Alignment needed?

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. (Hebrews 4:12)

In scripture, 'soul' is used in both the Old and New Testaments. In Hebrew, nephesh, and in Greek, psyche. In the Old, the entirety of life was summed up in the term, while in the New, it focused much on the mind, will, and emotions, but never discounted the concept of life itself. When God tells us his Word is used to cut between soul and spirit, perhaps he is reminding us that mind, will, and emotions can become so entangled with the concepts of this world that our spirit is adversely affected.

You will never find 'soul' dissociated with body and spirit - the three exist together and 'make up' the entirety of one's being. What God sees is that the entirety of one's being is to be devoted to him. When one part of our life (soul) deviates toward sinful patterns or pursuits, the Word of God actually helps us identify that deviation and 'reintegrate' our soul with our spirit. Those innermost thoughts or desires that give us encouragement to pursue temptation or sin will be exposed - the Word of God bringing those things to the surface and allowing them to be confessed, left at his feet, and the entirety of our being reoriented toward God alone.

The soul needs some help, does it not? It needs God's touch - so it will be revitalized and made consistent with our spirit. Our spirit is entwined with God's Spirit, so when our soul is revitalized and 'made consistent' with HIS Spirit, we live much happier lives. What we may not realize is how much our 'soul' influences the decisions we make. It is considered to be the thing that affects the 'moral' decisions we make each and every day. When our soul is misaligned, then our decisions will reflect that error in alignment.

God's Word, taken in regularly and with dedicated consistency to its study, will help to align the soul, spirit, and body - creating the optimum condition for uninterrupted fellowship with God. Just sayin!