Contemplative Bible Reading

Deuteronomy 28:65 (English Standard Version)

And among these nations you shall find no respite, and there shall be no resting place for the sole of your foot, but the Lord will give you there a trembling heart and failing eyes and a languishing soul.

God is telling His people what fate they will have if they don’t follow Him. It is awful. God doesn’t tell them of the place they will be, but describes their soul. They will languish.

languish: lose or lack vitality; grow weak or feeble; suffer from being forced to remain in an unpleasant place or situation.

Awful. Simply awful.

Notice how God describes punishment and reward. God speaks of the soul and the condition of the spirit of a person. The surroundings don’t matter. We could be in 21st century Manhattan or 17th century London or on a planet years in the future. The soul always has and always will be the condition of man.

How is my soul? How is my relationship with God?