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PSALM 23:5 “THOU PREPAREST A TABLE BEFORE ME IN THE PRESENCE OF MINE ENEMIES: THOU ANOINTEST MY HEAD WITH OIL; MY CUP RUNNETH OVER.” (KJV, NKJV, NASB, RSV)
“You prepare a feast before me in plain sight of my enemies. You refresh my head with oil; my cup is completely full.” (NET)
“You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing.” (MSG)
I want to first give credit for the two artistic depictions above. The cartoon on the left comes from “Martin Young Bible Cartoons” at biblecartoons.co.uk. The one on the right comes from bible.art on the internet. As with so many graphics that I like to begin each chapter with, they present the idea of what I hope to portray in writing in a way that I cannot and I thank them for that help.
I watched a program on YouTube early this morning that informed me of the top twenty action Science Fiction movies that would be coming out this year. I was struck by how the narrator explained that, whether or not each movie would achieve its own “blockbuster” success would depend on if the story tellers could achieve enough sensation along with a compelling story line that grabbed the attention of the viewers.
Of course, in the Science Fiction genre of movies, there is always an enemy that brings true horror into the story. Most movies like to grab the post-apocalyptic theme that will obviously exist after we do our best to destroy each other with our nuclear weapons. The most successful stories, of course, involve a central, heroic figure that we can all identify with who must overcome insurmountable odds to not only rescue the entire world from destruction but must also possess qualities that, well, make them heroic.
I can’t help but think about these themes when I consider what David is saying in Psalm 23:5 about a “table in the presence of my enemies.” There are certainly no shortage of enemies all around us. If you can’t immediately identify those, don’t worry…Hollywood will enlighten you about their presence. Of course, in the real world, hopefully, we aren’t confronted with mortal enemies every day that absolutely must be defeated. Or, are we?
I trained most of my early adult life as a fighter pilot to literally throw my life on the line anytime my country called me to do so in possible combat against the enemies of the world. I explain to those who ask that I actually graduated from the Air Force Academy just after the Vietnam War ended, I returned from RAF Lakenheath just before my F-111 wing flew over Libya in a coordinated attack and after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, I was an RAF Exchange Officer helping coordinate fighter attacks by my contemporaries. I thankfully admit, “God just didn’t want me to kill anyone.” I am actually happy for that.
Honestly, we trained for years in the F-111 to be ready to respond to attacks by enemies of our nation and the free world at any time. The closest I can say I came to an actual response to aggression was probably the response I had to exercise regularly while sitting nuclear “Victor” alert. Within 15 minutes of being notified to launch, the other crews and I had to respond to nuclear loaded F-111s in hardened bunkers in England, start the engines and be ready to takeoff to targets we had all studied and prepared to fly to. The blood rushed, we breathed hard, we received our messages and…as I’m sure you all know…we never launched our nuclear armed fighters at the direction of the President.
Many of my fellow fighter pilots experienced actual combat during my lifetime. Those skills we developed, practiced and hoped we would never use would be employed by my friends in places like Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa and parts of Europe. No doubt, the thoughts had to go through each pilot’s mind that what they were getting ready to do was then, very real. I often wonder how many of them prayed, “Lord, prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” prior to taking off on their first combat mission.
For most of us, the greatest enemy we may ever face in life might be a bully who demands fear and respect, or an employer who seems to always make unreasonable demands, or maybe even a criminal, thief or murder who invades our life with ungodly intentions. I see anything but peace of mind and security happening in those types of threatening situations. It would not be unreasonable to hear our hearts cry, “Jesus, help me” in any of those circumstances.
Knowing of the “fight or flight” reaction that is common in threatening situations, the last thing I think I would be imagining is, “Lord, just make a place here at this table and let me ‘rest this one out.’” But the imagery David depicts for us here is one of total security, complete assurance and knowledge that in circumstances in life when we are threatened with harm, we can feel free to know that, again, the Lord is with us and He is in control!
I have mentioned physical challenges to our existence which might occur in our lives, hopefully rarely. But how much more should we recognize that Satan works every minute of every day or our lives with the intention of destroying us as followers of Jesus.
Pastors, how often should you recognize that Sunday’s sermon is not only being challenged by a congregation of potential critics (enemies?) that you desperately need the protection of the Savior? Sunday School teacher, children’s ministers, welcome greeters, praise and worship singers…wouldn’t it be nice to just “sit down at the table” of the Lord’s provision and protection the next time we are doing service for the Lord and let him handle all the potential attacks…some of which we might not ever even recognize?
Hey, every Christian who is now called by His name…how might you handle the attacks of insecurity, doubt and fear the next time the Lord puts you in the situation where YOU will be the only Jesus the next person you meet is and the Lord opens up the door for you to share words of life that that person desperately needs? It just might be true that we meet far more enemies than we think we do and Jesus is counting on us to handle them, overcome the threats and attacks, and achieve the kind of victory that can only come through Him.
When we walk through life and, often, recognize the attacks of enemies, the Lord wants us to see that He has already prepared a place at the table for us to sit down, enjoy the security of His protection and do what He wants us to do for Him. He even promises that He will anoint us as we obey His direction (“You anoint my head with oil.”) When was the last time you followed the Lord’s leading in a situation, maybe even in the presence of opposition or an enemy, and felt that anointing that comes from obeying?
“My cup runs over” symbolizes the utter JOY that can so often come from doing what the Lord asks us to do, going where He asks us to go and saying what He wants us to say. Yes, that might not be near as serious as a potential threat from an enemy who wants to take your life. But, then again, it might be even more serious, considering the unseen threats from a spiritual enemy who would attack us as we attempt to do the work the Lord has assigned to us.
Real threats, perceived threats, physical threats, threats from beyond what we can physically see…the Lord sees them all. He knows how we will be threatened and has prepared for that. In the midst of the most serious threats of our lives, He prepares a table where we can sit, know His peace, deal with the threat in the way He wants us to and have victory, sometimes by not doing anything more than just sitting where He has prepared for us to sit.
Cancer attacks you but the Lord has prepared a table for you to sit at while you go through that. Your most loved one develops a disease that takes her from you and now you are alone. No, in fact, the Lord sits at that table with you. You are getting older and all the weaknesses, frailties and loneliness that come with it make you feel abandoned. Don’t let that enemy get the best of you.
Take a seat at the table He has prepared for you, pray for and feel the anointing on your head that comes from Him and see if He doesn’t just make your cup run over with His confidence, love and comfort that only He can provide. His word is true!
Questions to consider: What are the greatest enemies in your life you can recall? How did the Lord provide for you in the midst of those? Why do we often not even recognize the attacks of Satan against the work the Lord has called us to do? How tempting is it to “handle” the enemies of life in our own strength and bypass the table the Lord has already prepared for us to use? Has the Lord provided you with someone who sits at the table with you?
Other Scriptures to study: Psalm 9:9 “The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed. A refuge in times of trouble.” Psalm 27:1 “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” Isaiah 12:2 “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.” Hebrews 13:5 “He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Psalm 18:2 “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust.”
Song to Remember: The Lord is my Light, Jordan Kauflin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLfnDrK4eJs
 
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