“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:5)
Suddenly in verse 5, David seems to dump the sheep metaphor so he can talk about how good God has been to him. But I wonder if anyone else noticed this: In spite of the fact that David’s shepherd, God, is so good, David still goes through hard times.
He still walks through the “valley of the shadow of death.” He is still stalked by enemies. If God is so good and so powerful, why can’t the Lord just stop all the bad things from happening? David doesn’t ask that question here, but most of us eventually do. Many people use that question as an excuse to waste their lives ignoring God.
God never promises a trouble-free life on this side of heaven, but He does promise to provide for and comfort us. David notices God doing that for him even on his roughest days: Plenty to eat; a good shower (of oil); and more than enough to drink. God is good.
Think: On your worst days, are you more likely to blame God for the hard parts or thank Him for taking care of you through the painful moments?
Pray: Thank God that He always provides for you, even when He allows hard times to come your way.
Do: Notice a few ways that God provides good things for you today.