SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. Today’s journal comes from reading Psalm 16.

Scripture

“As far as the saints who are in the earth, they are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.” –Psalm 16:3

Observation

NLT: “The godly in the land are my true heroes!”

Saints: God’s holy people. These are the people we are to respect, look up to, value and consider heroic. We are to delight and take pleasure in them.

David honored God’s holy people who are on earth now. This is important. Throughout Jewish/Christian history, people have had a tendency to oppose godly prophets while they were alive and honor them once they were dead.

Application

I have so much more reason to delight in and honor God’s people than David did. He honored them because of their godly character; I can honor them because they are a temple of the Lord! Christ dwells in them! In honoring God’s children, I am honoring Christ!

The celebrities honored by the world are often ungodly and even known for their ungodliness. I must choose carefully who I look up to and honor because I will tend to become like those people.

Prayer

Father, thank You that there are godly people in my life who I can look up to as “heroes” and models to emulate. Help me to choose my heroes carefully. And help me to carefully consider and intentionally choose who I elevate in my mind as someone to delight in.

Help me to delight in Your children; every one of them! Give me a deeper love and emotional excitement for the people who are Your chosen treasures. Let me see them as having been valuable enough that You would die for them and that I would value Your people in a similar way.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen.