Week 5 - Psalm 23:5

4/20/2020

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

How does the picture of God throwing a feast fit into your typical view of God?

As Matt pointed out in the session, all of verse 5 builds to an overwhelming vision of God’s delight in his people, one we often struggle to incorporate in to our own views of God. It’s easier to think of God as a distant judge—one who gives us rules to live by and who doles out punishment when we come up short. But that’s not the picture of God we receive here in Psalm 23. If you belong to the Lord’s flock, he delights in you today.

What’s one way the truth that God delights in you here and now could change how you approach your relationship with him today?

Sometimes it is difficult to say along with David “my cup overflows.” Jesus said that he came that we may have abundant life.

In what ways do you struggle with feeling like God is distant? In what ways do you experience the feast David is talking about? How can we say along with David “my cup overflows” even in the midst of our enemies as well as in the valley?

12 Comments

Karan Malpass

4/22/2020 02:54:51 pm

I think I’ve edited out his desire to celebrate following the good shepherd through the valley because we’re being refined in the valley. It’s where something in us needs to die. I usually don’t celebrate death. Is it that He wants to celebrate our milestones? Usually I’m in such a hurry to get past the ugliness of the valley that I don’t want to hang around for a party. Celebrating with him feels awkward, like it did to the prodigal son. Feasts are given to honor someone. You know you’re not deserving of such attentions because we haven’t been faithful to love him in our heart. Nevertheless, God delights in us and gives us the honor of belonging to him. My response is to believe that it’s true.
He likes to party more than I do.

I think I can comprehend this better if I think about how a parent delights in their children. Nothing brings more delight to a parent than to see our children grow spiritually through a trial. From the child’s perspective however, we often focus on our failures and weakness as we stumble through the valley. I just want the valley to end most of the time. I often lose sight of what God is doing in the trial and his gracious heart towards me. I miss the joy that he desires me to have.
I think I need to slow down and take time after I exit a trial in order to take the time to fellowship with him for the specific purpose of enjoying his celebration. If I don’t do that, I tempted to hang onto a wrong identity. He sees me in a way that causes delight in him. Unless that truth transforms my mind, I’m tempted to focus on the ways my failure to love him got exposed in the valley. I think seeing myself through my failures causes God to feel distant and cold instead of warm and desiring to embrace me as his special, honored child.

Sometimes it’s hard to access his comfort and that makes it feel like he’s distant. His comfort is always available, but I struggle to believe in what he doing as he “leads me in paths of righteousness.” I think it’s because there are days I’m not really looking to grow in holiness. I’m pursuing something else that I think will make me happy. On those days I’m looking for a way out of the canyon because it’s hard and I’m afraid of what’s next.
But because he is a shepherd who pursues me, he captures my heart again with his mercy and I fall in love with him again. And not carrying the shame of my failures but delighting in God’s love for me, despite was my enemies say, is a public celebration of belonging to him.

Eric Rossman

4/22/2020 03:35:16 pm

I like that you said "He likes to party more than I do." I think this is because God sees everything that there is to celebrate. He sees us as he sees the Son. He knows the depth of his love for us. He sees what he is making us into. He knows the plans he has for us. He also sees the things he is working in us right now. He sees us as belonging to him, and set apart for him. He sees things in light of reality, and therefore he celebrates the great reality he has brought us into.
So often we struggle to see and believe these realities, which is why in faith you say "My response is to believe that it’s true."
Even when we don't feel loved, cherished, delighted in, and celebrated by God, we can seek to believe and walk as though it is true because it is. We are cherished, and delighted in not because of ourselves but because of Christ. To believe and trust in God's delight in us, is to put our hope in the gospel.

sheri

4/22/2020 04:25:29 pm

This week really touched my heart and gave me such encouragement. To see that Jesus celebrates me is quite mind blowing. I am just so thankful for His grace. I am grateful for His revelation of love towards me in Christ and that has increased my faith..... He loves me and delights in me. It is when my focus is not on Jesus that I believe the lie that my cup is not overflowing. He is faithful and I have been experiencing His faithfulness in a new way, which has opened doors for the proclamation of the Gospel. I am living in a different anticipation of Him working because of the opportunities that He has presented. This week's video was so encouraging and heart righting..if that is a thing. ;)

4/23/2020 10:47:00 am

" It is when my focus is not on Jesus that I believe the lie that my cup is not overflowing."
I really relate to this statement. Being confronted with the reality that my cup really is full and overflowing has been revealing to for me. The perceptions I have formed based on my experiences have informed my conclusions more than I've realized. I need the truth to shatter through my glass house to see God's reality more clearly. I hope the truth that God celebrates who we are becoming will not quickly be forgotten.
Your sister, Karan

Sheri

4/25/2020 02:03:54 pm

Thank you Karen for your wise words and understanding. It really encouraged me!! Love and hugs, Sheri

