The most important thing about you is not your personality index or your set of particular skills. The most important thing about you, and indeed the most important item you possess, is your soul.

Moses warned his people to always remember the great works of God they experienced. You wouldn’t think anyone could forget trudging behind a pillar of smoke, or watching a sea separate like curtains on opening night. But time and trials endanger even the best memories.

Moses wrote: Take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children.

These reflections remind us that our souls require vigilance. Our hearts wander, remaining ever restless. Don’t let the works of the Lord fade from your core.

Like ripe fruit, our souls bruise easily. Maintain yours and flourish. Ignore your soul and it dries up and and blows away. It’s frightening to understand that I could lose my soul. As Jesus said, What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?

Keep your soul diligently—because no one else will.

Deuteronomy 4 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Greg Rakozy