Whose At Your Table?

God prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies. Psalm 23:5

The above image is so powerful to me because it's evident that both feel some type of way about each other's presence, and yet, there they sit.

There are times when you are gonna have to suck it up in the most uncomfortable situations as God uses difficult people and tough situations to build your character. It's human nature to want to be around those who make us feel good. Those who celebrate us. Those who make us feel appreciated and wanted. But can I tell you...it was the difficult and not easy to love people who helped me grow the most. The ones who helped me to develop Christ-like character where the ones who disappointed, hurt, disregarded, and disrespected me. It was my enemies AND my frenemies that pushed me closer to God and whose behavior propelled me to seek my identity and worth in the Lord, not through people.

Ideally, I would like, when God blesses me (prepares a feast in my honor) that the guest lists ONLY includes ones who were there for me. But the above Scripture lets me know that won't be the case. The guest list includes ones who didn't believe, who didn't support, who didn't accept, and who didn't care. It will include ones who tried to block me, stop me, and dismiss me.

Wow! What was God thinking? Doesn't he know that after everything we've been through, after all the trials, hurt, and pain - we want a party. We want a celebration? Not an uncomfortable gathering.

Yep. God knows and it WILL be a celebration. It will be anything but uncomfortable. For in the midst of our enemies, there we will sit celebrating that all of the plots, plans, and schemes of the devil didn't work! Our TRUE enemies are not people. It's the devil working through them to introduce things like rejection, abandonment, fear, control, manipulation, character assassination, etc.

Beloved, even though you are going through a tough time right now, Psalm 23:5 says that God is preparing a victory table, a victory feast for you and it will be attended by all of the enemies of your purpose and destiny. And the celebration will serve as notice to each one, that nothing or no one can stop/block what God has for you. Some of the troubled relationships you are praying for God to remove, will/must stick around a little longer than you like because they have been assigned a seat at your feast! Woo Hoo!

So rather than wishing some folk or some situations away, allow God to build Christlike character in you so you will be worthy of sitting in the "guest of honor" seat at the feast God is preparing for you. Some of your enemies have to be there!

Now, be sure that you get there by continuing to trust that God has given you everything you need to be victorious and to keep pressing toward that celebration. Ahhh...I see it now. The celebration won't be a time of "I told you so." It will be a time of "Look at what God did!"