Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Psalms 23:5
In the presence of the most intimidating enemies in my life thus far, God has prepared many feasts for me. That word "table" is translated from the Hebrew word "shulchan", which means "of king’s table, private use, sacred uses". Tears fill my eyes when I recall some of the precious tables the King set for me when I felt I was surely in the shadow of the valley of death. Those were sweet times of fellowship -- precious times to cry out to my Savior, my Father, my Daddy. Times He held me and gently directed me to follow His truth even when every fiber of my flesh screamed in opposition. During those seasons when the winds of my life were swirling in confusion, God's table was a sturdy refuge. When battling those winds weakened me such that I couldn't possibly take another step, His table was a source of nourishment that gave me the supernatural strength needed to simply not grow weary in well doing. When the darkness of my circumstances permitted only the tiniest light to illuminate merely one small step in front of me, His table fed me with promises like, "the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee" and " the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day". God's table. I am in awe. I am humbled.
Then, as though His table weren't enough, He abundantly anointed my head with his healing, empowering oil. God poured the healing oil of His Holy Spirit over the wounds inflicted by my enemies. In all honesty, I believed those wounds to be fatal, or at least permanently debilitating. How could I possibly walk again? How could I even begin to look into the eyes of my brothers and sisters in Christ. Surely they would see how unsightly my enemies had left me. No, I must not get too close to them lest they see my wounds and scars.
But God... God anointed my head with oil. God poured His own Spirit directly onto my wounds. Oh, it stung at times, but in the end, the stinging eased and the scars miraculously transformed into something new and beautiful. Gradually, as those wounds have healed, God has shown me this simple truth.
My cup runneth over. Let it run out to those who, too, are wounded in battle that they may also feast at the table of the King and experience the healing and empowering of His anointing oil.