James Brown link

4/23/2020 07:15:27 am

"Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies." Psalms 23:5 AKJV. I see this as a invite and not a done deal. The table is prepared but I'm left with the choice as to either sit and partake or reject the offering. In the "but now" as opposed to "times past' and "ages to come"; in accepting I have accepted and believed what God through Christ Jesus has said and offers. What has been offered is eternal life in Him, Christ Jesus. The table is set as it were with the gospel; "Moreover brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that He was buried, and that he arose again the third day according to the scripture." 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. Those who fail to believe this gospel given by Paul [Ro 2:16,16:25] are enemies of God [Phil 3:17-19] and then in like manner are enemies of myself also. But I am admonished in Matthew 5:44, to love my enemies and be an ambassador's of Christ [2 Cor 5:20]. If I say I love and mean it will I not tell them the most eternal affecting truth that has been given to man, to me? Not being concerned with the repercussions of the truth in what ever venue [Ro 8:18]. As an ambassador I will be on constant alert to proclaim the gospel where ever the opportunity avails itself [Gal 6:7-10]. Not only has my head been anointed but my whole; "which is Christ in you, the hope [Heb 11:1] of glory." Col 1:27. My cup doth run over which is that experiencing the abundant life promised in Christ Jesus [Eph 1:3, 2:6, 3:10; Phil 3:19-20; Col 1:5, 12-13, 2:10, 3:1-4; 2 Peter 1:3-8]. So will I make up my own understanding ways or will I believe and rest in HIM allowing Him to reveal and work out [Eph 2:10; Phil 2:12-16] in me all that He has for me in this present life?

Stephanie Bolme

4/24/2020 10:02:52 am

When I first read the question I immediately thought forward to the feast we’re looking forward to in Heaven. That thought thrills my soul! In terms of preparing a feast for us in the midst of life, I’ve experienced that many times. While the Lord absolutely sustained me during the dark years of my earlier life, as I’ve pondered this question this week it struck me how during those days He was preparing the feast I’ve been enjoying in this season of my life. Should there me more dark days before He calls me home, may the memories of how He’s used previous dark days be a feast for me then. It fits in with my view of God because I’ve learned He wastes nothing. He turns my sin, my struggles, my stumbles, the sins of others against me and even the general difficulties of living in a fallen creation into opportunities to mold me, shape me, teach me, help me to grow, and in doing so bringing glory to Himself. When I can rest in His hands regardless of my circumstances, my cup does indeed overflow.

It usually when I am weary that He feels distant to me. These days it’s usually related to my health issues. Through challenges in my life I’ve developed an inherent distrust of emotions. On the days when He feels distant I strive to remind myself that He is truth, not the emotions that are subject to a faulty autonomic nervous system. I can rest in the knowledge that He hasn’t left me. Tomorrow will come, I will feel better, and I will feel His presence again.

Karan L Malpass

4/25/2020 10:00:18 am

Stephanie,
I love this point you make: ..."He is truth, not the emotions that are subject to a faulty autonomic nervous system."
This is often where we wrestle most, when our feelings don't line up with what is true. You have made an excellent point that our nervous system has been broken by sin and this does in fact effect our emotions.
Won't it be wonderful when this isn't so any more! One day our emotions and nervous system will operate without the brokenness that sin has caused. I think Jesus will celebrate with those who have endured the valley of neurological challenges. I especially think of those with ADHD and Autism because they have affected my family so thoroughly, including how their emotions work. There are hosts of other neurological conditions that cause varying degrees of difficulties in living.
Nevertheless, we have a shepherd guides us patiently and gently as we seek to find peace and rest along the crags in the valleys. We are challenged to not let our feelings dictate what is true because of what our eyes see. Faith realizes it's the unseen realities that bring us hope in the valleys. Faith and confidence in what the good shepherd says will lead safely through and then it's time to celebrate what he has enabled us to do!!!

4/26/2020 07:47:20 pm

I want to clarify that inherited sin through Adam is what I was referring to when I said sin causes the brokenness in our nervous system. I was not referring to personal sin causing these neurological problems.

4/27/2020 07:23:44 am

That's how I read it. :)

Jessie Litchfield

4/25/2020 11:45:44 am

It was so encouraging to read all your comments and hear how we’ve all struggled with the truth that God delights in us, this comment from the message struck me:

“It’d be a shame if you grew weary trying to earn something God is giving freely.”

What a tragedy it would be to not fully experience the peace Jesus promised, how faithful is our God amid the refinement Karen described to remind us that we belong to him and our shepherd is trustworthy.

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:27-28

4/27/2020 01:12:51 am

That quote is great Jessie. Not only do we often grow weary trying to earn something God gives freely, we also can end up so rarely enjoying it.

Week 5 - Psalm 23:5

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