Heaven (Part 1)Sample

Take Care Of Your Soul

One of the ways God consistently speaks to me is through the UCB Word For Today. It’s amazing how often the daily readings seem to meet me exactly where I am, offering encouragement or deepening something I’ve been reflecting on.

This reading speaks so powerfully to our theme of Heaven that I just had to reference it as part of this study series! It is reminding us that while our bodies are temporary, our souls are eternal.

SOUL CARE

'Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.' 3 John v. 2 NKJV

Your body is like an ‘earth suit’ that will eventually die and be replaced with a new, celestial, Christlike body. Paul writes, ‘We have this treasure in earthen vessels’ (2 Corinthians 4:7 KJV). The treasure, the thing that matters most, the thing that will live for eternity, is your soul. John writes, ‘Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.’

Someone has estimated that the average body contains enough phosphorous to make 800,000 match heads, enough sugar to make 60 cubes, enough salt to cover 20 spoons, and enough iron to make a three-inch nail. The rest is just dust and water.

Seriously, since your body is temporal and your soul is eternal, you must take the long view and practise soul care. Nurture your soul daily with God’s Word. Fortify and enrich it by spending time each day with God in prayer. Discover the talents and treasures He has placed within you and invest them into the kingdom of God. Next time someone says to you, ‘Take care of yourself,’ think not only about your body but about your soul.

(8th January 2025. Copyright © Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission)

I was a little intrigued by these elements and looked a little more at them!

The human body is a marvel of divine design, composed of essential elements like salt, sugar, iron, and even phosphorus – each with its own unique role! As Bob highlighted, for example, the body contains enough salt to cover 20 tablespoons, regulating fluids and nerve function, while sugar, amounting to around 60 cubes, fuels our energy.

Iron, critical for oxygen transport in the blood, could form a 3-inch nail, and phosphorus, vital for bones and energy, has enough to create 800,000 matches. These elements sustain our earthly lives, yet return to the earth after death – dust to dust!

In the context of eternity, these ordinary materials remind us of the extraordinary promises of God. Though our earthly bodies decompose, believers are assured of glorified, imperishable bodies in Heaven (see 1 Corinthians 15:42-44).

Just as salt preserves, sugar sweetens, iron strengthens, and phosphorus illuminates, these elements reflect God’s sustaining power and the hope of transformation. Through Christ, the temporary becomes eternal, and our mortal body is one day clothed in immortality.

Heaven is the place where our soul will prosper completely. It’s the home where we will leave behind our fragile 'earth suits' and be made new. But our soul needs care today; it needs God’s Word, His presence in prayer, and His purpose worked out through our lives.

Reflect

• How could you take better care of your soul?
• How could you spend time connecting with God today?

Let’s live today with Heaven in mind, taking care of the treasure God has placed within us.

Pray

Lord, help me nurture and care for what lasts ­– Your Word, Your presence, and Your purpose. Help me remember that while my body in time will fade, my soul finds everlasting life in You. Prepare me for eternity as I walk with You every day. Amen.

If you've been inspired by this reading plan, I'd love to invite you to continue your study into Heaven with Part 2 of this series.