Mark Sorensen “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” -Psalm 23:5a
I like to tell a certain story about my son, Nicholas (ok, if you know me, you know I like to tell a lot of stories about my son, Nicholas). When he was younger, we would sit at the dinner table and Nycki would set all the food out. We would take the kids plates, starting with Nicholas, and set the food on each of their plates, fix our own, say grace and then eat what was prepared for the evening. One one particular night, we sat down, fixed our plates, said grace and, no sooner than we said “amen”, I looked over to see that Nicholas’ plate was completely empty. That kid, no kidding, in less than 56 seconds completely cleaned his plate. It was really quite amazing. At that moment the “teaching lightbulb” went off over my head (oh, how my kids love the “teaching lightbulb”). I looked at Nic and said something that went like this:
“You know, buddy. When you actually chew your food, this amazing thing happens. You experience this word called, ‘flavor’! Seriously. When you allow the mashed potatoes and gravy to coexist in the same space occupied by your mouth, they do this magical little dance and it-is-beautiful.”
My point, of course, was quite simple. When you chew your food, you actually taste it.
Such a simple concept, right? But think about it. How much of life do you actually consume without paying any attention to the smaller details? I think that, all too often, we rush through the motions and don’t take the time to actually enjoy what is placed in front of us. And THAT is what I love about Psalm 23:5. Go with me, here.
“You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies”. Let’s look at this from a shepherd’s perspective. One of the things King David knew about was shepherding. As a shepherd, one of the major jobs was to take care of and provide for the sheep. As I have mentioned in earlier posts, this was no easy task as sheep are unpredictable. For example, sheep will eat something poisonous with no worries as long as it tastes good. So, a shepherd’s job when looking to find a place for his sheep to graze, is to find a plot of ground that is free of danger so the sheep can graze, eat and enjoy the safety and comfort found in the provision of the shepherd. Here’s the big part of the story: this is exactly what God did for each of us. God made a way through His son, Jesus Christ.
Jesus changed everything. And He has made the way for each of us to know Him and truly know salvation. There is power in the relationship we have with Jesus. And the enemy wants to interrupt that power by distracting you to live an ordinary, powerless life. The enemy loves a Christian life that chooses, “ordinary”. Don’t settle. Jesus desires more for your life. Jesus said, “I have come so that you might have life and have it more abundantly” (Jn. 10:10).
Today? Take your seat at the table. God has made a way.
Isaiah 41:13 says, “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”
Sure, there’s evil in the world. Yep, there’s distractions and a lot of white noise all around. But, here’s the beautiful part of the story. God has made a way. Jesus changed everything. The Holy Spirit is alive and working and all you have to do? Chew slowly and savor the Kingdom work at hand.
The table is set. Bon appetit!
