Psalm 27:5 “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows”

The shepherd prepares a table for His sheep even though they have strayed, having just come through the dark valley escaping death’s dark shadows. Instead of punishment there is grace. So often we stay away after we stray because we fear the Father yet we are greeted with a table not a trial.  He prepares a table because this is not temporary, it’s not a picnic, it’s a time to sit and rest.  Tables are more than just food they are fellowship, it’s an invitation to rest and relationship.  Today people rarely sit down together to dine, we don’t feel like we have time because we have made it about food and consuming instead of friends and companionship.  Tables allow us to rest from work and to relax from worry, so that we can enjoy others around the table. It is the shepherd who prepares the table, this isn’t an afterthought, it is planned out. The shepherd supplies us with more than just something to eat but someone to eat with. Why, because we need more than calories we need companionship. When Jesus taught His disciples to pray in Matthew 6:9 He reminded them that they had a daily provider, “Give us this day our daily bread.” It is a daily provision, we have a bread maker not a warehouse of stale bread, His food is fresh. This preparing is not a one-time thing it is continuous action because we are continuously dependent on Him. This provision is personal but it is also a party where we get to celebrate Christ our shepherd.  Why do we whine over God’s provision, He doesn’t prepare junk. What is your favorite meal? God gives us what is good, His best, Psalm 34:8 “taste and see that the Lord is good” Jesus said “I am the bread of life: he that comes to Me shall never hunger; and he that believes in Me shall never thirst” John 6:35. He does all this in the presence of our enemies, why, to show His goodness and grace, to show your enemies God’s care and provision and so that you will be reminded of your deliverance from a life of death. Because His provision always brings peace, they can see you but cannot touch you, to demonstrate that He is in control and has power even over the enemy. God’s table of provision is your testimony, your table tells others they can have one too. He anoints our head with oil, the word anoint is the Hebrew Old Testament word for Messiah or Deliverer, Christ is the Greek New Testament word. Anointing has a two-fold meaning, first to honor, a respected guest was given the best seat and honored with oil. Not just a place at the table but a privileged position one of honor. The second was to heal, we have just come from the valley of death, oil was used as medicine to revive and restore. In the midst of being revived and restored we find our cup running over. The Psalmist says “my” cup this is personal not   “the” cup or “a” cup. This is “my” it is personal, the Shepherd wants to satisfy your thirst by giving you a drink from your own cup. The Shepherd does not offer us an empty cup and tell us to go and fill it up. He does not give us a half-filled cup and tell us when it’s gone He will give us the other half. He does not fill it to brim, no He fills it to over flowing, the law required exact fulfillment, but grace gives abundantly more. Ephesians 3:20 reminds us that He “is able to do exceeding abundantly, above all that we ask or think” As sheep we often settle for a dab when God wants to burst the dam and flood our lives with His goodness and grace. God’s provision can’t be contained, it fills to overflowing. What is filling your life, God’s treasure or the world’s trash? Scripture reminds us that God longs to fill us with His:

Salvation “The cup of salvation” Psalm 116:13.

Satisfaction “Filled the hungry with good things” Luke 1:53.

Joy “Filled our hearts with . . . gladness” Acts 14:17.

Peace “Filled you with joy and peace” Romans 15:13.

Spirit “Be filled with the Spirit” Eph. 5:18.

Today are you resting in God’s provision or your own power, are you running on empty or being energized by His rest? Wherever you are today I invite you to pray psalm 23 with me again:

Lord because you are my Shepherd, I commit my needs to you. Provide green pasture for me to lie in and still waters to sooth my soul. Restore and refresh as You love me by leading me in right paths for Your name’s sake. Deliver me from danger as I walk through wickedness. Protect me with Your power and prepare a table to feed me so my enemies can see Your provision. Anoint me with the oil of Your healing as I drink from Your full cup of peace, secure in the knowledge that goodness and mercy will always follow me and I will live with You forever. Amen

Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the darkest valley I will fear no evil, for you are with me, Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.”

