Luke 4:18-19 (NKJV) -18 “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed MeTo preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”
Following the Asbury revival (2023) in Wilmore Kentucky. I was so moved by the testimonies of these young people. In one video on YouTube, a man was sharing about an altar call for those dealing with suicide. I was amazed to hear that fifty students stood up to receive prayer. As I mentioned in a previous post, many Gen Z, Alpha, and Millennials are dealing with mental health issues. It is so alarming. It broke my heart to hear that. They deal with depression, anxiety, anger, disillusionment, isolation, fear, resentment, and bitterness. Today listening to the speaker in the chapel at Asbury there was a call to Sabbath rest in Jesus—the call to those who are tired of striving, tired of religion, exhausted, and burnt out. Many times we focus on the grace of God for healing in our bodies and neglect our souls. God cares about our souls just as much. At times we need healing in our souls before we receive healing in our bodies.
There is grace and healing for our wearied souls. When I speak of our souls I mean our minds, will, and emotions. Our personalities and conscience. It is how we think, and see ourselves and others in the world in which we live. All of us have at some time experienced emotional pain, hurt, rejection, and abandonment. We have had people betray us, hurt us, and misuse us. For others, there has been emotional and sexual abuse. I grew up in a family where there was alcoholism. It affected our family greatly even though it was hidden. It’s hard to face difficult emotional issues. No one wants to talk about it. We want to avoid them and drown ourselves in addictive behavior to escape. Unfortunately, it doesn’t go away. We need to face these emotional giants that want to hinder, steal, and drag us down a path of loneliness, depression, and frustration.
We say, “Does anybody really care about what I’m going through?” Jesus does and I mean that with all my heart. Look at this scripture: Isaiah 42:3 (NKJV) -3 A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth. Another translation: Isaiah 42:3 (MSG) -3 He won’t brush aside the bruised and the hurt and he won’t disregard the small and insignificant, but he’ll steadily and firmly set things right.
Many young people in this revival are bruised emotionally and they feel like they are not making it. Their emotional and mental wick is barely burning. Yet God is moving by His grace and mercy and they are getting healed and set free. God cares about this younger generation and He cares about you! He wants to bring truth and justice into your life. The Holy Spirit Jesus said is our comforter, our helper. ( John 14:26 ). He knows exactly what we need to restore our souls. He is the good Shepherd. ( John 10:14 ). In Psalm 23 the Bible says that Jesus restores our souls. ( Psalm 23:1-3). Psalm 23:1-3 (PassionNTPsa) -1 The Lord is my best friend and my shepherd. I always have more than enough.2 He offers a resting place for me in his luxurious love. His tracks take me to an oasis of peace, the quiet brook of bliss. 3 That’s where he restores and revives my life. We can spend a lot of time caring for our bodies and neglect our souls. God has given us soul care through our relationship with Him. He has given us the Bible to minister to our souls. (Prov. 23:7a, Rom 12:1-2, Hebrews 4:12, 2 Tim 3:16 ). He has given us the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth that will lead us and guide us into emotional health. Many times we are listening to the lies of the enemy about ourselves. We are convinced that nobody cares, nobody loves us, and God has forsaken us. We are walking in condemnation, dealing with unrepentant sin that weighs heavily on our minds. Many times our worst enemies are ourselves. Our negative self-talk is slowly killing us. God’s truth can set us free if we are determined to renew our minds with God’s word. Psalm 19:7 (NKJV) -7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; Psalm 19:7 (PassionNTPsa) -7 God’s Word is perfect in every way; how it revives our souls! His laws lead us to truth, and his ways change the simple into wise.
I’m not sure why this is so prevalent among our young people it seems. I’m not saying these are issues that older people don’t deal with. They do at times. Is it culture, social media, or fear of the future? Is it the breakdown in the families and conservative values? Can it be the sexual perversion and pornography that is rampant in our culture and entertainment? It truly is a dark time that needs the light of God to break forth. It begins in the church and spreads into our culture. Where unbelievers see and sense the presence of God and it brings conviction and repentance. God cares about our souls. He wants us to come to Him.
Matthew 11:28-30 (KJV) -28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Coming to Christ in surrender changes everything. The New Birth, being Born Again puts you on the road to not only salvation but emotional health. The Gospel is a complete package of healing-spirit, soul, and body. 3 John 1:2 (KJV) -2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. God wants you to have a prosperous soul free of all the things we shared above. There is freedom in Christ. He died on the cross to redeem you from all the things that have troubled your soul. Hebrews 4:15-16 (AMP) -15 For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning.16 Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it]. God knows, understands, and is full of mercy. He knows how you feel and He wants to bring you to a place of a healthy and prosperous soul. A soul that is thankful, happy, balanced, well-adjusted, fruitful, and hopeful. That is a prosperous soul.
This road to emotional health begins with coming to God to receive salvation. It also begins with confession. Sharing with your heavenly Father all that troubles your soul. Sharing your past emotional pains and hurts. You may be dealing with unforgiveness and bitterness. It is time to let those go and walk away free. It is acknowledging that God was with you since you were born and knows all that you went through. ( Psalm 139: 13-18 ). This may be tough for some but it is necessary. You may want to talk with your spouse, a pastor, or a mature Christian friend. You may need to see a professional Christian counselor. It takes courage to walk through the door to having a healthy soul. You can do it and God will by His grace give you strength. Take care of your soul it’s the only one you have.
There is a rest for your soul. Where you experience God’s love and peace. Hebrews 4:1 (NKJV) -1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. There is rest in Jesus Christ. He doesn’t want us to come short of receiving what he has for us. We are to labor into that rest. Hebrews 4:11 (KJV) -11 Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. This rest is the rest of faith in the sufficiency of Christ. That He has saved and delivered you. We labor in the sense that we resist doubt and unbelief. We stand against fear, worry, and anxiety. We fight the good fight of faith and lay hold of all that God has promised us in His Word. Hebrews 12:3 (AMP) 3 Just think of Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself [reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds. Start looking to Jesus today! Dont wait. God loves you and has compassion for you. He is there for you always.
Psalm 42:5-8 (PassionNTPsa) -5 So then, my soul, why would you be depressed?
Why would you sink into despair?Just keep hoping and waiting on God, your Savior.
For no matter what, I will still sing with praise,for living before his face is my saving grace!
6 Here I am depressed and downcast.Yet I will still remember you as I ponder the place
where your glory streams down from the mighty mountaintops, lofty and majestic—the mountains of your awesome presence.7 My deep need calls out to the deep kindness of your love.Your waterfall of weeping sent waves of sorrow over my soul, carrying me away,
cascading over me like a thundering cataract. 8 Yet all day long God’s promises of love pour over me. Through the night I sing his songs,for my prayer to God has become my life.
In Christ Love;
Brent and Linda
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