The soul is described as the seat of the conscience that governs the mind, will and emotions. Our souls will exist after we die and is connected to our spirits. Emotional wounds such as heartbreak and heartaches cause damage to our souls. Most people consider a relationship breakdown between a couple as producing heartbreak. Abandonment, rejection and neglect in early childhood are major forms of heartbreak that many people overlook. A child anticipates that their parents will love, nurture and care for them. Perhaps we are born with the innate desire to be nurtured and cared for. Abraham Maslow described this as the hierarchy of needs which include; physical needs such as shelter and clothing, safety and security including having a home, love and belonging, esteem which is attached to being respected or esteemed by others and self actualisation which includes the ability to pursue and fulfil a purpose.

When God created Adam, he saw that it was not good for him to be alone, so he created women for his companion. The woman fulfilled Adam’s need for love and belonging. Within this marriage unit, they produced children who may have experienced safety and security, love and belonging and have their physical needs met. As they grew into adulthood, they would develop esteem and become self actualised. Abel was a shepherd and gave his first fruits to God, who esteemed his offering. Cain also brought an offering which God had no regard for. As his need to be esteemed was not met, Cain was angry and this led to his brother’s death. So great was his need to feel self actualised and to be esteemed, that it turned him into a murderer.

Both children and adults have needs which must be met in order for them to be content. A child whose needs have not been met, produces an adult who can struggle to contain their emotions. For people who struggle with anger, rage or other difficult emotions, it is useful to examine what is their unmet need. While it is difficult to go back in time and redo our childhood, God is able to heal and restore. “For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in” (Psalm 27:10). David’s writings in Psalms explores some deeply emotionally charged discourses, which shows how he explored some difficult emotions. I notice how David used intimacy with God, worship and praise to overcome adversity and to restore his broken emotions.

I want to explore some of these Psalms over the next few days and explore how David expressed emotions. He was deeply acquainted with emotional pain and sorrow, yet he was able to be real with God about his emotions. There are other prophets that came bare before God in their emotional distress and anguish. Their writings always ended in a place of peace, comfort and assurance. I believe that worship is an antidote for anxiety and depression and it can also heal and restore broken and damaged emotions. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:17).

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Jesus told a story in Luke 16, about a Manager who was given charge of his master’s affairs. The Manager was wasting his master’s money and the master found out about it. He told the Manager to get his report in order because he was going to be fired. The Manager considered his options as he was too proud to beg and did not have the strength to dig ditches. “Ah, I know how to ensure that I’ll have plenty of friends who will give me a home when I am fired” (Luke 16:4). He called all the people who owed his master to discuss their bills and negotiated their repayment. For each person he reduced the amount that they owed the master. The master admired the dishonest Manager for being so shrewd.

Jesus stated that the children of the world are more shrewd (clever) at dealing with the world around them, than the children of light. The lesson that Jesus wanted us to draw from this story, is to use our worldly resources to benefit others and to make friends. After your resources are gone, then they will welcome you into an eternal home. “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities” (Luke 16:10). If you are untrustworthy with worldly wealth, who then would trust you with the riches of heaven? If a person isn’t faithful with what belongs to others, how can they be trusted with their own?

No one can serve two masters, because they are likely to hate one and love the other. In the same way, we cannot truly serve God and be a slave to money. Jesus also shared the parable about the rich man and Lazarus who was a beggar. The rich man was generally well dressed and lived in luxury while Lazarus laid at his gate, covered in soars. He ate the left overs from the rich man until one day they both died. Lazarus was carried to sit at Abraham’s side in the heavenly banquet, while the rich man was taken to everlasting torment. The rich man begged Abraham to send Lazarus to drip water on his tongue. Abraham reminded the man of how he once lived in luxury while Lazarus lived in poverty.

In the first parable, Jesus wanted people to consider how to use wealth to establish his kingdom. This was in order to gain eternal life. In the second parable, Jesus showed the end result for a rich man who didn’t consider the poor man Lazarus. It was while he was in hell that he wanted Lazarus to come to his aid. His earthly wealth blinded his eyes to the eternal life in torment. God wants us to have wealth and prosperity. Our perspective has to remain on our eternal existence and the life that we will live after eternity. Wealth is to be used to help us and to help others. The balance is to never become a slave to money because then it has become a god. “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul” (Mark 8:36-37)?

