◄ What Does Psalm 23:5 Mean? ►

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.

Psalm 23:5(NASB)

Verse of the Day

In this psalm, we see a beautiful portrait of God as our good and faithful Shepherd Who leads us by still waters and guides us into the way of peace. He is, indeed, worthy of our worship and praise. He is the One Who upholds and protects, Who blesses and comforts, Who bountifully provides good things for us in the presence of our enemies. And He is the One Who intercedes for us in heavenly places.

The picture that is painted in this well-loved psalm of David, is that of our faithful God, our merciful and gracious Saviour, our good and caring Shepherd Who keeps us, protects us, and provides for us through all the changing scenes of life.

Our merciful God first identified Himself as Jehovah-jireh, our gracious Provider, to Abraham when he was halted, by the Lord, from offering up his son, Isaac, as his sacrifice of love and obedience. And throughout both testaments, we discover God as the One Who provides rain for the earth, nourishment for the ravens, a father for the fatherless, and a righteous judgment for the widow.

Our faithful God is the one who fed the hungry multitude, provides comfort for the broken-hearted, gives succour to the weak, strength to the weary, hope to the afflicted, and salvation to all who trust in Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins - for while we were yet sinners, God in His grace provided a Kinsman-Redeemer to save His people from their sins.

Our good and loving God supplies all our needs, according to His riches in glory, through Christ Jesus our Saviour. And here in this well-loved and oft-repeated psalm of David, we discover: "The Lord has prepared a table before us in the presence of our enemies. He has anointed our head with oil and our cup of blessing overflows with His goodness and love."

Though we may be afflicted on all sides... pressured, perplexed, and persecuted for righteousness sake, we have not been forgotten or abandoned by our Heavenly Lord... for Jesus is with us always and forever, even to the end of the age. He has prepared a table before us, in the presence of those that hate and despise us, and He has covered it with all we need and every spiritual blessing - which He purchased for us through His own blood, on Calvary's Cross.

Though we live in the war-zone of this fallen world system, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ... and the peace of God which guards our hearts in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.

The anointing oil that is poured over our heads is the soothing ointment of His never-ending love. It is a precious promise to all His children, for we have been made kings and priests of the living God - and have a guarantee that His Word is true and His promises are 'Yes' and 'Amen' in Christ.

Surely with David we can proclaim, "My cup of blessing runneth over," for His grace is limitless, His love is boundless, and His mercy endures from one generation to another.

My Prayer

Heavenly Father, how I praise and thank You for Your Word and the comfort and strength it gives me. Thank You that You are my Shepherd and my Provider. Thank You that You are with me through the darkest days as well as during the sunny times, and thank You that You have provided all that I need, according to Your riches in glory. Thank You that You are my God and Saviour. You have, indeed, prepared an overflowing table before me in the presence of my enemies and have anointed my head with the oil of gladness. My cup overflows with Your never-ending blessings, for which I praise and thank You. In Jesus' name, AMEN.