You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my brimming cup runs over.
Psalm 23:5
God’s love is so abundant that he has ‘prepared a table before me in the presence of my enemies’. Some versions of the bible called it a feast. So, picture this for a minute. You are on a battlefield; you are tired and weary. The King of Heaven comes and sits you at a table in the middle of the battlefield. Your enemies can do nothing but stand and watch. The word presence means a front or counterpart. God is preparing a table in opposition to the enemies or Daunters that want to destroy your life.
Now it says He prepares the table BEFORE me. So God isn’t bringing us to an already prepared table, He is doing it in front of us, on the battlefield, in real time, so not only can our enemies see how much our God loves us and how much He has deprived them of their power to harm us but He is doing it so we can see how tenderly and lovingly He cares for us. He wants us to see all the things He is doing to give us the strength, nutrition, and ability to keep fighting.
David’s head was anointed by Samuel to show that He was God’s anointed replacement as King of Israel. Anointing with oil was a sign of honor or consecration. The Priests in the temple had to be anointed. God will always show up in the middle of your battles with your Daunters and let them know in a very real way that you belong to God. I’ve had that happen a few times in moments where I was surrounded, and God just showed up in such an overwhelming way that my Daunters had to be quiet.
Now whatever God is preparing on this table is not just going to give you the strength to keep going on the battlefield but your ‘cup runs over’. This means that all the strength, blessing, encouragement, joy, love you will receive will be so abundant that it will be so much that it will flow out from you to the people in your life.
Sweet sister yes you may be walking through the valley of the shadow of death but Jesus is right there with you and His love for you is so abundant that these Daunter enemies will have to sit there and watch as God strengthens you and anoints you.
Lord God, I pray You open our eyes to see the table You are preparing for us in front of our Daunters. I pray You help us to take our place at that table in the midst of our battle and let you strength, refresh and anoint us. Let what You do in us be so abundant that the excess flows out and to those around us. In Jesus’ mighty name! Amen