Food for Foe...I mean Thought
just some thoughts...
So today the verse, Psalm 23:5 was briefly mentioned in church. " You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies," and I felt the Holy Spirit speak to me in that moment that has had me thinking on it since.
Psalm 23 is a pretty popular chapter in the Bible. So popular that many people who do not even believe in Jesus still would recognize it or even be able to quote parts of it. I learned this chapter by heart at a pretty young age and find myself turning to eat it almost daily now. I have had a lot of trouble sleeping for a couple of years now. In all honesty, when i fall asleep i truly believe i become the most vulnerable to the enemy than any other time. I tend to dream a lot and toss and turn and find myself waking up multiple times. The problem is, when i wake up, if I in anyway engage my mind to begin thinking, i am done. That's it...wide awake with a MILLION thoughts, what if's, concerns about the coming day, fears and anxieties all taking over. It's almost like i just mentally dumped red bull on my brain and there's no going back to sleep. A couple of months ago i began to engage a new tactic when this would happen. When i would wake up and find my mind taking off for a mental marathon, i would close my eyes and begin to recite Psalm 23 over and over and over again. I think my thought behind that was, if my mind is going to be engaged (and i truly believe it's not for any positive purpose) then I am going to fight back and pray scripture over and over and over again to combat all the hecticness swirling around in there. Since i started doing this, in all honesty, i have found myself usually being able to fall back asleep IMMEDIATELY. i kid you not...sometimes before i can even get through it one time.
So my point in sharing leads to my next thing. I know Psalm 23:5 and recite it just about every single day. Thousands of times have i heard or said that verse...however today, the Lord actively revealed it to me in way that was as if i heard it for the first time. So my side note to that is don't get bored with God's Word...it is ACTIVE and LIVING and will never be old news.
So today as that verse was quickly mentioned, it hit me immediately. " You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies." We often times look at the bad things going on in our lives or the toxic people or negative situations and immediately blame it on the devil. "Oh Satan is after me trying to get me worked up putting all this craziness in my life." Which don't get me wrong...i believe Satan is at large in this world and he absolutely comes after us on a regular basis. However we can't ignore this scripture. We can't run from the orchestration and hand of God in our lives. The Bible says clearly that the LORD prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies. It doesn't say "The Lord prepares a table for us and the enemy will come find us" Or "the Lord prepares a table for us where no evil can be around"...No he literally goes into every restaurant until He finds the one that has those those people that you wake up everyday dreading what they are going to throw at you next and he sets a table fancy as a holiday meal, full course, white tablecloth, centered around those loathed one's ( i mean "loved ones"). Then he calls you up and says, "Bethany Ive set a reservation for you tonight meet me here." You get there and guess who's car you see? That person...and guess what...there is no drive thru. In you go to sit down and enjoy a full tasty meal right in front of the people that live and breathe to ruin your life.
I don't know about you but this sounds like pure hell to me. Im the type of person that the first thing i lose in the midst of a "battle" is my appetite. I've been places and something has happened or someone has said something or come in and that's it. Im done...not hungry, check please, it was fun while it lasted, out the door. What does this say about me? It says that I forget that God truly is in control of everything and that even the enemies in our lives have no strength or power over us if we are a Child of God. It tells me that I have forgotten that I am actually living in the Lord's will. That scripture is being fulfilled day in and day out even in the most uncomfortable and painful times.
When Christ comes into our lives, there is a change that is made. A supernatural strength and power comes into our hearts and it is the presence of Jesus. The Lord is so confident in His children that He WANTS us on the front line. He wants us to be seen by the other side. He wants our enemy to face us...BUT...he wants us to find our confidence and strength in Him. He wants us to live in peace and faith and to not want to run to a drive thru to avoid them or a toilet to throw up but rather, proudly, order and eat those seven courses. Enjoy our time and the food and fellowship before us...yea we might be about to go to war (hypothetically) but we stand assured we are fighting a winning battle for the winning team.
I dont know...but this gave me a whole new perspective on things...Below is a piece from a commentary on this particular verse and i absolutely love it...
"Thou preparest a table before me. When a soldier is in the presence of his enemies, if he eats at all he snatches a hasty meal, and away he hastens to the fight. But observe: "Thou preparest a table," just as a servant does when she unfolds the damask cloth and displays the ornaments of the feast on an ordinary peaceful occasion. Nothing is hurried, there is no confusion, no disturbance, the enemy is at the door, and yet God prepares a table, and the Christian sits down and eats as if everything were in perfect peace. Oh! the peace which Jehovah gives to his people, even in the midst of the most trying circumstances!"
