Based on personal experience, it seems that there is a direct correlation between how well we listen to and heed God’s word and will, and the state of our souls.
When our loyalty is divided between God and the world (James 4:8), we experience unrest in our lives. In trying to appease two masters, we become fragmented and distracted, anxious and weary. We start to hustle for our self-worth; we begin to define our value based on society’s measuring sticks: success, achievement, productivity.
Turns out, God knows what’s best for us; he knows what will bring us rest, security, wholeness, and peace. Only in returning to God and resting in him (Isaiah 30:15) are we able to find our true self, the unique self created and defined by God, rather than the world.
Only in coming closer to him, in listening and heeding, is our soul replenished and revived.
Some questions for you as you meditate on this verse:
Are there specific instructions from God that you are ignoring right now?
How is your soul, your innermost self, feeling these days? Anxious and weary or at peace? Does your soul need reviving?