Valleys are typically surrounded by high mountains that can cast shadows and keep us in the dark. These mountain barriers seem to keep us from reaching our goal and the valley seems like the best path through. Psalm 23 says that the Shepherd is with us, so we may assume that this means that the path we are on is due to His leading. Sometimes this is the case, He does take us through difficult things, yet more often than not we are walking through the darkest valley as a result of following our own leading. So often the dark valleys are our own choice “I walk through” Romans 5:12 tells us that “when Adam sinned, sin entered the world” Adam and Eve chose death and darkness. Sheep stray into the valley of trouble, “We like sheep have gone astray” Isaiah 53:6. They do not see the danger because they are distracted by their own desires.  Our normal response to the dark valley would be fear, yet because He is with us we are not afraid. Darkness scares us because it blinds us causing us to stumble and fall and we are afraid of the unknown, what we can’t see. We need light to see and darkness is a barrier to that light, darkness distorts yet His presence parts the darkness for He is light. We have peace in His presence because His presence provides the light of perspective. In the darkness our perception is dimmed but His presence pierces the darkness with life giving light. Shadows try to steal our joy but the Shepherd surrounds us with His love. When we have the Savior, shadows are just an illusion, they are not real and do not have to rob our joy. The greatest shadow is death and for many it is the scary shadow that spreads fear yet with the Savior it is just that a shadow, it is not real. Jesus said in John 8:12 “I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” We win because we walk in the light. Death Shadows don’t scare the Lord, Philippians 2:8 tells us that, “He became obedient to death, even the death of the cross” Death is only a shadow, it doesn’t have to scare us because we have a shepherd that saves. I love the message of Revelation 1:18 “I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” The Shepherd does not watch us from outside the valley or call to us from the other side. He does not leave us in the valley but walks with us. Our present troubles may be tall like the mountains and barriers that block us seemingly on all sides but there is a path through the problems. In John 14:6 Jesus said “I am the way and the truth and the life” Even along the pathway of problems we have a provider who is personal, He shows up and it is His saving presence we need.  Psalm 23 reminds us that there is an opposition, the existence of evil, the Bible tells us that evil is spelled with a D, “Devil” It is this evil that is in conflict with you but you don’t have to let evil scare you. In John 10:10 Jesus reminds us that the devil is a thief who comes only to steal, kill and destroy but that He Jesus came so that we could have life, and have it to the full. Today one of the reasons we have little rest is because we will not resisted the Devil. We end up robbed of our rest. We cry out for God to clean the cob webs out but instead He kills the spider. What if we would recognize the real power of redemption, its conquering and commanding power? What if we would stop focusing on the on the darkness and the devil and instead allow the Lord’s light to illuminate our day. So often we give our day over to the devil before it ever really begins because he has already deceived us into hobbling along in hopelessness.  The darkness disorientates us, he throws up road blocks but impassible does not mean impossible for our God. You cannot expect defeat and think victory is impossible. Stop being tripped up and trapped by Satan’s trickery, start focusing on the Saviors strong arm to save. We must “resist the devil” James 4:17 and that requires removing things from our life “Abstain from all appearance of evil” I Thessalonians 5:22 and resting in the Shepherds protection. The Lord has weapons, His rod and staff, the sheep have no weapons of defense or attack. Usually when people read “rod and staff” they assume they are the same thing, but each is a very different instrument. The word “rod” is more than a stick, it is a club to beat off enemies, it is protection against attacks. Where the rod is used primarily because of negative situations the “staff” is used as a positive tool. It is used for direction, assistance in walking, pointing, and lifting. One is for battle the other to build, they provide help and comfort. When His rod helps us we feel comforted, when His staff directs us we feel assured. The secret of victory and rest for the sheep lies in the shepherd, my Savior in Heaven can beat Satan in Hell. Today are you resting in the power of His redemption? Today let me invite you to pray psalm 23 with me again:

Lord because you are my Shepherd, I commit my needs to you. Provide green pasture for me to lie in and still waters to sooth my soul. Restore and refresh as You love me by leading me in right paths for Your name’s sake. Deliver me from danger as I walk through wickedness. Protect me with Your power and prepare a table to feed me so my enemies can see Your provision. Anoint me with the oil of Your healing as I drink from Your full cup of peace, secure in the knowledge that goodness and mercy will always follow me and I will live with You forever. Amen