You Prepare a Table...

It's Thanksgiving and my heart overflows with the goodness of the Lord. As I begin the day, I have plans to prepare my table with some of our favorite foods.  Reading through several Psalms this morning, I was reminded that my heavenly Father prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies.  I wonder what His table looks like (literally)...

"You anoint my head with oil...thank you, Spirit of God...my cup overflows (with blessing after blessing after glorious blessing).

But I was also reminded this morning of so many people that I love who are right where Psalm 23 is when it says..."I walk through the valley of the shadow of death."  My mind races to dozens of people today as I think about those words.  Friends and family who may be having a very different Thanksgiving this year.  May the Word of God encourage you today.

The "shadow of death" in scripture is defined like this (in the Hebrew Key Word Study Bible):

1. shade of death
2. the grave
3. calamity; - shadow of death

It says the shadow of death is a masculine noun meaning a death shadow, a deep shadow.  In some contexts in scripture, this word is used to describe death (Job 38:17); or those close to death (Psalm 107:10, 14).  In other contexts, it was used to describe a physical darkness (Job 24:17; Am 5:8); a spiritual darkness (Isaiah 9:2); a darkness of understanding (Job 12:22); a gloomy countenance (Job 16:16); or a dangerous land (Jer 2:6).  Occasionally, both elements of death and darkness are present in the context (Job 3:5; 10:21, 22).

I looked up many of these scriptures in parenthesis this morning and my heart was moved by the Truth of the Word of God.  Maybe you have truly experienced a death that saddens you today, or the memory of a death in the past, or a death that you feel is certain to come, making the holiday season much harder to get through.  Let your heart be encouraged that EVEN THOUGH you walk through the valley of the shadow of death (or darkness/uncertainty), I WILL fear NO evil, for YOU, Father, are with me; your rod (of correction yes, but ALSO your rod of authority under which I can rest) and your staff they comfort me.

Look at that word comfort...

It means to sigh...to breathe strongly; to be sorry (in a favorable sense), to console - to comfort (self), ease [one's self], repent.  To console is synonymous with showing kindness to someone.  God comforts those who need it (Psalm 119:82; Isa 12:1).

My prayer for you today is that your heart will be drawn to the Lord and that you will allow Him to comfort you (sigh with relief) in all of your trouble.

SURELY goodness and mercy (love) will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever (Psalm 23:6).

I love you...