Strengthen My Soul!

"On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul" (Psalm 138:3).

Yesterday, a brother came to visit us at our house. Later, I learned from my wife that he had come because he had been hurt by something that had happened at his church. He had been preparing for an inter-church sports event with about 20 churches, but it seems the coach told him to wait for the next opportunity. Then, through an email that circulated, he found out that other athletes from different churches were selected instead of him, and this caused him to feel hurt. Because of this, he didn't attend his church meeting on Friday and came to our house instead. After he left, I was talking with my wife, and I began to think that this brother’s wounds from the church could happen to any of us at Victory Church as well. So, I advised my wife that, while serving in the English ministry, we should prioritize people over events or programs. I encouraged her that the leaders in the English ministry should be a team that comforts and encourages one another, helping each person use their gifts to the fullest.

We, like this brother, are people who are vulnerable to being hurt within the church. The psalmist confesses in Psalm 143:4 and 7: "My spirit is overwhelmed" and "My soul is weary". He had been persecuted by his enemies (Psalm 143:3), which caused his soul to be wounded and tired. In other words, because he lived in a place of darkness (Psalm 143:3), his soul was damaged and fatigued. I have been thinking about what might wound and fatigue my soul. One possible cause could be a 'classroom of expectations.' In other words, as stated in Psalm 131:1, it could be the pursuit of things that are unattainable or beyond my reach. I should be content serving diligently with the gifts that God has given me, but sometimes, I find myself tempted to look at other pastors who have different gifts, which makes my soul weary. Because of this, there are times when I choose not to read the Christian newspapers that come to our church. This spiritual state is not healthy. Just as a healthy sense of self is important, a healthy soul is essential for our faith life. God desires to give us that healthy soul. Today, I would like to reflect on how God strengthens our souls, based on the scripture passage.

First, God strengthens our soul through praise and worship.

Psalm 138:1-2 says: "I will praise You with all my heart; before the gods I will sing Your praise. I will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name..." The psalmist tells us that we should give praise and worship to God with all our heart and in gratitude. Why should we give thanks to God with all our heart? The reason is because the Lord is loving and faithful (Psalm 138:6). When I thought about what "the Lord's lovingkindness" is, the verse 6 came to my mind: "Though the Lord is on high, He looks upon the lowly..." Yesterday, I went home and took a walk with my daughter, Ye-eun, who is just over a year old. Since she is still so young, I had to hold her hand as we walked. To hold her hand, I had to bend down a little, and even though my back was hurting, seeing her smile as she held my hand made my heart warm. At that moment, I reflected on the love I, as a father, feel for my daughter. I also thought about how God, as a Father, walks with me, lowering Himself to my level and walking alongside me. I could feel God's love.

I meditated on the word "faithfulness" (Psalm 138:2) and connected it with Psalm 138:7: "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me." For example, yesterday, while I was holding Ye-eun’s hand, I tried to encourage her to walk on her own, so I let go of her hand several times. Each time, she fell, and with tears in her eyes, she stretched her hand back out toward me. Similarly, when we go through tribulations and fall, the Lord will stretch out His hand to save us, for He is a faithful God. We can believe that the Lord, who has saved us in the past, will continue to save us in the present and in the future because He is faithful. David, experiencing God’s lovingkindness and faithfulness, gave thanks with all his heart and praised and worshipped God. And when he did, God strengthened his soul.