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Reflections: Daily Devotions in Disability Ministry

We Are Honored Guests

July 31, 2010

Psalm 23:5
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (NIV)

When you are the leader of a country, you have many enemies. Leaders of other countries want to fight with you. Back in King David’s time, this was even more true than it is today. It seemed like one country was always taking over another, so they could have more land, more cows, more sheep, more slaves, and so on.

Back in those times, it was common that a king who wanted to fight another king would assemble his army outside the other king’s capital city, to show his strength and create fear in the people. With all the preparations that needed to be made to defend the city, many times there would be no time to prepare a meal, much less sit down to enjoy it.

By preparing a table of food right where the enemy king could see it would show that the people of the city were not afraid. They knew they would be kept safe.

Do we have enemies like King David did? If you don’t lead a country, you would probably say, “No, I don’t have enemies like King David.” But all people do share common enemies…sin, death and the devil.

The table King David is talking about in this psalm is the meal that God prepares for us with His Word. God’s Word fills and satisfies us. It takes away our guilt, our fear, and comforts us in our hearts. We no longer have to be afraid. God will protect us from our enemies.

When someone had a special guest over for dinner back in King David’s time, many times they would anoint the guest’s head with sweet-smelling oil. This oil was expensive and showed the guest how much their host cared about them…how special they were in the host’s eyes.

We go to church and hear His Word read and preached. We are baptized into His family and forgiven of our sins. That’s when our cup overflows, just as King David said his cup overflowed. When we are an honored guest, the host or hostess makes sure we have plenty of food and drink. When we are Jesus’ honored guests, He gives us so much more.

Dear Jesus, we are happy to be Your honored guests. Help us to always hold Your Word dear in our hearts. May it comfort us always until we see You in heaven. Amen.

Lois Diebel, Ministry Consultant – FL & GA
http://bethesdalutherancommunities.org/resources/spiritualResources/pmc.asp

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