Oh, My Soul | Alma Mia | Pastor Kris Bojorquez | Strong Church | Mesa, AZ.

Jun 03, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: When Your Soul Forgets How to Be Still

David’s command to his restless soul in Psalm 62 reveals a holy tension: rest begins when we confront our inner chaos. The psalmist doesn’t politely ask his soul to relax—he orders it to wait in silence. Biblical stillness isn’t passive resignation but active resistance against life’s demands. Like David, we must name the storms within and anchor our racing minds to God’s unchanging nature. True rest starts when we stop negotiating with anxiety and start commanding our souls to trust. [16:54]

“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.” (Psalm 62:5–7, ESV)

Reflection: Where is your soul refusing stillness? Name one chaotic thought or circumstance where you need to speak, “Wait here,” instead of letting it drag you forward.

Day 2: Preaching Truth to Your Exhausted Self

The psalmist doesn’t wait for a preacher or friend to reset his perspective—he becomes his own urgent voice of truth. “Bless the Lord, O my soul” isn’t a praise chorus but a battlefield declaration. When life drains us, we must rehearse God’s faithfulness aloud: forgiveness, healing, redemption. Spiritual amnesia thrives in silence; remembrance requires speaking God’s past victories over present fears. [23:04]

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.” (Psalm 103:1–4, ESV)

Reflection: What specific truth about God’s character do you need to preach to your weary soul this week? Write it as a direct command, not a suggestion.

Day 3: Coming Home to the Rest You Abandoned

The call to “return to your rest” assumes our souls wander like prodigals. Stress lures us into striving; pain drives us to numb distraction. Psalm 116’s rescued writer doesn’t wait for a crisis to pass—he drags his soul back to the refuge that already exists. Rest isn’t a new destination but a familiar home we keep relearning to inhabit. [31:52]

“Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.” (Psalm 116:7–8, ESV)

Reflection: Where has your soul been “living” lately—anxiety’s basement, resentment’s attic, hurry’s highway? What one step would return you to the main room of God’s rest?

Day 4: The Yoke That Fits Your Frail Shoulders

Jesus’ invitation to take His yoke isn’t about adding religious duties but syncing rhythms with His strength. A yoke forces two oxen to walk in step; Christ’s rest comes when we stop pulling life’s load alone. The burden feels lighter not because circumstances change but because His presence redistributes the weight. True soul rest leans into His pace, not the world’s panic. [37:35]

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30, ESV)

Reflection: What heavy burden are you still trying to carry solo? How would buckling into Christ’s yoke change your posture toward it?

Day 5: Fighting Forgetfulness With Fire

David’s “forget not all his benefits” is war strategy, not sentimental advice. Our souls default to amnesia—God’s past miracles fade under present pressures. But each remembered rescue is kindling for fresh faith. Write down the rent paid, the diagnosis reversed, the addiction broken. Rest grows when we stockpile evidence of God’s loyalty and force our fears to face the archive. [25:17]

“Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!” (Psalm 103:2–5, NLT)

Reflection: What specific “good thing” from God’s resume in your life could silence today’s anxiety if you dared to remember it?

Sermon Summary

Psalm 62 orders the soul to wait in silence for God alone. “Oh my soul” does not land as pretty poetry; it sounds like a fight. The psalmist faces stress and threat, and the inner life tries to run. So David talks to himself, not with a suggestion but with a command: be still, stop striving, rest in God. Rest is not something earned after enough work; God created humanity, gave purpose, and then gave a day of rest first. Rest is where life with God starts, so the soul gets told, alma mía, descansa en Dios.

The soul in Scripture names the whole inner life: breath, desire, appetite, emotion, personality. When that inner life gets noisy, David practices self-leadership. He cannot always find a friend or a leader, but he can preach to his own heart. If no one answers the text, the psalm still answers the ache. The command is simple and strong: wait on the Lord.

Psalm 103 then trains the memory. “Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” Spiritual amnesia drains rest. So the soul gets a list: he forgives iniquity, he heals diseases, he redeems from the pit, he crowns with steadfast love, he provides rent money when there was not enough. Rest rises as memory gathers God’s faithfulness; history with God steadies the heart in present storms.

Psalm 116 gives the next move: “Return, oh my soul, to your rest.” Fear, pain, and anxiety can pull the soul out of alignment. After near-death rescue, the psalmist tells his inner life to come home. Vuelve. There is a place where the soul can breathe again.

Matthew 11 makes that place unmistakable. Jesus says, “Come to me… and you will find rest for your souls.” His yoke is not the crushing add-ons of religious legalism; it is the easy yoke of walking beside the One who already knows the way. Like an older ox training a younger, Jesus carries the weight and sets the pace. Life will still bring problems, but the King who has never lost a battle walks shoulder to shoulder. That is rest for the soul: command the soul to be still, remind it of God’s goodness, return it to its home, and entrust it to Jesus.

