I’ve been thinking a lot about Psalm 23 lately, especially this part about God preparing a table before us in the presence of our enemies…

I must tell the truth… I always have thought this was actually a big table with food where God and I would sit down and eat together… that’s always been the imagery in my mind, for some reason.

But I began to study this passage out during a difficult season in life, when God told me very specifically to go to a place and do a job and I was excited and ready and obeyed Him, but it ended up being one of the worst jobs I’ve ever had, one of the hardest things I’ve walked through…

And I was surprised.

I was in Babylon, like Daniel. And man I wish I could say I was a strong and bold hero like Daniel. I wish I could say I didn’t eat the food of the kings and that I prayed three times a day, that the king of the land wanted me to interpret dreams and get my advice on all things.

It was quite the contrary.

About 1.5 years after I had been there, the Lord continued to encourage me in this place, speaking to me audibly at my desk one day, “you’ll walk through the fire, but you’ll not be burned.”

I knew He was still guiding me and gracing me to stay, no matter how painful and illogical it seemed.

Then, about another 1.5 years passed, and I’m literally looking, searching for another job, an open door, anything to get out of this place and move on, feeling so desperately the grace had lifted…

And the Lord brought this to my mind… “tableland, Psalm 23.”

As I looked it up, this person, a shepherd by trade, describes what David likely was trying to parallel for us to understand how God cares for us and guides us in this life if we choose to walk with Him:

“Early in the season, even before all the snow has been melted … he will go ahead and make preliminary survey trips into this rough, wild country. He will look it over with great care, keeping ever in mind its best use for his flock during the coming season. Then just before the sheep arrive, he will make another expedition or two to prepare the tableland for them. He takes along a supply of salt and minerals to be distributed over the range at strategic spots for the benefit of the sheep during the summer.

I can picture him [David] walking slowly over the summer range ahead of his flock. His eagle eye is sharp for any signs of poisonous weeds which he would pluck before his sheep got to them. No doubt he had armfuls to get rid of for the safety of his flock.

Another task the attentive shepherd takes on in the summer is to keep an eye out for predators. He will look for signs and spoor of wolves, coyotes, cougars and bears. If these raid or molest the sheep he will have to hunt them down or go to great pains to trap them so that his flock can rest in peace.

Often what actually happens is that these crafty ones are up on the rimrock watching every movement the sheep make, hoping for a chance to make a swift, sneaking attack that will stampede the sheep. Then one or other of the flock is bound to fall easy prey to the attacker’s fierce teeth and claws.

Only the alertness of the sheepman who tends his flock on the tableland in full view of possible enemies can prevent them from falling prey to attack. It is only his preparation for such an eventuality that can possibly save the sheep from being slaughtered and panicked by their predators….”(https://www.antipas.org/commentaries/articles/shepherd_psa23/shepherd_08.html(accessed3/8/2026))

In reading and understanding these jobs of the shepherd, you can see what preparation he took to prepare the place for sheep before the sheep even arrived.

The shepherd got everything ready, cleared out, rid the grassy tableland of evil and harm from plants or animals and even put out minerals…

For as long as those sheep needed to be there, the shepherd had prepared the tableland, and it met every single need they would have.

Sister or Brother, it is the very same for you, and the very same for me.

If you’re in a place that looks and feels dangerous, or the people look like they want to hurt you, or even if you just feel so out of place, God has gone ahead of you and prepared that for you.

He has cleared a flat place for you to graze and rest.

He has made sure the waters are clean and the predators cannot access you.

He has rid the poisonous plants that could harm or destroy you.

He has readied it for you to enjoy that tableland even among the presence of your enemies… and in the presence of Him.

And when it’s time to go on, when it’s time to transition to the next place, spot or phase, He already is readying the tableland there, too.

God goes ahead of you.

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“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/psa.23.5.NKJV

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