The Folly of Counting Sheep

I was recently teaching on ‘Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind’(Romans 12:2). As an illustration I used the difficulties I had been having in getting to sleep and staying asleep. I counted backwards from 100! I counted white, woolly, British sheep! I kept the room cool and my feet warm. I had no coffee after 7 p.m. I played soft music and let my thoughts go like balloons. I rebelled, however, against drinking warm milk and was eternally grateful that we don’t get ‘Horlicks’ here in Canada!

I had adopted the patterns of this world, not evil patterns, but certainly not effective ones. My soul was trying to manage my soul with its racing thoughts, internal discussions and turbulent emotions. I told the class that this insomnia needed a spiritual solution.

Following the class, one of the students shared with me her own struggle with insomnia. But she gave me the solution. She goes to bed quietly speaking out Scripture that she has memorised, particularly Psalm 23. I was humbled! Who do you think had taught her to do that - to allow her spirit to instruct and bring peace to her soul?

For several nights I quietly spoke out Psalm 23 or meditated on the reality of those verses in my life and spoke my gratitude to Father, warm, secure and safe beneath my duvet. If I woke in the night I began again to rehearse the truth of Psalm 23. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.(Psalm 23: 1-3 NJKV). I slept every night in perfect peace and woke up refreshed.

Don’t count sheep. Count on the Shepherd! He will restore your soul.

Prayer: Father, I choose to believe You and trust You in the details of my life. I relinquish control to you and trust you to be the Shepherd of my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.