NESHAMA
Matthew 16:26: “What good will it be for a man who gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”
Neshama means soul. This Hebrew term of endearment is used instead of “man” or “woman”, “boy” or “girl”. Whether a stranger or close friend, neshama is a gracious description for anyone. (The words soul and spirit are the same thing). See the lesson linked below for a soul/spirit Scripture tutorial.
Levi hid from his friends at Forrest’s 8th birthday party. Kids looked but couldn’t find him, so Forrest hid. Colleen screeched, “I see Forrest under the bush!” Forrest came out grinning.
“You hide next, Colleen!” Forrest instructed, shielding his eyes.
Paula glimpsed Colleen’s red shorts. “I see Colleen under the bench!” she announced.
Colleen laughed and came out challenging, “Let’s find Forrest!”
Soon, parents arrived to bring partygoers home. Levi’s mom called, “Levi! It’s time to come home.”
Low tree branches separated and Levi walked out from hiding inside an evergreen tree. His face was streaked with fresh tears. “Mama! Everyone forgot me!”
Levi’s mom’s eyes brimmed with tears as she crouched down to comfort her son. Hugging him tightly, she whispered, “Not everyone forgot you, Levi. I will NEVER forget you.”
On their way home, mom said, “Levi, you remind me a lot of Jesus! You hid sooo well that your friends probably did forget to search for you. People react to what we see. We cannot see Jesus…and He is sad when we don’t seek Him, too.
People are multi-dimensional [di-MEN-shon-al]. There are many layers to human beings. We are so much more than our bodies! Since people are created in our heavenly Father’s image, we’re also spirit beings (Genesis 1:27, and John 4:24).
Seeing everything all around us, we forget to live by faith.
Apostle Paul teaches in 2 Corinthians 5:6-8: “Therefore, we are always confident [because the Holy Spirit lives inside whoever believes in Jesus as Lord] and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”
Take Home Nugget
Our heavenly Father must feel a lot like Levi. His Spirit longs for our attention and comes near to us every day. He is not hiding. But like the birthday party kids, we get busy seeking many other things. Demands on our time distract us from seeking God first every day.
Let’s remember that we are souls. Let’s forget distractions so that we never forget God!
Thank You Father, for giving me a body AND a soul! Amen.
Adapted from “Remove the Distractions“ by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein. October 2, 2014. www.HolyLandMoments.com.
J.D. Griffith
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