Thursday, April 26, 2012

A Guest a God’s Table

Scripture:  Psalm 23: 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. 

God has prepared a table for David, and the table She prepares it in the very presence of his enemies. So this table is in the midst of warfare. The battles we experience are mostly spiritual warfare, but they are manifested through different vehicles. Has God prepared a table for you, in the very presence of your enemies? Think what and how God prepared the table? Envision you are sitting at the table amazed at what God his done. You sip from your from a glass of drink, you taste the cuisine. Our God sets tables in the midst of warfare.

In the Old Testament times to be invited to sit at a king's table was to enjoy the protection and covering of that king. And the enemies of anyone who sat at a king's table would know beyond any shadow of doubt that if they messed with you they messed with the king. In Song of Solomon 2:3 & 4, the Bride sings "I sat down in his shade with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste, He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love." In other examples, the prophets of Baal ate at Jezebel's table (1 Kings 18:19), and King David summoned Mephibosheth to his table in order to protect him (1 Sam. 9;7-11). The table was also traditionally the place where covenants were confirmed. Where did Jesus choose to announce the New Covenant in His Blood - at a table (Luke 22:14-20)? It was as Jesus sat at a table that Mary, symbolizing the Bride of Christ, anointed His feet (John 12:2,3) To be under the protection of a king was to be "in his shade, or under his shadow."

God has prepared the table for us by becoming one of us in Jesus Christ. He knows what we go through so He knows how to prepare the way for us. He has been there, Hebrews 2:18, 4:15. God gave us the Bible for our instruction and a GPS (God Protecting Spirit) system. He prays for us, Luke 22:31-32. God also makes an escape route for us, I Corinthians 10:13. In Christ we have everything we need, Romans 8:32.

Prayer:  God we thank you for providing for us today and providing us with confidence for tomorrow. We thank you for preparing a table in the middle of our storms and our warfare. We thank you for caring for the details. 

The Reverend Betty A. Brown