REVIVAL TALK

  Psalms 23:3 - He restores my soul;” I love the words of the The New Living Translation, “He renews my strength.”   The Prophet Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 40:31, “But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” We are a tri-part being. We have a spirit, soul, and body.  The Apostle Paul affirms this is I Thessalonians 5:23, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” He restores my soul means He comforts or refreshes me. The Barnes Notes of the Bible says, “He causes my life to return.” “The word soul here means life, or spirit, and not the soul in the strict sense in which the term is now used. It refers to the spirit when exhausted, weary, or sad. The reference is not to the soul as wandering or backsliding from God, but to the life or spirit a

  Psalms 23:2 – “He leads me beside the still waters.”             The Shepherd leads his flock to quiet still waters. The  Contemporary English Version  of the Bible reads, “He leads me to calm water.” When sheep wade into running waters, their coats can become wet causing them to lose their balance. They are in danger of falling into the water and drowning.               Phillip Keller writes in his book,  A Shepherd Looks at Psalms 23:  “When sheep are thirsty, they become restless and set out in search of water. If not led to the good water supplies of clean, pure water, they will often end up drinking from the polluted potholes where they pick up such internal parasites and other dangerous germs.”  [1]             Keller continues, “And in precisely the same manner, Christ, our Good Shepherd, made it clear that thirsty souls of men and women can only be fully satisfied when their capacity and thirst for spiritual life is fully quenched by drawing on Himself.” [2]    In Matthew 5:6

  Psalms 23:2 – “He makes me to lie down in green pastures..”             David writes this Psalm from the perspective of a shepherd. He begins with “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” This speaks of relationships and resources. Verse 2 reads, “He makes me to lie down in green pastures.”   Phillip Keller writes in his book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalms 23 , “The strange thing about sheep is that because of their very makeup it is almost impossible for them to be made to lie down unless four requirements are met.” 1.     Owing to their timidity they refuse to lie down unless they are free of all fear.   2.     Because of the social behavior within a flock, sheep will not lie down unless they are free from friction with others of their kind.   3.     If tormented by flies or parasites, sheep will not lie down. Only when free of these pests can they relax.   4.     Lastly, sheep will not lie down as long as they feel in need of finding food. They must be free from hunger. Keller co