Just imagine … tables covered with the finest linens, china, crystal, and fresh flowers. The elegantly decorated room is humming with family and friends arriving for an elaborate dinner … all to honor you! Or, would you prefer a quaint table for two in a less conspicuous setting?
What is the occasion? In ancient times, meals were an expression of the bond of friendship. Between national leaders, a meal signified the overlord offering protection to his guest as treaties and covenants were formed.
Psalm 23:5 says “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” Now imagine you are having that dinner with your Lord. He has prepared the table just for you and Him. Your enemies, held back by His power, may not participate. They can merely watch and regret that they had not joined in a covenant with this King, rejecting His salvation time and time again.
As you feast with your Lord and King, He lifts a small bottle of oil and anoints your head. The anointing identifies you as the honored guest. As you bow before Him, you are overwhelmed with the thought that He has also chosen you. He has a special work for you to do and as you walk with Him in obedience, your banquet cup of blessing overflows. The blessings remind you that you have done nothing to deserve this honor. His love and desire to have a relationship with you made the way for you to banquet with Him. “He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love” (Song of Songs 2:4).
See you next Wednesday with the last verse of the 23rd Psalm.
For those of you in that valley right now, this is a SHOUT OUT … because I’m there too. And, this is what I know:
As we continue to look at the 23rd Psalm, we see how a shepherd cares for his sheep. Verse two says, “He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters.” Now if you are a human, that may not mean much, but if you imagine yourself as one of the shepherd’s sheep, it’s a whole, new, woolly story. First, the shepherd ‘makes’ the sheep lie down. Why? Are we too dumb to know that we need to stop what we are doing and take time to rest? Sometimes. So once down, will the flock rest? Only if they feel secure. Sheep are very fearful animals. If they sense danger or feel insecure, they will not rest. And neither do we.
Remember in the movie, The Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy and her friends were terrified to go before the great and powerful Oz? The wizard was a frightening character, loud, angry, and intimidating! Dorothy and her friends, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion, were quaking in their skin, straw, tin, and fur, nearly too petrified to explain their predicament and present their requests.
This morning I was washing one of my favorite bowls, a work of art gifted by a potter, Ms. Dalton, a parent of one of my kindergarten students years ago. Imagining the time and effort it took to form the clay, add intricate details, fire and paint it, and whatever other steps required that I know little of, made me appreciate its beauty even more.
Pointing the Way ~ by Arrow 