Morning Devotional
September  17, 2005
"Just Trust Me" (Part 6)     
    by Don Emmitte

Come, see the glorious works of the LORD: See how he brings destruction upon the world and causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear in two; he burns the shields with fire. "Be silent, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world." The LORD Almighty is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. (Psalm 46:10 NLT).

 

If you have been following this series on trusting God more in our lives, you may have now reached the point where you are asking, “how?” It is not easy, but it is simple. Remember the popular book in the ‘70’s Are You Running With Me, Jesus? There is a part of knowing God that requires us to stop long enough to let our souls catch up with us.

 

There is a story I came across recently, reportedly from the writings of Rabbi Kushner, about a group of tourists who went on a safari in Africa and hired several native porters to carry their supplies for them. After three days, the porters announced they would have to stop and rest for a day. When the tourists inquired as to why since they did not appear to be tired, the porters confirmed that fatigue was not the reason. They said, “We have walked too far too fast and now we must wait for our souls to catch up to us."

Don’t misunderstand me at this point. Our souls can’t disembody themselves, but the picture of an inner disconnectedness is a powerful one, nonetheless.

 

For many people from other ways of life, viewing a high-tech postmodern culture is probably like watching a people come right out of their souls. Certainly the ethical compromises and business scandals—even the sports steroid accusations—that have put famous people behind bars and under suspicion and made others appear like liars, or at the least, very clever spin doctors, seem to spring from an inability of a generation to find its soul. Have we tried too hard and moved so fast that we can’t hear from our consciences anymore?

 

The soul is the part of us that longs for God—that tells us how spiritually hungry we are. It’s also the part that reminds us of the truth. For David, the psalmist, his soul was like his inner compass that told him the right way to go. He often had to stop and listen to his soul. Over and over again, his soul is thirsty (Psalm 107:9), it longs for God (Psalm 143:6), his soul cries out for salvation (Psalm 199:81), and it recognizes the truth about himself—that he is fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). If we don’t listen to our souls we become spiritually disconnected. It’s impossible to know God and not connect to your own soul.

 

So if you feel as I do sometimes, as if you have left your soul behind somewhere, it’s time to stop and “let your soul catch up to you.” In that you will find the renewal of trust. That will be the beginning of peace and satisfaction. As the hymn writer once put it: “Be still my soul, the Lord is on thy side.”