By: Bishop Dr. Etta Mhoon-Walker, PhD., DDiv.
Tuesday Devotion and Prayer. June 27, 2023
“Guardian of Your Soul”
“But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.” Genesis 50:20
Every generation fears for the next generation. Yet, if we study the history of humanity, every generation has a story of suffering to tell because suffering is a part of life here on earth. In my generation alone, we watched the Challenger space shuttle explode live on tv in our grade-school classrooms. On September 11th, 2001, two planes crashed into the World Trade Center in NYC, and again, we watched it live on TV. In 2020, the global pandemic hit. These are just the first few significant moments I can recall. No matter what we go through, in our personal lives and on a grander scale alongside our generation, God doesn’t change. He is the Guardian of our souls.
Genesis 50:20 records the faithful words of Joseph; the man sold into slavery … by his brothers. “The principle that God ultimately overrules human sin for his glory and the good of mankind is important in Scripture”. Acts 3:13 says, “The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate when he was determined to let him go.” The Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, “ For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:28)
Because of who God is and the sacrifice Jesus made to rescue us eternally, we can wholeheartedly proclaim: “Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.” Psalm 104 :1.
The theme of Psalm 104 is “appreciating God through his creation,” the NLT Life Application Bible explains, “He not only creates but also maintains his creation. The Lord’s care is the source of our joy.” Joseph wasn’t the only human to endure unfair trials and tribulations. Besides what he had personally gone through, the world as he knew it was experiencing a famine, which would affect his entire generation. God is the guardian of our souls. The plan has always been to rescue us through the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus. Jesus went through the Old Testament Scripture with His disciples, pointing Himself out to them in the text!
Heavenly Father,
You are the Guardian of our souls. Thank You for rescuing us through Jesus. Scripture says, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Peter 2:24). Regardless of what the world throws at us and the trouble we create for ourselves as sinners living on a cursed earth, You are the Guardian of our souls. Our souls will live on past our humanity on this earth and on to eternity with You, our Father and Savior. Your Word says, “For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your soul” (1 Peter 2:25).
You, O God, are the guardian of our souls. When we turn to You through Christ Jesus, we have a safe place to hide when life is hard. We are not hidden away from trouble and pain but carried through it by Your compassion. You see us and guard us. When we fear our current situation or that of the world we are living in, we can pray the words of Psalm 17:8: “Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings.” God, You will always be the Guardian of our souls. With the guidance of Your leadership, protection, wisdom, and love, we want to walk out our days on this earth. In Your son Jesus’ Name, I pray, Amen.
