Today's encouragement comes from Genesis 14:21, which says this:
"Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, 'Give me the persons [lit., souls], and take the goods for yourself.' "The Puritans were fond of using this verse as an illustration of how the devil—knowing the value of human souls—operates. Satan is glad to have his hu-man servants "prosper" in the things of this world, so long as he (the devil) gets what is of greatest worth: the soul.
Of course, God knows better than anyone the value of one human being—and that is why He gave His Son’s life for His elect church. One soul is of more worth than the entire non-human (or angelic) creation put together. Do we value our own souls, and that of other people; or do we despise their worth?
[Puritan quote of the day: "The hypocrite is a saint in jest. He makes a magni-ficent show, like an ape clothed in ermine or purple.” —Thomas Watson, in, "The Doctrine of Repentance"]
