Sept 30 - Psalm 23:5a

Thou preparest a table before me

in the presence of mine enemies

Psalm 23:5a

KJV

There are one hundred and fifty Psalms in the scriptures.

And in those one hundred and fifty Psalms, there are about one hundred and fifty references to enemies, foes, companies of evildoers, and “those who hate me” (fight against me, seek to hurt me, and speak lies against me).

Life is not easy. It can sometimes be dangerous.

•       For about a decade, David was chased around the Middle East by a maniacal king – his father-in-law, Saul.
•      Sheep are chased too. When free-ranging sheep notice what’s creeping in the shadows, they must surely cry out like the characters in the Wizard of Oz, “Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!”
•      We are chased too. The sins of others impact us daily. Trials often hunt us. Darkness occasionally haunts us. Physical illness and our mortality chase after us too.

Life is not easy. It can sometimes be dangerous. What does it mean that God prepares a table for you and me even in the midst of trials and persecutions?

To answer this question we need to remember the context of this Psalm.

•      First, God is (like) a good shepherd – it’s his image. Amplified by Jesus’ good shepherd imagery in John 10, we know that in addition to feeding and sheltering us, our Lord is willing to literally lay down his own life to save us.
•      Second, by calling himself a shepherd, God implies that we are sheep. Sheep by definition are vulnerable to attack. Always lurking the shadows is the potential of wolves and snakes and violence and death. Whether we know it or not, we are always – at least potentially – “in the presence of mine enemies.”
•      Nevertheless, even the circling of enemies is not a time for fear. Why? Because God is with us (indeed, “I will fear no evil: for thou art with me”).  
•      Furthermore, even though the potential of danger always surrounds us, God cares for our most basic needs of food and water and rest. That’s what it means when the Psalm says, “He leadeth me beside the still waters [and allows me to graze and rest] in green pastures.”
•      Finally, the image of a table – and not just a fertile pasture – is a reminder of God’s ultimate goodness. As a shepherd boy, David surely ate thousands of meals in pastures. As a fugitive from an angry king, David surely ate hundreds of meals on rocks and in caves. A table meant luxury. A table meant peace. A table is symbolic of God’s generosity. David is saying, even when trials abound, if God is with me, I can envision that I am at a rich feast.

Do you see God’s presence as a well-set table? Do you see your days as a banquet? That’s one of the wonderful invitations of this glorious Psalm. Let’s reorient our understanding of our days: When God is with us, life is a feast!

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who’s got reservations

at the best table in the best restaurant

(I’m just waiting for God to show me

where it might be tonight)