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In Deuteronomy 7, Moses spoke to the people about God’s instructions for the promised land. God would clear out the inhabitants before them, so they could possess the lands. They should make no covenants with them, show no mercy to them, but to wipe them out completely. They were not to intermarry, nor to give their sons or daughters to be their wives or husbands. This was because they would turn their hearts away from God, and this would make him angry. “But thus shall you deal with them: you shall break down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and chop down their Asherim and burn their carved images with fire” (Deuteronomy 7:5). God set apart his people as chosen and holy to inherit his covenant.

He didn’t choose Israel because they were greater in number than other nations. “but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 7:8). This covenant was premised on the condition that his people keep his commandments. Once this condition was met, God’s blessings would remain with his people up to a thousand generations. He would repay all those who hate him and his people, by destroying them and repaying their evil works. For his children who keep his commandments, He promised to bless, multiply, bless your children, bless everything that you own and bless everything that you do.

“And the Lord will take away from you all sickness, and none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you knew, will he inflict on you, but he will lay them on all who hate you” (Deuteronomy 7:15). Israel were commanded not to fear the inhabitants of the nations, but to remember what God did to Pharaoh. He would send plagues among them until they were completely destroyed. “The Lord your God will clear away these nations before you little by little. You may not make an end of them at once, lest the wild beasts grow too numerous for you” (Deuteronomy 7:22). The people were also instructed to burn their images and gods. They were not to covet their gold and silver, nor take it for themselves, lest it become a snare.

God kept his promises to his people and in the book of Joshua, we saw how he fought the battles for them. All the inhabitants were driven out of the land and the people dwelt in their land in safety. “And the Lord gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the Lord had given all their enemies into their hands” (Joshua 21:44). Before Joshua died, he renewed God’s covenant with his people. This was to ensure that they would remember what God had promised and to also remember the commandments. As long as the people obeyed the commandments, the covenant would stand, but their disobedience would be a breach of covenant.

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Micah prophesied to Israel about God’s judgment on their oppressors. “Therefore thus says the Lord: behold, against this family I am devising disaster, from which you cannot remove your necks, and you shall not walk haughtily, for it will be a time of disaster” (Micah 2:3). God was grieved about the treatment of his people, especially the women, who are driven out of their houses and their children taken away. He promised to assemble the remnant of his people, like sheep in a fold and a pasture or like a noisy multitude of men. He promised to open the breach (barrier), go ahead of them as they break out and lead them out of their confined spaces.

God leads his people to safety, abundance and to a broader place where we can thrive. This is like Isaiah’s saying to Israel to enlarge the place of their tent and let out their curtains. They were commanded to stretch out and lengthen their cords and stakes. “For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your offspring will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities” (Isaiah 54:3). Moses was anointed to lead Israel out of their confinement in Isreal and into the promised land. Pharaoh pursued the people and they found themselves confined between an army and the Red Sea. God went ahead of them to divide the sea and allowed them safe passage.

The same sea that allowed safe passage for God’s people swallowed up their enemies. God will not allow his children to be pursued when he opens a way for them. We need the supernatural power of the anointing to lead us out of confinement and limitations. There are barriers that have been created by the devil to limit people such as gender, race, class, educational status or age. God is a barrier breaking God and the anointing which is power for service, is able to break glass ceilings and break down iron gates. “Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in” (Joshua 6:1) Israel did not have the equipment to bulldoze the walls of Jericho.

Nevertheless, God gave them supernatural power and the anointing to tear down the walls. Many man made systems, walls and barriers have been erected to try to keep God’s people out of what he has promised. Promises include financial freedom and being free from debt. Many people want access to better employment, health care or education, for example. Employment systems and demonic powers try to keep people from being promoted or advancing at work. All power belongs to our God and he will level the crooked places, make a way through the wilderness and break through barriers and boulders. “For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall” (Psalm 18:29).

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Nehemiah was anointed to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and worked with the people to complete this assignment. Despite the walls being in disrepair, many of the people would have seen it, but did not have the wisdom or tenacity to get the work done. Many people would have given up, if faced with the resistance and intimidation that Nehemiah did. “But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry” (Nehemiah 4:7). Nehemiah withstood taunting, threats and plots to harm him during the rebuilding. At one point, he had to station men at the wall with their tools and weapons to protect them against the enemy.

