RENEW MY SOUL

I will put thee in a cleft of the Rock, and will cover thee with My hand - Exodus 33:22

Sometimes I hear hymns from my childhood singing over and over in my head. Today it was Fanny Crosby’s words to, He Hideth My Soul: “He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock that shadows a dry, thirsty land; He hideth my life in the depths of His love, and covers me there with His hand, And covers me there with His hand.”

It came to me that our soul is God’s, for it is the part of us that is Him. Our personality is a mix of our genetic makeup, as shown by studies of adopted children whose personalities were like their birth mother’s, even if they had never lived with her, and our environment. As Fanny’s song sang in my heart, I discerned that God tucks our soul back out of harm’s way, in a shady place, from which He shields our dry, thirsty personality. Renewal comes when our personality recognizes and accepts the shade He has provided for our soul, reconnects with the truth of whose we are as we recognize that our soul is His and bonds our Spirit or soul within us with our personality, so we can receive the benefits of the coolness and life-giving shelter it provides . . . as He covers us safely with His own hand. Thus renewed . . . we are wholly alive. Let us pray:

“Oh Father, shelter and protector of my soul, how magnificent and Holy is your name. May your golden kingdom include me, as I include you in my life. Allow me the privilege of being part of your will, living in your own kingdom where you rule and provide protection. I come before you, oh Lover of My Soul, asking you to renew the spirit within me, so that I may have new life in you and be reconnected, like a golden thread, from my heart to yours, ever shaded from the misery of the drying, killing sun. I accept your love, your life, your protection, your grace, and your forgiveness. Forgive me when I have thought I could live life on my own, independent from you. I know that my soul is yours and I cannot save it on my own, for it doesn’t belong to me. Give me a renewed heart and soul so that I may see the road signs when I wander from your path. I will give ALL honor and glory to you Father God, for only you are worthy of praise. Recognizing that without Jesus, I am powerless, I pray in the precious name of, and by the power of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.”
Doris
Copyright 2008 Doris Gaines Rapp, Ph.D.
“God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine.”