the aspect of sorrow which requires God’s comfort and healing, life also includes difficulty which requires internal strength from God. God is able to provide the strength each day that a Christian needs to live through the normal burdens of life. It is God who sustains the soul day in and day out. “Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul” (Psalm 54:4).

God does not merely give remedial help to combat the negative aspects of life, but He also adds a positive component to the living of life. The work that God does in the soul gives a buoyancy and vitality. God gives hope and confidence in the soul. “For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth” (Psalm 71:5). God provides peace in the soul. “He will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints” (Psalm 85:8). God gives such rich blessings that the innate longings of the soul are filled and satisfied. “For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness” (Psalm 107:9).

When we consider the frailty of the human soul, its difficulty in dealing with sorrow, and its challenge in facing everyday life, it is clear that God makes a tremendous difference. What God does in the human soul is to lift it above muddling through or managing; He raises it to the level of flourishing. “His soul shall dwell at ease” (Psalm 25:13). A prosperous soul comes only from God.

The ungodly do not share this blessing. They face the same assaults on their souls, the same sorrows, and the same challenges. Their lifestyles and choices often introduce even greater challenges to their souls. These people do not have divine help to rise above the difficulties. This is evident in the plethora of mental illnesses and emotional disorders in our world. The aspect highlighted in the Psalms is that of fear. “Put them in fear, O LORD” (Psalm 9:20). This fear can reach intense levels. “There were they [workers of iniquity] in great fear” (Psalm 14:5). It can become a power so overwhelming that it completely destroys the life. “How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors” (Psalm 73:19).

Do the souls of Christians constantly live in this strengthened, comforted, restored, and robust state? No. There are certainly challenges along the way. There are times of deep valleys. But there are no bottomless pits. Even in the most difficult times, there is an underlying sustaining of God. Because of the work of God, there is always an element of hope. While we may temporarily sink into a sad state of soul, imagine how much worse this would be if we were not experiencing the blessing of God’s soul-sustaining. With Him we sometimes struggle, but without Him we would be lost indeed.

May God meet the need of your soul this week, whatever that is. May your soul prosper.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA