Unshackled Moments ~ August 31, 2018 ~ Under Siege

Most of us, even those who have little exposure to Scripture are familiar with the 23rd Psalm. The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want.... Want here is not want as in I want some ice cream. It is want as in not have my needs met. Yet even limited to need, having our needs met is not always what we expect or, well, would want. Later in the Psalm there is a line that states that God prepares a table for me in the presence of my enemies. That's a huge statement.

I want to look at it for a minute.At the time in history that King David wrote this Psalm, warfare was a lot different than it is today, so how he looked at a situation of being surrounded by enemies may not be how we think at first. Armies commonly fought without fighting at all. They would surround a fortified city and lay siege to it. No one could come in or out. This was warfare against the entire populace, nit just soldiers, with starvation as a slow killing weapon of mass destruction that left goods in tact for eventual plunder. Once food was gone and every animal in the city slaughtered and eaten, the result was starvation, sometimes cannibalism, and eventually someone would usually betray their city and open the gates to the enemy, either in hopes of being fed and spared or simply to get it over with. By that time, the people were too weak to fight well, and the invading army slaughtered more than they fought.

The metaphor of having a table prepared in the midst of enemies isn't about eating with people who don't like you. It's about not starving and having food while under siege. The need is met. But is that how we would look at it? If it were me, I wouldn't want a meal. I would want the enemy gone. God  is not always going to give us a quick and easy fix. And what we need isn't always what we think we need, even if that perceived need is food and water.Our need is to grow in relationship with Daddy, because while we can easily be distracted and focused on the present and the situation, God looks at the eternal and what matters long after the situation we see is done with.

We all have enemies. People, things and situations that are at best in the way and interfering with our lives, and at worst, that intend us harm. The promise we have is that we can trust Daddy to care for us and provide for our need. That doesn't mean the siege will end or that our enemies will disappear and life will be easy. Today, let us remember that God cares four us and our needs, and not allow the improvement or worsening of our circumstances dictate our belief about His love. He loves us, and like a good Daddy will provide for our need, but in the midst of the storm we may not realize what that need really is. Let us trust Him and have peace in the midst of the storm, even when the winds continue to blow.


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