Sermon Central
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Your Table Is Ready Series
Contributed by Kelvin Mckisic on Jun 25, 2023 (message contributor)
Summary: The first powerful "P" of God, that of provision.
Your Table is Ready
Today we are starting a short series in the book of Psalms. We will be looking at the three Ps of the psalms: Provision, Protection, and Promotion. So, let us start this off provisions.
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.”
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The opening of this verse tells us two things: first, how God wants to look out for us and see that we are comfortable and cared for; second, how God wants to deal with our enemies.
You know the feeling when you go to a restaurant and they seat you at the table, where everything is laid out for your dining experience? Well, the opening verse in our scripture should give you that same warm feeling, knowing that God has prepared something marvelous for you. He has prepared the table and set the atmosphere that you need not do anything but ask for your hearts’ desires.
Now, in looking at this preparation of the table we only imagine an actual table set before us, but we are taking about God’s table preparation, and it is much more than our imaginations. So, if I may, allow me to us my imagination as I think God would see this preparation. To do so I will need to take you back to the creation of the heavens and the earth. God created everything man would need before he created man…this was the table preparation for mankind. This preparation is about the reality of being able to sit with Christ Jesus and enjoy a meal with Our Shepherd amid all our enemies – which are: the world, the Devil and ourselves.
Again, in looking our God’s provisions in this setting of the table we might still be short-sighted. We are only thinking of the food, but what about our dining attire? God provides for that as well.
I clothed you in embroidered cloth and gave you sandals of badger skin; I clothed you with fine linen and covered you with silk. I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your wrists, and a chain on your neck. And I put a jewel in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head.
Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate pastry of fine flour, honey, and oil. You were exceedingly beautiful, and succeeded to royalty.
The materials listed here are items, in ancient times, that a groom would give to his bride. The bible tells us that Christ Jesus is the groom, and we are His bride, and it tells us that Jesus wants to come and have dinner with us.
In this we have the figurative material provisions for the nation Israel and consist of some of the finer things, but these verses speak to us as well. Remember that Israel is the modal God used to show His power, Love, grace, and mercy. So, He is showing us how he prepared a table for the nation Israel, as He will do for us. Now come to Him in prayer and submit your requests. Your table is ready.
Through the shed blood of Jesus on the cross we are given access to these finer things. By the pain He endured on the cross we are healed and brings us to the table dressed in fine apparel ready to enjoy a fine feast prepared by the Master.
Our opening verses tell us that Our Shepherd will make it possible for us to eat a meal of blessing while our enemy’s watch. That means that we can enjoy a meal of blessing – of peace, joy, love, faithfulness, kindness and all the other fruits of the Holy Spirit right amid all our enemies – the world, the flesh, the Devil and all his demons. We can enjoy a festival amid all that being around us.
The Apostle Paul tells us that on the Cross:
Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
In that same vein of thought, we are to understand this morning that Jesus prepares for us a festive meal in the very presence of the things that seek to harm us. His reason for doing so is to let them and us know that they have been disarmed. That all they can do is to watch Jesus serve us happiness, joy, peace, kindness, tranquility, health, wholeness, favor, and blessings.
Jesus makes our enemies sit on the outer edges of the scene and watch everything unfolds before them. They must watch as we fill up our souls with heaven’s delights – with heaven’s blessings, anointing and favor. With the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
