He restores my soul;
-Although we do not have space in these brief comments to share it, each of these truths can be applied to the literal shepherd-sheep relationship, the Great Shepherd’s care for each of us and all shepherding relationships, such as parents, pastors, teachers, leaders of any group, etc. Due to limited space, we often touch on only one or two of these vital truths.
-By taking me to a safe and secure “sheep pen” and protecting me through the night, my Great Shepherd gives me a good night’s sleep, which restores my soul.
-Hebrew scholars say that the word here translated “soul”, in Hebrew poetry, rather consistently refers to the inside of the person - mind, heart, soul and spirit - as related to the outside of the person - the body.
-Have you ever noticed how that a good night’s sleep restores your mind to think more clearly, therefore the oft repeated advise when facing a challenging decision, “Sleep on it” first. After a good night’s sleep we are restored emotionally and better able to respond to situations which if faced at the end of an exhausting day, are more difficult to control our emotions from sinfully directing our responses. And our body, after a good night’s sleep, is ready to do things we were too exhausted to do just a few hours earlier, before we slept. Therefore, after a good night’s sleep we can think more clearly, make decisions better, control our emotions better and do more physically than we could before the sleep. When our “soul” is restored by a good night’s sleep, we are restored inside and out and better ready to serve our Great God and others more faithfully in a new day.
-We are truly thanking God for a lot when we thank Him for a good night’s sleep, which is one way that “He restores our soul.”