Key Takeaways

1. Start with rest, not reward Rest in Scripture is the starting line, not the trophy at the end of a grind. God gave humanity a day of rest before the first full workweek so that work flows from communion. A rested heart works differently, with clarity instead of compulsion. Begin with God’s gift, then carry it into the tasks that follow. [10:42]
2. Preach to your soul on purpose The psalmist does not wait for a mood swing; he issues a command to his inner life. Intentional self-talk shaped by Scripture becomes spiritual leadership in the moment no one picks up the phone. Ordering the soul to wait disrupts panic and makes room for trust. The mouth can shepherd the heart back into silence before God. [19:05]
3. Remember benefits to recover rest Forgetting breeds anxiety, but recollection births praise. Naming concrete mercies forgives, heals, redeems, and provides, pulls the soul out of spiritual amnesia. Gratitude is not denial; it is orientation, placing today’s weight in the context of God’s track record. Memory becomes a refuge where the soul rests again. [26:23]
4. Take Jesus’ yoke and learn pace The yoke image is not a new burden; it is shared direction with a stronger Partner. Jesus sets a pace that is humble and gentle, teaching step by step how to carry life without collapse. Problems remain, but striving eases because presence carries what pressure cannot. Rest deepens as obedience syncs with His stride. [42:41]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:25] - Series recap: Rest for my soul
[00:45] - Rest is God’s gift
[02:55] - Psalm 62 sets the foundation
[03:28] - What “oh my soul” really means
[06:04] - Preference vs culture in the church
[08:11] - Where culture truly infiltrates: rest
[10:42] - Start with rest, then work
[13:53] - Rest means cease from striving
[16:54] - Command your soul to wait
[22:51] - Remind your soul of His benefits
[31:17] - Return your soul to God
[37:35] - Come to Jesus for real rest
[40:51] - His easy yoke, not heavy religion
[44:43] - The King walks with you

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV)
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Observation Questions

In Psalm 62:5-8, what specific command does David give his soul, and what reasons does he give for obeying this command?
Psalm 103 lists several “benefits” of God (forgiveness, healing, redemption, etc.). What concrete examples of these benefits were mentioned in the sermon? [25:17]
How does Jesus contrast His yoke with the religious legalism of His time in Matthew 11:28-30?

Interpretation Questions

Why might rest be described as a “starting line” rather than a reward for work? How does this connect to God’s design in creation? [10:42]
What does it mean for the soul to “wander” out of alignment (as in Psalm 116:7-8), and how do fear or anxiety contribute to this?
The yoke metaphor implies partnership. How does walking “shoulder to shoulder” with Jesus change the way we carry life’s burdens? [42:41]

Application Questions

When stress or panic rises this week, what phrase from Scripture could you speak aloud to command your soul to wait on God? [19:05]
Name one specific moment in the past year where God provided, healed, or rescued you. How could writing this down help you combat spiritual amnesia? [26:23]
What practical step could you take to “return your soul to rest” when distractions or worries pull you away (e.g., pausing to pray, revisiting a Psalm, or journaling)?
Identify one area where you’ve been striving to “earn” rest (work, relationships, etc.). How might starting with rest instead reshape your approach? [10:42]
How would your daily rhythm change if you saw Jesus’ yoke as a shared direction with Him rather than a solo burden? What habit could reflect this partnership?

Sermon Clips

65s

#JesusWalksWithYou

“Jesus promesses, Jesús promete, take on my oak, ponte mi yugo, I'll make it easy, lo voy a hacer fácil, because I'll walk with you there everything that you go through. Porque yo voy a caminar contigo en medio de todo lo que tú enfrentas. And that is rest for your sol, y eso es reposo para tu alma. To know that the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Saber que es rey de reyes y señor de señores, the one that's never lost of a battle, el que nunca ha perdido una batalla está caminando contigo en esta vida. He's walking with you in this life. should call you sould rest. Eso debería traer reposo para tu alma.”

46s

#WaitOnGod

“If we don't tell our sol to rest, life will tell our sol to freak out. Si la, nosotros no le decimos a nuestra alma, descansa, la vida le va a decir a nuestra alma, desespérate. We need the tell ourselves. Nosotros tenemos que decirnos, and a wait on god. Alma mía, descansa y espera en el señor. The second step of finding resting god for your soul. El segundo paso de recibir descanso para tu alma es, remind your soul of god. Recuerda tu alma de dios.”

