You Prepare a Table Before Me in the Presence of My Enemies

I can't tell you how struck I was by the thought that I saw it all wrong. I now see the 5th verse of the 23rd Psalm totally different! You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. The thought that this verse is not so much about me gaining the upper hand on my enemies by God blessing me before them. As a disciple of Christ I can't imagine as I sit at Jesus' feet he would actually say, "I will bless you in front of all of your foes so you can feel good and they can feel bad." No!!!! Now keep in mind God does favor those who have committed their lives to Him. He will use our divine favor to convict others of sin and convince them of His grace. But more and more I don't believe that is the point of the verse in the 23rd Psalm. After dealing with years and years of conflict resolution and forgiveness and reconciliation work with church members and husbands and wives I see this verse totally different. Could it be this verse is about God getting all of us together in table fellowship. Where as in ancient times the host offers peace and renewed relationship with those at his table. God does the same for us. Shepherding us; leading us to His table. Where we are forgiven and find our way back into right relationship with Him. Where we then have an opportunity to offer peace to our enemies at that same table. We forgive them because God has forgiven us. My prayer: Peace please give way to peace.

The Roots of Faith Grow Deep in Dark Valleys

I shared this thought yesterday in service. And while I hate it, it is certainly true. The roots of faith do grow deep in dark valleys. After church Kathy told me that the reason they grow deep in the valley is because that's where all of the "fertilizer" is. She was so right. Unfortunately it seems as if we need our hands forced to have faith in God. And the fertilizer of life pushes us to grow. For when it pills up we come to grips that it is too much for us to deal with alone. Which provides us an opportunity to turn to God.