Blessed in the Middle of the Buffeting
Right in the middle of your battle, you are not alone. Your Shepherd never leaves you. Not only does He stay with you, but He blesses you abundantly.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies Psalm 23:5.
Our Shepherd, David’s Shepherd, prepared him a feast before (in front of) his enemies. The Lord God, our Savior, and our Shepherd is our feast. The entire psalm is about what the Shepherd does for His sheep.
There are people who want to destroy David, but the Shepherd comes to David right in the face of the demon hordes. The Shepherd embarrasses and confuses the enemy because they can see that while they desire to damage David, the Shepherd is blessing him.
No, the Shepherd didn’t get him out of the problem but was with him in the problem. You shouldn’t expect or hope that God will get you out of the problem. Take the time to know Him in your problem. It is time to draw near. Grow in your faith by letting the hurt and problems be a teacher for you.
Like Jehoshaphat, look to God because you do not know what to do, but He does. II Chronicles 20:12. Know that the battle is not yours but the Lord’s.
God will give you victory in the problem but not get you out. He probably will not stop the abuse but will bless you despite the problem.
You want to destroy your enemies and seek vengeance, but God wants to bless you, while the enemy sees you blessed despite attacks and abuses.
Never forget that you are not warring against humans, flesh and blood, but the very demons of hell. Ephesians 6:12.
Much of your problem may result from mistakes or something you did wrong, but your Shepherd will not abandon you. He will work in your life. What you did, or others meant for harm, God will turn to blessing.
David had failed in raising Absalom and did not deal correctly with Amnon when he raped his sister, Tamar, so he showed monumental failure as a parent.
David had failed in his marital life by committing adultery and then murdering Uriah, her husband.
But in all our errors and mess-ups, our Shepherd doesn’t leave us but works in our lives to help us overcome and live like His sheep.
David’s enemies are, in essence, tormentors. They have put David in an impossible position. He is in deep trouble. He is tied up and disturbed to the nth degree. The attack is on, and it is relentless. His own family is a hostile adversary who hates him.
It reminds me of how Joseph must have felt in Genesis 42:21.
And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.
Joseph had been terrified and was begging for his life, but his own brothers refused to listen.
Maybe this is how you are feeling right now. Maybe, like Job, you can’t hold the hurt in. You have an anguished spirit and a bitter soul. Job 7:11.
What you must do right now is realize that your Shepherd is there with you in the middle of your worst distress. Everyone else may leave you, and even your closest may attack you, but your Shepherd will never leave you.
In the middle of the anguish, his Pastor, Shepherd, always prepares him a full-course banquet. Elisha knew that. Danger loomed enough to terrify the servant, but Elisha knew he was never alone. And when his eyes opened, the servant saw God’s army protecting Elisha. II Kings 6:15-17.
God provides, organizes, and lays it out, and He never stops doing just that. The language of Heaven should burst forth from our lips. Thank you. Gratitude. The Shepherd is here and near, giving me a banquet in the middle of it all, right in the face of my enemies.
The enemies must watch as those they hate enjoy great blessings from the Shepherd.
In the greatest danger imaginable, David focuses on his Shepherd, not his situation. The answer is to realize that God loves you. Right where you are, “I AM” loves you.
If you set your mind on your Shepherd, you can be whole and enjoy peace, no matter the storm. Isaiah 26:3. Your friend loves you; your Shepherd is more than a Shepherd. He is a friend, and He said so. John 15:15.
Look for the blessings in the middle of the buffeting. You are suffering in a horrible storm, but you can know that your Shepherd is there with you, will not leave you, and will even bless you in the middle of it all. But you must lift your eyes to the Shepherd and get your eyes off the storm.
A Feast Before Me: Psalm 23:5
In the valley of deepest despair,
Where shadows loom, and hope seems rare,
The Shepherd comes, His voice so near,
In the presence of enemies, He draws me near.
Before my foes, He spreads the feast,
His table set, a holy feast,
Not in absence of the fight,
But in the heart of the darkest night.
I have not been spared the trial,
Nor lifted from the storm’s cruel mile,
But in my troubles, His grace is found,
In every storm, He’s all around.
My enemies lurk with intent to harm,
But the Shepherd shields with loving arm,
Their eyes see me, but what they know,
Is that the Shepherd’s blessings flow.
They hope to see my faith undone,
But before them, He has already won.
Not in the absence of the fight,
But with my Shepherd in my sight.
Like David, I’ve failed, I’ve faltered deep,
Wounds so raw, I cannot sleep.
But the Shepherd does not leave my side,
In my failures, He does abide.
In the ruins of my broken past,
Where mistakes linger, shadows cast,
The Shepherd prepares a table wide,
In the very storm, He will provide.
My enemies whisper lies and scorn,
But in the presence of their mourn,
God’s mercy flows, His love profound,
In the deepest anguish, He’s all around.
Like Joseph, I’ve cried in despair,
Betrayed, alone, none to care.
Yet in the dark, I see a light,
The Shepherd’s hand, holding me tight.
When my heart is torn and crushed,
And in my soul, there’s just a hush,
The Shepherd calls, “Come feast with me,
In the presence of your enemies, be free.”
He does not promise to take away,
The trials that come or the heart’s dismay,
But He’s with me in the deepest hole,
Filling my spirit, healing my soul.
He prepares the table, not in peace,
But in chaos, where troubles never cease.
My enemies watch, but they can’t see,
That in this storm, He’s strengthening me.
In the battle, I will not fall,
For the Shepherd’s love conquers it all.
He’s more than a guide; He’s my friend,
In His embrace, all wounds will mend.
His army surrounds me, unseen,
A host of angels, mighty, keen.
Like Elisha’s servant, blind to see,
The Shepherd’s protection covers me.
Thank you, Lord, for the banquet grand,
In the midst of war, You take my hand.
My enemies watch, but they won’t know,
That You have prepared a feast for me to grow.
Through the pain, I will find peace,
In Your presence, all worries cease.
Thank you, Shepherd, for Your love,
The feast You give, my soul’s above.
In the storm, I choose to look,
To the Shepherd, the One who took,
My sins, my shame, and gave me grace,
A feast before me, in His embrace.
So I will sit, in peace I rest,
Before my enemies, I am blessed.
The Shepherd leads, the Shepherd stays,
Turning trials into triumphs, all my days.