Prospering the Soul

Everyone wants to prosper his or her soul.  They purchase things to try to prosper their soul, they travel to try to prosper their soul, they make personal connections with others, they eat things to try to prosper their soul, exercise, practice religions and/or precepts, work hard accumulating successes and even drink, do drugs and party - thinking they will somehow prosper their soul.  And though some of these are good things, they will never satisfy the yearning soul.  What they thought would satisfy soon lacks it’s “luster” and they are once again looking for something or someone else to satisfy their soul. 

Strangely they avoid or skip and/or neglect the very "One" that is suppose to prosper their soul.    

David wrote,

“The LORD is my shepherd; I lack nothing.” (Psalm 23:1 NIV)

Wow! What a thought! Lacking nothing…

WHERE THE LACK BEGAN

Before Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they “lacked nothing”… except maybe clothing. :) 
Their souls were “satisfied”.  And in them was this empowering glory of light that prospered their soul.

Their soul prospered in the things of God.  Gratitude, serenity, peace, love, hope, wisdom, mercy, grace, and goodness super-naturally manifested in their life.

BUT once they ate the forbidden fruit we notice right away a sudden spiritual deficiency. (Genesis 3)  Contempt, fear, anxiety, pride, anger, blame, rudeness filled their mouths as they brought forth of what now suddenly polluted and filled their hearts.  The music of their souls was suddenly darkened by sin.  The strong internal compass that once pointed due north to God’s love was now malfunctioning.  What spiritually protected their souls was stripped from them.  Sin was then free to taint their thoughts and reality.  This sickness and disease did not just affect them but their offspring… us.

They not only have to leave their home, the Garden of Eden because of disobeying God, but in a big sense lost their spiritual home as well to their soul.  The good pleasant sustaining reality they had lived in was now gone.   

We are all born with this spiritual deficiency.  Our reality is skewed…  We lack the very ONE who prospers and satisfies the soul.  We are born with this immense need for the reality of God’s love. 

In short, God created us to be reliant on Him and without Him... the soul is certain not only to not prosper but spiritually deteriorate. 

Think for minute ... How many times have we tried to control, fix, and deliver ourselves by "our means only to end up serving things and dark emotions instead of being delivered from the those things by God.  We make things and emotions gods over our soul then turning to THE DELIVER of our soul.

We get hurt by someone so we turned to revenge, anger, and hate.   We wanted to stop being addicted to one substance so we exchange it for another substance.  We get on antidepressants to cover up our symptoms depression never dealing with the root reason(s) for why we are depressed... and the list goes on and on and on....   

JESUS IS THE ANSWER

 BUT HERE is the good news …

The Word of God says, Jesus himself took our infirmities and carried away our diseases. (Note Matthew 8:17)

Through faith in Jesus Christ we can walk in what Adam and Eve lost.  We can be cured from the curse of Adam and Eve.

Jesus came not only to save us from hell but also to deliver us from the mindset of bondage....

The word of God says, "WHEN HE (Jesus) ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN." Ephesians 4:8

Jesus said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill and to destroy.  I have come that they may have life, and they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:10-11

We can grow and mature (prosper) in the “knowing” of God’s love. We can know where our spiritual home is for our soul that leads the our heart and mind.  That is something Adam and Eve lost.
 

 It’s only in surrendering our life to Jesus Christ, can God take down the blinding and deafening deficiency in our life and we can partake in the prospering unlimited goodness God wants and intends to enrich and clothe our soul.
  

Often limited and trapped by our own understanding, God tells us not to depend on our own understanding but seek Him and reverence Him above all things and he will give us health and vitality.  (Proverbs 3:5-8)

THE HEART AND SPIRIT
Spiritual health and vitality (the capacity to mature and endure) are vital in our soul prospering and they are also dependent upon the condition of heart and spirit in which a person lives.
    

In the book of Ezekiel, God says,

If we stop looking to “things/idols” to prosper the soul and turn and give our life to Him, He will put a new spirit within us and take away the undiscerning heart of stone and give us a tender heart instead.  He will give us a heart that receives and acknowledges and feels the good prosperous things of God in our life.

For “God blesses those who realize their need for Him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them.” Matthew 5:3

And one of my personal favorites:

        "God blesses those whose hearts are pure for they will see God." Matthew 5:8
 
God is the only one who can make our heart pure, we obviously can't.  When we have this transformed heart and God’s spirit living in us, our soul should not only prosper but God’s goodness and glory should be seen in our life.

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” 2 Peter 1:3

KNOWLEDGE
Man has a lot of knowledge but the type of knowledge I am talking about is “LIVING” personal knowledge that God has put in each believer in Christ Jesus.  It isn’t something we have learned by rote but knowledge that dwells in the soul of the believer.  It’s “personal” knowledge that God, is at work in our life.   This living knowledge not only prospers our soul but also enables us to persevere in the challenges of this life.

John writes: “Beloved, I pray you prosper concerning all things and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.” 3 John 1:2

HEALTH
There is that word “health” again.   This word “health” in the concordance means:

Health of the “soul”: to be sound, to be well, to be in good health

1.     Christians who opinions are free from any mixture of error (like our understanding and erroneous doctrine.)

2.     Christians who keep the graces and are strong in faith (caused by a dependence and trust in God.) 
 

What emanates from us when we trust in things and/or ourselves and not God?  What happens when those things fail?  What emanates from us when we trust God and trust in what God’s word says?

PERSEVERANCE

James writes, “Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:4

Perseverance doesn’t happen by itself.  It needs us to draw close and surrender to God, so God can empower our daily lives.  

Our plans maybe to accomplish a great many things but what does it matter if our soul doesn’t prosper in God?  I mean… one day we are going to have to leave behind all our worldly ventures and accomplishments… what then?  Did we take the time to know God? Did we give your life to God? Have Him become the patron of our soul?  If not then God isn’t our God at all and our soul really has what… nothing?  What a waste.  God gave us free will to trust HIM or not.  The choice is ours but God does have plans for us if we only turn to HIM.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

God is the one who prospers us as an individual, a husband and wife, a family, a church and the entire body of Christ. 

HE doesn't want us to live lacking.... 
 

So the question is, are you going to allow God to prosper your soul?    Do you want to see God work in your life?  Do you want to see and know God?  Did you want to live beyond how you are living now with peace, hope, love, grace, joy, maturing in faith, wisdom and mercy?  Then what is stopping you?  

Take that step and give your life to Jesus Christ.  It will be the first of many greatest steps in allowing God to prosper your soul. 

If you are feeling the Holy Spirit drawing you with this message- it is your opportunity right now.  Don't waste anymore of your precious time.

Call on Jesus with your own sincere words and heart.  Tell Him the truth- if you are scared or uncertain, tell him that.  He won't mind.  It's not like He doesn't know already.  I remember feeling if I gave my life to the Lord I would no longer have any control over my life.  I thought I would be like some kind of puppet.  But that was not at all true but a lie from the pit of hell to keep me stuck and pinned down and keep my soul from prospering.   The plain fact is- do you have any real control over today or tomorrow?  No.  So why not give your life to God who can empower and prosper your soul with HIS love.  

Jesus said. "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:29-30

Take some time now... and if God is speaking to you, give your life to him and receive the prosperity your soul as been looking for in Jesus Christ. 
 
God Bless