43s

#StartWithRest

“The god created man, que dios creó al hombre. Le dijo su propósito, told donde he was made in his amage, le dijo que es creado en mi imagen, and then what the he do, y luego que hizo. He gived on a day of rest right after. Le dio un día de descanso inmediatamente después. Because for us, para nosotros, we work and then, we earn our rest. Nosotros trabajamos y luego nos ganamos nuestro descanso. But good ses, pero dios dice, start with rest so that you can work. Dios dice, comienza con el descanso para que después trabajajes.”

38s

#SoulSaysWait

“We're David maybe he didn't have a friend to go to at that moment, donde quizás David no tenía un amigo a cual lead me, maybe David was calling in texting people, and nobody was responding, quizás David estaba llamando y texteando a gente, y nadie respondía, maybe David was trying to get a hold of some people and couldn't find hus friends, quizás David andaba buscando a gente y no pudo encontrar a sus amigos, so, he sattering set my soul wait on the lord. Y se paró y dijo, alma mía, espera a Jehová.”

57s

#ReturnToRest

“The word return is so important, esa palabra de regresar vuelve, es tan importante, because the shows as the our soul can wonder, Porque nos enseña que nuestra alma se puede desviar. The life situations can put your sol out of a linement with would has for you. Que la situación de la vida puede sacar tu alma de estar en línea con lo que dios tiene para ti. el temor, que el dolor, que la ansiedad puede cargar tu alma a un lugar lejos. For from where is should rest, lejos de donde debería de descansar.”

47s

#SelfLeadership

“And what does he choose to do? ¿Qué es lo que él decide hacer? He preaches to himself. Se predica a sí mismo. He he speaks to his sol, he preachers to his heart. Él habla a su alma, él predica su corazón. He is intencionaly directing his sol. Está dirigiendo su alma intencionalmente. Good his life. En vez de permitir que la circunstancia su vida. Shows worhour call self leadership. Es lo que nos enseña, lo que yo dijera, autoliderazgo.”

47s

#BattleForTheSoul

“It worre reading a battle internally taking place. Estamos leyendo una batalla interna sucediendo. my soul. Cuando el salmista dice, alma mía, it's not for poetry, no es algo poético. It's not something for the sake of beauty and sounding like a beautiful song. No es algo por el hecho de de de ser algo hermoso, escucharse como una canción hermosa. It is battle in with his soul. Está batallando con su alma. And is trying the tall his so, y quiere decirle a su alma, oh my so, wrest in god. Alma mía, descansa en dios.”

40s

#ReclaimSabbath

“But worth the culture has taken over the cheers, pero donde la la la cultura ha tomado control de la iglesia, is en the arial of rest. Es en el área de descanso. We we we don't rest the way god talese to rest in his word. No descansamos, como la palabra de dios nos dice que deberíamos de descansar. I know, a lot of different types of churchers, yo conozco diferentes tipos de iglesia, That people will work five days a week, six days a week, donde la gente trabaja 5 o 6 días a la semana, and then this do get more work pilot on by the church. Y luego, de repente, ahora hay más trabajo encima de ellos por la iglesia.”

59s

“it sounds beautiful, se escucha hermoso. Pero en realidad, what we're reading is tension. Pues lo que estamos leyendo es una tensión. we're reading a battle internally taking place. Estamos leyendo una batalla interna sucediendo. my soul. Cuando el salmista dice, alma mía, it's not for poetry, no es algo poético. It's not something for the sake of beauty and sounding like a beautiful song. No es algo por el hecho de de de ser algo hermoso, escucharse como una canción hermosa. It is battle in with his soul. Está batallando con su alma. And he's trying the tell his soul y quiere decirle a su alma, oh my soul, rest in god. Alma mía, descansa en dios.”

38s

“Where David maybe he didn't have a friend to go to at that moment, donde quizás David no tenía un amigo a cual ir maybe David was calling and texting people, and nobody was responding, quizás David estaba llamando y texteando a gente, y nadie respondía, maybe David was trying to get a hold of some people and couldn't find his friends, quizás David andaba buscando a gente y no pudo encontrar a sus amigos, so, he sat there and said my soul wait on the lord. Y se paró y dijo, alma mía, espera a Jehová.”

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Oh, My Soul | Alma Mia | Pastor Kris Bojorquez | Strong Church | Mesa, AZ.

Devotional

Day 1: When Your Soul Forgets How to Be Still

Day 2: Preaching Truth to Your Exhausted Self

Day 3: Coming Home to the Rest You Abandoned

Day 4: The Yoke That Fits Your Frail Shoulders

Day 5: Fighting Forgetfulness With Fire

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Oh, My Soul | Alma Mia | Pastor Kris Bojorquez | Strong Church | Mesa, AZ.

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