Soul Interaction

Relationships come in many shapes and sizes. At their root, all relationships are about interaction. Those interactions may be limited to a particular context, such as work, a community group, or a Sunday school class. The interactions may be limited to a particular time frame like childhood, the college years, or a specific summer. Interactions can also be limited in depth, ranging from casual joking to discussing the profound issues of the soul.

God created man as a social creature, designed to interact both with those around him and with God Himself. Relationships are therefore natural and ought to be mutually beneficial. The deepest and most appreciated relationships are those in which the limitations are minimal. A relationship that provides interaction across multiple aspects of life, over many years of faithful friendship, and that cares for the deepest needs of man's soul is a relationship of great value.

Relationships of that depth are rare and special. Some believers may be blessed with more than one friendship of that caliber. For others there may be just one person who fits the description. Many others are aware of the absence of a deep, soul-level relationship with any other person. Realizing that there is no person with whom one can freely or consistently share the most profound and important parts of himself can leave a believer disappointed and incredibly lonely. The soul is where man most needs interaction, and the absence of such interaction leaves a painful hole.

The answer is found in God. God is interested and involved in every aspect of life. God is a constant companion who will never leave. God is a spirit, who is therefore perfectly able to interact with man's spirit; God cares about and is interested in what happens in the depths of a man's soul. In fact, God is more interested in that aspect of man than He is in the more superficial areas. Following is some of what God can do for the soul.

"The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned" (Psalm 34:22). God is able to save the souls of Christians in a very literal sense. There are situations so overwhelming that they would seem to actually destroy. God can rescue in those situations. If He can do that in the most overwhelming and dangerous scenarios, He certainly can do so for any lesser attack.

"Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the sustainer of my soul" (Psalm 54:4). "The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul" (Psalm 121:7). God upholds and sustains the soul. These situations may not be as drastic as the situation in the previous paragraph. Rather than a literal rescue from actual destruction, this is a sense of protection and shelter from the trouble. It is more internal, and the two verses present two pictures of how God sustains the soul. The first picture describes leaning on something, like a heavy load resting along and being supported by a stone wall. All the weight of the burden is transferred to a source that is stronger and more stable. The second picture is that of a thorny hedge that surrounds and protects. God encloses the tender and vulnerable soul in a scaly or spiny durable covering that repels all attacks.

"He restores my soul" (Psalm 23:3). This is an even more personal and intimate interaction. Instead of being on the outside as a shield or protector, God is getting right into the soul. His gaze and actions are not outward toward the attack, but inward toward the hurting soul itself. God reverses and corrects damage that has been done. He takes the soul from the condition it is currently in, and He brings it back to its original condition and makes it again as it was designed to be. Psalm 41:4 speaks of the similar aspect of God's healing the soul. He is like a doctor who stitches up an open wound and binds it together so it can be whole again. While a believer might think the condition of his soul is hopelessly broken, God is able to heal and restore it to what it ought to be.

"On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul" (Psalm 138:3). "When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul" (Psalm 94:19). When a soul is broken and overwhelmed, the two things it thinks it will never experience again are strength and delight. A crushed soul has no confidence, no courage, no strength, no idea of ever accomplishing anything worthwhile ever again. God can give strength and boldness to move on, to live life, to serve Him, to interact with others, and to do what needs to be done. Likewise, a hurting soul cannot imagine being glad or delighted. God's comfort makes this possible. God can brighten the spirit, put joy back in the heart, and restore sunshine to the face.

"My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips" (Psalm 63:5). God brings unmatched goodness and blessing to the soul. The outward circumstances may not seem entirely pleasant, but the soul can rest in a place of bounty. God saturates the soul with His blessings; marrow describes the richness of the blessing, while fatness refers to the abundance. God can give more rich blessings than the believer can even absorb.

David was right when he turned to God for the needs of his soul. He was right when he said in Psalm 57:1, "Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge until destruction passes by." When the soul is oppressed, afflicted, despairing, hurting, alone, needy, it needs to be lifted to the refuge. It needs to be placed in the hands of the only one who can do what needs to be done - the only one who can rescue the soul, sustain it, restore it, transform it, enliven it, and bless it. God can do all of that. No person can.

"I will rejoice and be glad in Your lovingkindness, because You have seen my affliction; You have known the troubles of my soul." Psalm 31:7 (NASB)