Zerubabel was anointed to rebuild the temple of Jerusalem. He also experienced resistance and adversaries intimidated the people and wrote to the king, who ordered the work to cease. After the King died, the work continued with ongoing opposition. “At the same time Tattenai the governor of the province Beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and their associates came to them and spoke to them thus: “Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure”” (Ezra 5:3)? Zerubbabel and the elders continued the work of rebuilding, despite the Governor sending letters to the king to try to stop the work. The temple was completed and dedicated so that the people could return to worship.

There are other bible characters who God appointed to build, such as Noah, who built the ark. His mission would have seemed impossible and possibly ridiculous, since he built it on dry land. Nevertheless, he followed God’s specification, completed the work and saved his family and creation. Solomon was instructed by God to built the original temple in Jerusalem. His father had the desire to build the temple, but God instructed David to leave that task for his son. “He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Samuel 7:13). The building in Jerusalem always happened during seasons of rest from warfare and return from captivity.

We need seasons of rest to rebuild, as it is difficult to build during seasons of intense warfare. We need direction from God and instructions concerning building. Not everyone is anointed to build, as God would not permit David to build him a temple. God however appointed Solomon to build him a temple of worship. What Nehemiah and Zerubbabel had in common were tenacity and resilience. They had to overcome great opposition and patiently endured in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and the temple. God also provided resources for building. He gave Solomon great wealth and caused Nehemiah to find favour with the King, who gave him the resources to build the wall. Zerubbabel also found favour with Cyrus and he gave him the resources the build the temple.

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Isaiah spoke a word of comfort to Isreal. Their warfare had ended, their sins were forgiven and they would be restored. The people had received retribution for their sins and the sins of their parents and it was now time for them to have rest. There were other times in the bible when rest was declared over God’s children. “And the Lord gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the Lord had given all their enemies into their hands” (Joshua 21:44). This season followed years of intense warfare as the children of Isreal advanced towards the promise land. There were many giants in the land who tried to withstand them.

God kept his covenant promise to Abraham and the word he gave to Moses and Joshua concerning his children. “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you” (Joshua 1:5). The Lord gave the people rest, once they had taken possession of the land of promise. As long as there were giants occupying the land of promise, the people did not have rest. They drove out the giants little by little and then the people allocated the land and settled on the land. “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses” (Joshua 1:3).

God also gave David and his people rest, after years of intense warfare and fighting. “Now when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies” (2 Samuel 7:1). God gave David rest after he took the ark of God and settled it in Isreal. The people praised and worshipped God and gave offerings before the ark of the Lord. “And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts”(2 Samuel 6:18).

We are soldiers in the army of God and there are seasons when we will experience intense warfare. There are also seasons of rest, after we have driven out the giants and taken possession of what God has promised. We have to take our God given authority, ask God for the strategies to take possession of what has been promised to us and dislocate any giant standing in the way of what belongs to us. Once we take possession, we consecrate ourselves to God in worship and thanksgiving and enter into our season of rest. “And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts” (2 Samuel 6:18).

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There are several references to gates in scripture and David spoke of God breaking the gates of brass and cutting asunder the bars of iron. This was in Psalm 107 when he spoke about God’s salvation of Isreal. They had wandered in the wilderness and were hungry and thirsty. They cried out to God in their distress and he heard them, delivered them and gave them a dwelling place. Some of God’s people dwelt in darkness and distress, when they rebelled against God. They cried out to God in their distress and he heard them and brought them out of the shadows of death.

Isaiah wrote about God’s anointing and mandate over Cyrus concerning the Jews.“Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut” (Isaiah 45:1). Isaiah spoke of God opening gates of kingdoms and cities to give Cyrus dominance. God was making a way for Cyrus to have conquest over kingdoms and territories. “I will go before you and level the exalted places, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron” (Isaiah 45:2). God was also giving him treasures of darkness and hoards of riches in secret places.

He was exalting Cyrus for the sake of his own people, to honour his covenants to Abraham and Isaac. Although Cyrus was not the seed of Abraham, nor did he share in the covenant of Isreal, God would equip him and use his kingdom to channel resources for the restoration of the Jews. “Thus says the Lord: “The wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over to you and be yours; they shall follow you; they shall come over in chains and bow down to you. They will plead with you, saying: ‘Surely God is in you, and there is no other, no god besides him’”” (Isaiah 45:14). God spoke of the dominion of his people over regions, territories, wealth and resources. He did this to exalt his name and for his glory among the nations.

