Old Favorite/New Lesson
Looking at Psalm 23 with Fresh Eyes
Sometimes we meditate (or recite) on certain scriptures so much that we stop thinking about what the words actually say. Perhaps Psalm 23 is that way for you. It was for me.
Last Friday, I organized a prayer walk for the students in the junior high and high school. I decided to use Psalm 23 because … well … because we had already used The Lord’s Prayer so many times and I wanted to do something different (but not too different). Our prayer walks go like this: a theme is chosen, several adults are assigned to particular stations along an outdoor walkway, and the students are divided into groups that rotate to each station. The adults spend about 10 minutes with each group speaking about a scripture and then praying for the group. Here’s how the stations played out:
Psalm 23 Prayer Walk
Station 1: God is our Shepherd: Provision and Rest
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters.
Station 2: God is our Guide: Restoration and Righteousness
He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
Station 3: God is our Protector: Presence and Peace
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and staff, they comfort me.
Station 4: God as our Host: Welcome and Abundance
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Station 5: God is our Eternity: Goodness and Promise
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
I got four people to volunteer for a station, and I took the other station. They chose what they wanted and I took the one that was left: Station 4.
I suppose I had counted on this being a no-brainer, but scripture, as I should have learned by now, is full of surprises. All my life I have thought of Psalm 23 as being all about the Good Shepherd and His sheep, and that’s not entirely wrong; but as I studied this scripture and prayed, the Lord opened up a completely different idea, and it’s an idea that I like very much.
You prepare a table before me …
The first thing I noticed was that Psalm 23: 5 shifts in imagery from God as shepherd to God as host. It struck me that God actually took great effort to assemble a banquet, a feast, for me.
At my house, when I am the host, I start by cleaning everything. Everything. Even the nooks and crannies that a guest would probably never see. Then I consider what food the guest would enjoy the most, shop for the ingredients, and begin preparation of the meal. I set the table with the best tablecloth and china (even real napkins instead of paper towels–haha). I put on music that will be enjoyable to my guest, and perhaps even wrap up a small gift for the guest. It’s not a one-day kind of thing. There is thought, effort, and work involved to make my guest feel very special.
God has done the same thing for me, and He beckons me to taste and see how very good He is.
… in the presence of my enemies;
I live in a teeny-tiny, little, rural community outside a small town. It is a quiet place, except on those weekend afternoons when motorcycle groups roar through on a poker run or such. Then it’s loud for a few minutes–loud, but not threatening, and the peace quickly returns.
Here, my home is different from the banquet hall that God has prepared. He has prepared for me a place of peace and welcome and abundance of good things in the presence of my enemies. Refreshment and rest and protection are inside, even while danger is just beyond the walls.
This is a truth that is so evident in this present evil age. One need only turn on the news for a few moments to realize that the world is a mess, and a dangerous one, at that! It is so easy to fall into confusion, fear, and anxiety. However, Psalm 23 promises that God Himself has prepared a place where our hearts, minds, and spirits may rest and find comfort. There is chaos outside, but there is peace within His loving embrace.
You anoint my head with oil;
That alone is lovely, but God goes further. He anoints my head with oil. Traditionally, the anointing with oil symbolized that a person had been singled out for favor. It was reserved for priests, prophets, and royalty. It meant selection, consecration, and endowment with the Holy Spirit. It sets one apart for special service.
“For we are God’s handiwork, workmanship, masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago” (Ephesians 2:10).
1 Peter 2:9 declares, “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
My cup overflows.
Finally, Psalm 23 reminds me that my cup overflows. “The overflowing cup was a powerful symbol in the days of David. Hosts in the ancient East used it to send a message to the guest. As long as the cup was kept full, the guest knew he was welcome. But when the cup sat empty, the host was hinting that the hour was late. On those occasions, however, when the host really enjoyed the company of the person, he filled the cup to overflowing. He didn’t stop when the wine reached the rim; he kept pouring until the liquid ran over the edge of the cup and down onto the table.”
That is the way our generous God is with His hospitality. For as long as I stay in His presence, the blessings do not stop, and they never run out.
“Ask and it will be given; seek and you will find; knock and the door shall be opened” (Matthew 7:7).
You are Invited!
What an extreme honor it is to be invited to the banquet table of the Lord, God! All these acts of favor–preparing the banquet, providing a safe space, anointing with oil, filling the cup–are rooted in God’s nature and in His covenant with those who choose to respond to His call. Guidance, teaching, provision, authority and eternal life are offered at His table in those times that challenge us, to bring us victory.
Have you responded to His gracious invitation? Have you attended the Psalm 23 banquet? If the answer is no, there’s no time like the present. The table is ready. C’mon and have a seat!
God bless you, and may you feast at His table.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In