There is an old proverb which says so truly: Money lost, little lost; for you can easily gain money again. Honor lost, much lost; for it is much harder to regain your good name. But if the soul is lost, all is lost; for you can never, never regain it if it has once perished. "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" [Matthew 16:26, Mark 8:36-37] Now, in our text the psalmist tells us that he is in daily danger of losing his soul, and therefore he is so careful not to forget the Law of his God.

Alas, how many are so concerned about their soul's salvation as the psalmist was? Many think that their souls must and will be saved because they have committed no great crime in their life and have tried to do the best they could. Well, Dives and his five brethren were, no doubt, good, honorable people, as the common run of the world is, and yet their souls suffer in hell. All their lifetime they were concerned only about their temporal well-being, but neglected to care for their immortal souls. Hence they neglected to hear the warning voice of their God speaking to them through Moses and the Prophets. The great and costlier the treasure, the more it needs to be watched and guarded.

The greatest and most costly treasure we have is our immortal soul. But how many subtle enemies it has in the old evil Foe, in the laughing, unbelieving world, in the evil corruptions of our own heart! Verily, that man is a miracle of grace who can save his soul alive out of the wicked Sodom and Gomorrah of this world. As God's grace alone can save us and our precious, immortal souls, let us never neglect His means of grace, His Word and Sacraments, and let us continue in prayer and in a Christian life.

[devotion text by Rev. F. W. Herzberger (1920) -
from the Family Altar - CPH (1957 edition)]
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