Message Recap – 6/17/11 – Psalm 23: Part 5

Friday, June 24, 2011

We've been going through Psalm 23 verse by verse. It's been awesome! Be sure to take a look at the first 4 parts if you missed them:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Now we've reached the penultimate week in the series! What is penultimate? Look it up. We'll continue in Psalm 23:5, which says:

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.

So, last week we talked about calamity and this week we are talking about enemies; an attack. What's the difference between calamity and an attack?
Calamity is just something that happens that no one intended. Calamity is not something maliciously designed.
An attack is when an enemy decides to come after you, to intentionally try to destroy you. Who is your enemy? Is it that bully in school, your little brother, the Taliban?
Ephesians 6:12 tells us who the enemy is: For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
There is a spiritual world; this is something that most people agree on, though they disagree on the form it takes. There are things that cannot be explained by science or reason.
When the Bible talks about preparing a table before you in the presence of your enemies, it's not talking about the girl in school who spread rumors about you, or the guy that has it in for you. Our enemy is not people.
Our enemies are anger, bitterness, rage, lust, depression, laziness, discouragement. Temptation is our enemy. Which sometimes comes through people -- but the enemy is not the person, it's the temptation.
Sometimes those enemies can seem overwhelming. The battles can seem impossible to win. Yet even when we face something that seems impossible, God can take those attacks and turn them into overwhelming victories for you!
You come out stronger, able to help others because of it!
You know the story of David and Goliath? David was a kid, probably about 14 years old. He faced a trained soldier who was over 8 feet tall. It seemed impossible, but he came out victorious and even went on to become king of Israel.
How about Jesus? He went through 40 days of being tempted. But he came out of it not only having withstood temptation, but out of that battle He began His ministry. A few years later He was crucified for our sins and won the greatest and mos decisive victory in history!
There are three factors covered in Psalm 23:5; the table, the anointing and the cup.
The table.
This is not referring to just a literal table. It means a meal -- a meal where you can sit with God and have fellowship and provision with Him in the presence of your enemies.
1 Corinthians 10:13 says: The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.
The anointing.
In the Old Testament kings and priests were anointed to show that they were authorized by the Holy Spirit and given authority from above.
In the middle of the attack, God wants to give yo anointing, an authority to walk in that is far above your own. He wants to give you a sense of purpose and vision. So that as you emerge from the battle, you are no longer just a kid. You're a warrior, with the beginnings of a king in him.
The cup.
The cup holds the amount that you need to sustain you, to survive, to live. When it overflows that means you have more than you need -- you have enough to bless others!
Remember when Jesus fed 5,000 men? His disciples gave what little they had, and it multiplied into more than enough for 5,000 people!
God wants to give you something that's more than enough for you, something that you can use to bless others! So that, like David, you can affect a whole nation!
One of the very real faith steps you can take in the midst of a battle is to look for someone that you can help, that you can sow into. Sometimes you just need to get your eyes off of yourself and start looking for a way to bless someone else.
When you're facing an enemy be ready for God's plan in the midst of the battle. His plan to make you stronger. To anoint you with the Holy Spirit and to bless you with enough that you can bless others. With God you will not just survive the battle, but be in a better place than you were before the battle!

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