My soul thirsts for God, so pants my soul after you, O God. - Psalms 42:1-2
O God, you are my God; early will I seek you: my soul thirsts for you… - Psalms 63:1

My soul needs care just as my car needs periodic tune-ups and oil changes or it will deteriorate. My soul is more important than my car or my house. It is more important than my job, my career, my investments, or even than my family. Early on in ministry we had a Ford Galaxy 500 that we took for granted. It ran great, was comfortable, and not too bad on gas. In fact that is about all the attention I gave my poor car - I just put gas in it. We had an abrupt awakening one cold winter day while traveling over a holiday. The oil light went on and stayed on. We tried to give it some attention but all gas station garages were closed on the holiday, so we just kept on going. We arrived home to a burned up engine that cost me almost as much as a new car to replace. Cars need maintenance. Cars need care.

The Soul:
The soul is that eternal part of me that was God-breathed into existence. It is my inner-breathing creature, it is God's breath within a person, a breathing soul-substance, it is my innermost appetites, my breath, my life, inner-identity. It is my Id and Ego but more. It is my substance, my essence. It is the "me" that God sees.

My Soul:
We all have one. It is your life-force, your inner-source, your well-spring, your very being. The breath of the Lord gave it to us. It is a gift of God. We are living, breathing, feeling, thinking, responding souls, not just bodies. Our soul needs to be cared for. The Bible tells us it can be neglected, wounded, pained, persecuted, imprisoned, full of troubles, flooded, and disquieted. Or contrarily it can be blessed, healed, restored, lifted up, satisfied, rescued, strengthened and disciplined. It can also delight, rejoice, wait, rest, pursue desires, and be thirsty. A soul is a terrible thing to waste.

My Soul Gets Cheated
The soul gets cheated in our busy, body-focused, mind-focused, and money-focused culture. We spend billions of dollars a year trying to look good, smell good, and impress others that our soul is as good as our exterior. But what is really going on? It is a cover up.

Here are some musing from God's Word about our souls:

My soul can be flooded/drowned
Psalms 69:1 Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.

My soul can be sought after/pursued
Psalms 70:2 Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul:
Psalms 71:10 Mine enemies speak against me; and they lay wait for my soul
Psalms 71:13 Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul;

My soul can be wounded
Psalms 119:20 My soul breaks for the longing that it hath unto your judgments
Psalms 119:25 My soul cleaves unto the dust:
Psalms 119:28 My soul melts for heaviness:
My soul can be in trouble
Psalms 143:11 Quicken me, O LORD, for your name's sake: bring my soul out of trouble.

My soul can be full of troubles
Psalms 88:3 For my soul is full of troubles:

My soul can be disquieted within
Psalms 42:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? and why are you disquieted in me?
Psalms 42:6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me:

My soul can be destitute, impoverished
Psalms 141:8 But mine eyes are unto you, O GOD the Lord: in you is my trust; leave not my soul destitute.

My soul can be uncared for, neglected
Psalms 142:4 Refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.

My soul can be imprisoned
Psalms 142:7 Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise your name: the righteous
shall compass me about; for you shall deal bountifully with me.

My soul can be afflicted
Psalms 143:12 And of your mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict
my soul:

My soul can be bitter
Isaiah 38:15 What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: Ishall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul-identity. It is my Id and Ego but more. It is my substance, my essence. It is the "me" that God sees.

My soul can thirst (or lose hunger or thirst)
Psalms 42:1-2 My soul thirsts for God, so pants my soul after you, O God.
Psalms 63:1 O God, you are my God; early will I seek you: my soul thirsts for you,
Psalms 84:2 My soul longs, yea, even faints for the courts of the LORD:
Psalms 143:6 I stretch forth my hands unto you: my soul thirsts after you,

My soul waits/expects/hope (or give up hope, despair)
Psalms 62:5 My soul, wait you only upon God; for my expectation is from him.
Psalms 130:5 I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.
Psalms 130:6 My soul waits for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning:

My soul can be satisfied (or dissatisfied)
Psalms 63:5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; then lips praise

My soul can follow hard after (or cease to follow, or quit)
Psalms 63:8 My soul follows hard after you:

My soul can be helped (or flounder and drift)
Psalms 66:16 Come and hear, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.

My soul can be disciplined (or neglected)
Psalms 69:10 When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting.

My soul can delight (or bemoan)
Psalms 94:19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me your comforts delight my soul.

My soul can bless (or can curse)
Psalms 103:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

My soul can rest (or be restless)
Psalms 116:7 Return unto your rest, O my soul;

My soul can be weaned (or be dependant), quieted (or disquieted)
Psalms 131:2 Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of hismother: my soul is even as a weaned child.

My soul can be strengthened (or be feeble)
Psalms 138:3 You answered me, and strengthened me with strength in my soul.

My soul can have deep knowledge (or forget)
Psalms 139:14 I will praise you; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous areyour works; and that my soul knows right well.

My soul can be lifted up to God (or cast down)
Psalms 86:4 Rejoice the soul of your servant: for unto you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.Psalms 143:8 Cause me to hear your lovingkindness in the morning; for in you do I trust:cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto you.

My soul can be redeemed/rescued/preserved (or captured, enslaved)
Psalms 35:17 Lord, how long wilt you look on? Rescue my soul
Psalms 71:23 My lips shall greatly rejoice… and my soul, which you have redeemed.
Psalms 86:2 Preserve my soul; for I am holy:

My soul can be healed (or be sick)
Psalms 41:4 I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul;

My soul can desire God (or not)
Isaiah 26:9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within mewill I seek thee early:

My soul can be joyful in God (or grumpy and complaining)
Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God;