So today the verse, Psalm 23:5 was briefly mentioned in church. " You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies," and I felt the Holy Spirit speak to me in that moment that has had me thinking on it since.
Psalm 23 is a pretty popular chapter in the Bible. So popular that many people who do not even believe in Jesus still would recognize it or even be able to quote parts of it. I learned this chapter by heart at a pretty young age and find myself turning to eat it almost daily now. I have had a lot of trouble sleeping for a couple of years now. In all honesty, when i fall asleep i truly believe i become the most vulnerable to the enemy than any other time. I tend to dream a lot and toss and turn and find myself waking up multiple times. The problem is, when i wake up, if I in anyway engage my mind to begin thinking, i am done. That's it...wide awake with a MILLION thoughts, what if's, concerns about the coming day, fears and anxieties all taking over. It's almost like i just mentally dumped red bull on my brain and there's no going back to sleep. A couple of months ago i began to engage a new tactic when this would happen. When i would wake up and find my mind taking off for a mental marathon, i would close my eyes and begin to recite Psalm 23 over and over and over again. I think my thought behind that was, if my mind is going to be engaged (and i truly believe it's not for any positive purpose) then I am going to fight back and pray scripture over and over and over again to combat all the hecticness swirling around in there. Since i started doing this, in all honesty, i have found myself usually being able to fall back asleep IMMEDIATELY. i kid you not...sometimes before i can even get through it one time.
So my point in sharing leads to my next thing. I know Psalm 23:5 and recite it just about every single day. Thousands of times have i heard or said that verse...however today, the Lord actively revealed it to me in way that was as if i heard it for the first time. So my side note to that is don't get bored with God's Word...it is ACTIVE and LIVING and will never be old news.
So today as that verse was quickly mentioned, it hit me immediately. " You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies." We often times look at the bad things going on in our lives or the toxic people or negative situations and immediately blame it on the devil. "Oh Satan is after me trying to get me worked up putting all this craziness in my life." Which don't get me wrong...i believe Satan is at large in this world and he absolutely comes after us on a regular basis. However we can't ignore this scripture. We can't run from the orchestration and hand of God in our lives. The Bible says clearly that the LORD prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies. It doesn't say "The Lord prepares a table for us and the enemy will come find us" Or "the Lord prepares a table for us where no evil can be around"...No he literally goes into every restaurant until He finds the one that has those those people that you wake up everyday dreading what they are going to throw at you next and he sets a table fancy as a holiday meal, full course, white tablecloth, centered around those loathed one's ( i mean "loved ones"). Then he calls you up and says, "Bethany Ive set a reservation for you tonight meet me here." You get there and guess who's car you see? That person...and guess what...there is no drive thru. In you go to sit down and enjoy a full tasty meal right in front of the people that live and breathe to ruin your life.I don't know about you but this sounds like pure hell to me. Im the type of person that the first thing i lose in the midst of a "battle" is my appetite. I've been places and something has happened or someone has said something or come in and that's it. Im done...not hungry, check please, it was fun while it lasted, out the door. What does this say about me? It says that I forget that God truly is in control of everything and that even the enemies in our lives have no strength or power over us if we are a Child of God. It tells me that I have forgotten that I am actually living in the Lord's will. That scripture is being fulfilled day in and day out even in the most uncomfortable and painful times.
When Christ comes into our lives, there is a change that is made. A supernatural strength and power comes into our hearts and it is the presence of Jesus. The Lord is so confident in His children that He WANTS us on the front line. He wants us to be seen by the other side. He wants our enemy to face us...BUT...he wants us to find our confidence and strength in Him. He wants us to live in peace and faith and to not want to run to a drive thru to avoid them or a toilet to throw up but rather, proudly, order and eat those seven courses. Enjoy our time and the food and fellowship before us...yea we might be about to go to war (hypothetically) but we stand assured we are fighting a winning battle for the winning team.
I dont know...but this gave me a whole new perspective on things...Below is a piece from a commentary on this particular verse and i absolutely love it...
"Thou preparest a table before me. When a soldier is in the presence of his enemies, if he eats at all he snatches a hasty meal, and away he hastens to the fight. But observe: "Thou preparest a table," just as a servant does when she unfolds the damask cloth and displays the ornaments of the feast on an ordinary peaceful occasion. Nothing is hurried, there is no confusion, no disturbance, the enemy is at the door, and yet God prepares a table, and the Christian sits down and eats as if everything were in perfect peace. Oh! the peace which Jehovah gives to his people, even in the midst of the most trying circumstances!"
Comments
Post a Comment