You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.--Psalm 23:5
Can you imagine a soldier going out on the very front of the battle lines, sitting down at a banquet table, humming as he ties on one of those Red Lobster bibs, and eating a scrumptious meal as if nothing were going on? Think about the faces of the enemy as they march toward him. They would probably look at each other like, "What does this guy think he's doing?"
With God, that's basically what we get to do. This verse doesn't say, "God shows me a place to cower and hide from my big meany-britches enemies until they go away." It says that He prepares a table (read: the most DELICIOUS heavenly buffet EVER), even when the enemy is prowling around.
Eat that, devil.
I think our "enemies" are often not physical people that want to chop our heads off, like they were in King David's day. I think, for us in the Western world at least, "enemies" are far more insidious, and they want to do to us spiritually what King Saul wanted to do to David: spear us to a wall....or at least cripple or maim us.
Unfortunately, they are often successful.
I'm talking about fear and an earth-bound mentality.
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.--Colossians 3:1-3
Things that are above. Why did Paul have to write this twice? Because, although these Christians were born-again in their spirits, their minds were still concerned about their earthly lives.
I don't want you to quit your job and spend three weeks on your face in prayer. (I mean, unless God tells you to. In that case, right on, brother.) We're not meant to go around like zombies, only thinking about roses and clouds and bumping into door frames. It was Paul who said, "If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat" (2 Thessalonians 3:10). But we're also not meant to treat work as a treadmill, an endless task, believing that WE are the ones providing for ourselves--that our earthly comforts depend completely on us. We are not meant to be afraid of earthly tasks--afraid to do them, or afraid not to do them.
I think what this verse from Colossians means is this, Stop worrying about yourself and thinking too far into the future about your physical needs. By the same token, stop over-spiritualizing every earthly detail of your life. Just work together with His energy, remembering who you are and from whom your provision comes.
You CAN accomplish your tasks in this earthly life--just do it to the rhythms of my grace, knowing that this isn't the end or the object. Your earthly life is a mist (James 4:14). Stop being afraid of a future that isn't here. Have confidence in your Redeemer. Remember that you're a son or daughter of the King, and your treasure is with Him.
It's the biblical equivalent of James Earl Jones's voice in The Lion King: "Remember, Simbaaaa....remember who you are...." (Speaking of over-spiritualizing earthly things....) I mean, as soon as Simba realized his identity, he was empowered to take back the kingdom. Because it really wasn't about his uncle or who was in charge of the pridelands--that was earthly stuff. It was about his relationship with his father, and realizing that he was royalty. (I KNOW my Disney references bear witness with some of y'all in your spirit...don't even lie!)
I tend to err on the side of over-working rather than under-working, fearing that if I don't "get ahead" financially (as if I can foresee what my expenses will be), I will "fall behind" (whatever that means). At the same time, I also sometimes become paralyzed when faced with earthly choices (as meaningful as jobs or as insignificant as ordering at a restaurant) because I fear making a "wrong choice" and suffering regret. I have consistently over-thought decisions I have had to make. The conflict between indecision and overworking is what causes pretty much every kind of stress I have felt in my life. I'm being real. I know y'all are following me.
This week, God has ordered me specifically to rest and not work. (And, to emphasize the point, He removed whatever work schedule I could have had...He knows me too well.) This is hard for me, because Earthly Mentality #1 (WORK WORK WORK) started pounding in my head. Earthly Mentality #2 (THINK THINK THINK) decided to join the party as well. The result was mild depression, a symptom of fear.
But, as I have obeyed and spent much time in prayer and worship, I learned some things about the heart of the Father. It's only Wednesday, and already I have had two unexpected work opportunities open up for me for greater financial blessing and experience. Not only that, but I've had several ministry opportunities, which I've been able to take advantage of due to my open schedule.
Basically, He is working it out better than I could have with all my planning, strategizing, scheming, or worrying.
Over and over again, He has to say to me, "Relax, honey. I promise you, I got this. You're going to like my plan way better than yours."
The pivotal truth is this: we are in Christ. There is no need to be concerned about earthly things. Be responsible for them, and live your life, but don't allow fear of them--of not doing it right, of not having enough, of failure--keep you from accomplishing things in the spiritual realm.
I think sometimes we fear making a "wrong decision," so we make no decision. We do nothing. We become paralyzed by fear, too concerned about our earthly lives to break free from them, or even to live them at all. We either run around like crazy hamsters on wheels, or we sit down and play video games all day. We go around trying to find out if the glass is half-empty or half-full, trying to create in ourselves a "good attitude" or to convince ourselves that our bad attitude is prophetic, a signal of negative things to come.
But people who created that metaphor are all wrong when it comes to Christians. We don't see the glass as half-full OR half-empty. Our attitudes aren't limited by what the world sees. We are seated with Christ in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6), which makes for a pretty good view. We know our work in the world is important, but it's nothing compared with eternity. We don't rely on ourselves for understanding, like people of the earth, anxiously peering into the glass and measuring drop by drop.
We don't have to try to overcome our "bad attitudes" or to manufacture some kind of "good attitude"--we have a God attitude. Our way of thinking is genetic. It comes from our Father.
We can have perfect peace when the whole world is in chaos, because we get something they don't. We understand that the cup isn't the object. The Living Water is....and our cup overflows. Half-full or half-empty isn't really a question.
You have no reason to fear. God has set a five-course banquet and fancy silverware before you in the presence of your fears, because they're only smoke screens and lies. You are a child of the King. Eat up. And drink up, too, because your supply will never run out.
"If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'"--Jesus (John 7:37-38)
