ENEMIES AND EXPECTATIONS
PSALM 23:5-6
PSALM 23:5-6 NKJV
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.
OBSERVATION:
Psalm 23 is the most well-known and popular of all the psalms. Possibly the most well-known passage in the Bible.
There are so many good things in this psalm. Much more than a nice poem, it is a revelation of Jesus, our great Shepherd. And a revelation of His role in our lives.
The verses we are looking at today give an interesting contrast. Enemies and expectations.
"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies." I honestly would have preferred that He prepared a table before me and completely wiped out my enemies. But that's not how it works. In this life on this earth, we still have enemies. Satan, demonic forces, fear, evil people. A world's system that does not acknowledge God. Enemies are here. One day they will no longer exist, but we are not there yet.
But He still prepares a table. A table would imply provision. Everything we need to run our race and complete our assignment from God. We are people of purpose and we have been provided for, even with natural and spiritual enemies present.
The last verse carries an important message! Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life."
This speaks to our expectations. In a sense, the entirety of Psalm 23 creates an expectation of the Lord's presence, guidance, and provision. And I love the expectation that goodness and mercy are following us. All our days.
Too many live in fear of what's coming. Some of those fears are a result of the current events taking place. But for many, it is an unwarranted sense of dread. A fear of what's next.
That is why I like the fact that with the Lord as our Shepherd, what we expect is God's goodness and mercy. That is so much better than expecting the worst.
APPLICATION:
So, make Psalm 23 one of your go-to passage for the rest of this year and into 2023. 23 for 23 sounds like a good plan.
PRAYER:
Lord, You are my Shepherd and my Provider. So I do not live in fear of my enemies or dread what's coming. Your goodness and mercy are coming my way.