"The Lord is my Shepherd,
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul,
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley
Of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil for you are with me.
Your Rod and Your Staff, they comfort me
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life and I shall dwell
In the house of the Lord Forever.
Psalm 23
There is a lot going on in verse 5 of this psalm. We have already established that God is our guide and he is also our guard. Here we see that God is also a generous God. Not only does he guide us to calm pastures and still waters, and more than just a God who goes before us to be our guard, he pours out his love upon his children as a generous, providing Master of the House who enjoys showering his guests of honor with good things, and in abundance. Verse 5 really gives us the picture that David sees when he looks at his relationship with the Father. Back in bible times and even today, whenever there was a gathering or banquet, the seat right next to the host was reserved for the VIP, the guest of honor, the Big Cheese. The host would welcome him into his home and would immediately wash his feet and anoint his head with a soothing oil, all while the guest relaxes and enjoys the food and festivities. This is the love and grace that God shows to us who are called his children. Even when the battle for our soul rages all around us, God has already prepared the table for us, in the very presence of our enemies. What I believe this is illustrating is that when the attacks of the enemy come against us, there are times when we have to fight, but then there are other times when all God requires of us is to prop up our feet, and watch as he deals with the trouble. It is also a reminder that we are not getting the scraps that fall from the master's table. We are not getting what has been picked through and leftover. The Father has provided so much for us that our cup is more than just filled to satisfaction, but rather overflowing with the grace and mercy straight from the Father.
God has given us so much just because he loves us, yet there are times in life when we don't feel like we have enough. We worry over bills and finances and stresses at our places of work and business. We can get so bogged down with deadlines and appearances and the anxiety that comes into our lives sometimes on a daily basis. What David is trying to tell us here is that God has already seen the battle that is forming around us, and the expenses of life that come our way, but even among all the chaos, we already have a seat at his table waiting for us to come in and be at rest.
In moments of stress, I have found that, sometimes, I find it hard to sit still and wait. Its hard to pace the floor when you are sitting down. But God desires that when we are worried about a situation, we give that circumstance to Him and then simply just sit back and watch Him do what only He can do. Let Him work, and take your seat at his table. He will take care of you if you let Him.
Adam Semple- A Young Man on Journey through the Psalms
That’s a good word Adam 🙏🏼
ReplyDelete