KRISTEN TSCHIDA MINISTRIES
  • Home
    • About Kristen
    • Contact
  • ARROWS
    • Crafting Arrows
    • Young Arrows
  • blog
  • Podcast
  • Store
  • 21 Days to Grow in Prayer
  • Devotional
    • Lenten Devotionals
  • Purity Pursuit
    • Purity Pursuit audio sessions

A Feast to enjoy

7/28/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies,” Psalm 23:5a.
This is a picture of God providing a feast! The imagery changes from a shepherd to a wealthy host. Imagine God is creating a table for you, picture the foods on the table that you enjoy. What are the emotions you experience? Close your eyes, can you see the feast? In the middle east in Bible times, people’s fame or wealth was measured by hospitality and how generous a host was to others. Remember at the wedding in Cana, where Jesus performed the first miracle?  The host of the wedding feast ran out of wine.  Jesus’ mother tells him, “When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, ‘They have no more wine’,” John 2:3. She didn’t want the host to suffer embarrassment so she got her Son involved. He performed the miracle of changing the water to wine and those in attendance at the feast spoke up, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you saved the best till now,”  John 2:10. 

Isaiah 25:6 is a promise to us that will be fulfilled at the wedding supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19). “On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine~ the best meats and the finest of wines.”  During our life on earth, we will not have the full manifestation of this promise, but we do get to experience glimpses of this feasting.

There are two realities in this verse:
1.Presence of enemies.  David may have been thinking of specific people or circumstances that pressed against him when he was writing this song to God. The word enemy means “to press; to treat in a hostile manner; to lay hold of; to persecute”.  In John 16:33, Jesus told us, “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world.”  The reality of life is that there are challenges and trials that will come.  The enemy prowls around like a roaring lion (I Peter 5:8-9). He wants you to believe that you cannot experience joy when trials and trouble are present. 

David knew the pressure from his enemies. When you read through the psalms, David cries out to the Lord for deliverance. For example, in Psalm 145:3, David says, “The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in the darkness like those long dead.”  Again, in Psalm 25:19, David says to God, “See how numerous are my enemies and how fiercely they hate me!” David knew pain and hardship. He was chased around by King Saul and later in his life by his own son.  David knew the reality of the presence of enemies.  But he had experienced God’s deliverance and protection and presence in the middle of it all.  He speaks in Psalm 23 from a lifetime of the testimonies of God’s faithfulness to Him. 

This verse seems to be quite appropriate in the world today. There are enemies all around us in our nation, things we have never really experienced before to this level~ coronavirus, unrest in our nation, rioting and anarchy in major cities, the churches have been shut down in California, unsettling about what to do with reopening schools in the fall, financial losses, and on and on.  And there are personal enemies present. What are the enemies you are experiencing in your life?  Anxiety, illness, relationships, finances, pain, uncertainty of future, insecurities, depression, addictions, fear, persecution?   

Do not let your enemies rule over your heart and don’t allow the enemies to define you. They are not to have power over you. David ran to God to pour out his heart. He had confidence before His Good Shepherd to cry out for deliverance and rescue.  If you feel surrounded by enemies, read through the psalms and use David’s words as your own.  Cry out to the Shepherd who loves you and cares for you.

The second reality in this verse is:
 2. The presence of God in the midst of enemies. Recognize that God is with you. He is in your midst! No matter your circumstances, sit down and enjoy God’s presence. Psalm 78:19 records the thoughts of the Israelites. They were experiencing the pressing of their wilderness and they said, “Can God really spread a table in the wilderness?”  The Israelites despised their wilderness. Don’t despise your wilderness. Enjoy the feast that God provides in the middle of it. It won’t last forever.

In the midst of conflict and uncertainty, surrounded by enemies, find your table. Feed of God’s faithfulness.  Feed on His Word. Feast and drink deeply. Get alone with God to cultivate a history with Him. The more time you spend with Him, the more stories you will have of His faithfulness and love toward you.  Confidence will grow. Let nothing get in the way, no distraction, no disappointment, no discouragement, no obstacle.  When you are feeling overwhelmed by the enemies, get with God.

As you spend time in God’s presence, the enemies will not seem so powerful. Dick Eastman has said, “The bigger we see God, the bigger we pray~ and the bigger we pray, the greater the answers we receive.”  Expectation for God’s power to be put on display will get stirred within us when we keep our eyes on Him.  He will defeat your enemies.

This morning I was praying for a few people who have been diagnosed with coronavirus, a looming enemy in the world right now.  As I was meditating on scripture and worshiping, the coronavirus became very small in my thinking and God became very big and powerful and victorious.  I left my prayer time encouraged and my soul was lifted, my confidence in who God is and what He does was soaring! God prepared a feast for me to enjoy and He does that for you too.

My encouragement to you today: Feast away!

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Kristen Tschida


    My loves in life: Spending time in the prayer room; reading & teaching God's Word; my husband; my kids; my little loves; biking & running; being with family & friends

    My dislikes in life: Cooking; winter; technology issues

    Favorite places:  home (in my office or "secret place"); prayer room; Arizona; the beach in Florida (near my daughter)

    Favorite things for parents: 
    I can teach my child~ helping you to be your child's first teacher
    Eduplace~ outline maps for projects or prayer room activities
    Joshua Project~ ideas for praying for the unreached people groups with your kids
    Ministry to Children~ Free Bible coloring pages
    Kids of Courage~ Raising awareness to the persecution going on in the world
    Moral Revolution~ Encouraging a generation to walk in purity
    Loving on Purpose Life Academy~ How to become safe & powerful in life and relationships

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    Picture
    What's Next Tribe
    Picture
    Our "little loves"!!!
    Picture
    My sister and I in Madison, WI~ Badger country!
    Picture
    35 years of marriage. On our way to celebrate with a trip to Vail!
    Picture
    Family summer vaca!

    Archives

    April 2022
    March 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    January 2018
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    October 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    March 2013
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012

    Categories

    All
    Advent
    Agape Love
    Attitude
    Beautiful
    Belief
    Birth
    Birth Of Jesus
    Celebrate
    Christmas
    Cross
    Devotional
    Discipleship
    Dreams
    Eden
    Family
    Goals
    Gospel Of John
    Gratitude
    Habits
    Happiness
    Health
    Journal
    Lent
    Life
    Love
    Love Story
    Marriage
    Mentoring
    Mission
    Parenting
    Plan
    Prayer
    Priorities
    Purpose
    Relationships
    Teens
    Thanksful
    Time
    Tips
    Vision
    Worship

    RSS Feed

  • Home
    • About Kristen
    • Contact
  • ARROWS
    • Crafting Arrows
    • Young Arrows
  • blog
  • Podcast
  • Store
  • 21 Days to Grow in Prayer
  • Devotional
    • Lenten Devotionals
  • Purity Pursuit
    • Purity Pursuit audio sessions