We speak to the gates of bronze, iron, sliver and gold and we command a shaking. “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:8). We speak to the gates and command them to be open and release every promise of God for his children. We speak to the gates of the seas and nations and command it to give up its wealth (Isaiah 60:5). We speak to gates of the nations to release lost souls for the kingdom of God. “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; And be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; And the King of glory shall come in” (Psalm 24:7).

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Paul spoke in Hebrews 12 about running the Christian race. He said that we need to lay aside all the weights of sin, that would hold us back and look to Jesus who will help us to finish the race. He spoke of the suffering of Christ as our example. Although we suffer for the gospel, most of us will never suffer to the point of shedding our blood. We should not despise the chastisement of the Lord. “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, And scourgeth every son whom he receiveth” (Hebrews 12:6). When we endure God’s chastening, then we are his children, just like earthly fathers chastise their children. Most people don’t like to be disciplined, but it helps us in the long run. Paul urged us to live at peace with others and to avoid bitterness.

“lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright” (Hebrews 12:16). Esau’s trading of his birthright set the scene for his brother, Jacob to steal his father’s blessing. Jacob ruled over Esau and lived in the covenant blessing of Abraham. Paul also recalled Mount Sion where Isreal gathered and were afraid after hearing the voice of the Lord. “See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven” (Hebrews 12:25). The voice of God shook the earth and he has promised once again, to shake the earth and heaven.

This final shaking will remove the things that are shaken, and only those things that cannot be shaken will remain. There was recently an earthquake in the world, which claimed many lives. People spoke after the earthquake about poor construction of some buildings, which crumbled during the quake. It seems that they were suggesting that buildings which had a stronger foundation, survived. Earthquakes are some of the most dangerous natural disasters, that affect the earth and lead to destruction. The shaking which Paul and other prophets spoke of, is not an earthquake or a volcano. There will be a final shaking before this heaven and earth passes away.

Until then, God will at times shake the world to shift systems, cultures, economies and even the body of Christ. These shakings are to bring about change, transformation and revival. God will first shake the church, because we cannot continue with business as usual. There is an end time harvest which needs to be gathered and lukewarmness will be shaken out of the church. World systems and political structures will change. Organisations will see a major transformation and a shift in leadership structures. Only those who are planted firmly in Christ will withstand the shaking.

“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock” (Matthew 7:24).

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In 1 Samuel 30, we read of a time when David and his men returned from doing battle with the Philistines. To their surprise, their camp had been raided by Amalekites and their wives, children and possessions taken and the camp was burnt. As a precursor to this incident, in chapter 27, David fled to the Philistines as a way to escape from Saul. “Then David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand” (1 Samuel 27:1). His strategy worked, because once Saul heard that he was in Gath, he stopped pursuing him.

David lived with his family along with six hundred men and their families who followed him. He and his men lived in Ziglag and would go out and raid other regions and take their goods. When the King of the Philistine asked David where he had raided, he would convince him that he had raided his own people in Isreal. What he did was to take out everyone among the regions that he raided, so that no one lived to inform the King. Eventually, the Philistines went to war against Saul and they refused to take David. They were afraid that he may turn against them and support Saul and his army.

David and his men went back to their camp in Ziglag and found that their families had been taken. He was distressed because the men were bitter and wanted to stone him. He sought God, strengthened himself and God told him to pursue the army to recover what they stole. They went after the army and recaptured their families and possessions along with the army’s possessions. Despite this victory, some of David’s men were so tired that they could not complete the mission with him. This created some division as the men who fought, did not want to share the spoils with them. “Who would listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage. They shall share alike” (1 Samuel 30:24).

This is a great story of restoration and recovery, as God helped David and his men to retake what they lost. We have to consider if the original losses could have been avoided, if the camp was not left unguarded? David and his men were busy raiding other territories, while they left their own territory unguarded. All the men went to war and left the women and children alone and unprotected. We can relate this to our homes and families. Many times we go out to do battle in ministry and in the marketplace. We cannot go to war and leave our homes unguarded. If we do, then the devil will take opportunity to come in and steal our possessions.

“lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices” (II Corinthians 2:11).

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