Command 39 : Love the Lord | Day 269

Love God With All Your Soul!

The Promised Land lay before the children of Israel, and they were armed with the presence and power of God. They received clear instructions from the Lord to not make any covenants or intermarry with the inhabitants but rather to completely destroy them and all the altars of their pagan gods (see Deuteronomy 7). God also warned that if the children of Israel failed to conquer these mighty nations, in the future the people and their false gods would be a snare to them (see Deuteronomy 7:16).

There are striking parallels between the Promised Land and the souls of people. Each has inhabitants with false ideas that must be conquered so that sin does not reign. If we fail to conquer them, they will be a snare in our lives, pulling us away from the Lord.

The battleground between God and Satan is our souls, and each wants to be in control.

The soul is composed of three elements: the mind, will, and emotions. The English word psychology, which refers to the study of the mind, will, and emotions, is derived from the Greek word psuche, which is translated as soul. In its natural state, the soul will not be subject to the will of God. However, God wants us to surrender the will to Him so that He can work in us that which is well-pleasing in His sight. (See Hebrews 13:21.)

In our souls, we "surrender ground" to Satan through bitterness, greed, lust, and other sins. These produce fears, guilt, depression, and a host of other destructive emotions. The good news is that we can have victory over these sins as we delight in God's Word and meditate on it day and night, because the soul is “transformed by the renewing of our minds” (see Romans 12:2).

With the Holy Spirit directing our minds, we must carry out relentless campaigns in our souls. This warfare is described in II Corinthians 10:5: “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." As the truth of God's Word fills our minds and we purpose to obey it, we will be able to bring unpredictable emotions under the control of God's Spirit.

To love God with "all thy soul" is to build all thoughts around His Word.

When I feel my soul straying from the Lord and lose my delight in God's Word, I can always experience a revitalization of my love for the Lord and His Word by reading the Psalms. Reading and meditating on Psalm 119 is a special source of restoration of my delight in God's Word. Psalm 25 is another one of my favorite psalms and I often express my soul to the Lord by praying verses 1-2 back to God: “Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.”

Loving God with all of our souls means that we love His Word and delight in making it a part of the mind, will, and emotions. James instructs us to “receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21). Are we delighting our souls in the wisdom and treasures of God's Word every day?