The capacity of a human soul

Nearly every day, Tozer says something in his devotional writing that startles me. His words may or may not be God’s ‘rhema’ for my day, but this quote has me shaking my head in amazement:

“Out of all God’s creatures, only the soul has a capacity large enough for [God] to empty . . .  the whole ground of his being into it. This He does in the act of giving birth to Himself spiritually in the soul.”

I’d already been thinking about the human heart as I began today by reading part of Exodus, the section where Pharaoh hardened his heart rather than letting the Israelites leave Egypt. Moses told this man what God wanted but he refused. After a few miraculous signs, Pharaoh still refused because God hardened his heart.

This made me think of the hard-hearted people I know. They hear the good news but push it away. The reasons vary, but the result is the same — a decreasing interest in Him and an increasing interest in the powers of darkness.

The good news is not difficult to understand, yet in its simplicity it becomes a puzzle and even bad news to those whose minds are closed to it. Jesus said it this way:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:16–18)

This is a black and white statement. If I believe in Jesus, I am not condemned. If I do not believe in Jesus, I am condemned already. Two choices, and as with choices before they are made, we are usually in one of them. For example, today I can go out or stay home, yet before I decide, I am already at home. In this case, without making any decision at all, the unbelieving person is in a dangerous place.

The amazing statement by Tozer puts awe in my heart. God created us so we have a soul that some say is God-shaped and only God can fill. The wonder is that a soul can be filled with all the fullness of God! Of course, the whole world cannot hold Him, but there is a sense that all of who God is becomes His gift to us when we believe in Jesus Christ.

Why is it so hard? Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.” (Exodus 5:2)

Was it difficult because Pharaoh did not know God? Did he fear great loss if he lost his slaves? Would he look bad in the sight of his people? He may have had these reasons, but the bottom line is that he did not know God or trust Him.

According to God’s Word, all unbelieving people are held in bondage by another ruler, the ‘prince of darkness’ who has the power to bind people in sin. This is the condemnation that Jesus spoke of for those who deny God and refuse to know and obey Him. This makes me sad, sad for those in darkness, sad that continual refusal could mean God will turn His back on them, even harden their already hard hearts so that they cannot believe. The Bible says that His mercy endures forever, but it also says unbelief condemns those who reject it.

^^^^^^^^

Jesus, faith in You brings all of who You are into my life. I cannot fully grasp the wonder of that right now because the sorrow I feel for those with hardened hearts is overwhelming. I know that You can do anything — nothing is too hard for You. May the power of Your everlasting mercy and grace change the determination of those who have set their jaws and their hearts against You.