This week’s devotion is based on Week 4 of the series, “David: Finding Peace when I am afraid” (WATCH HERE)
Psalm 23:5 “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”
Fear often tells us that peace must wait. It whispers that resolution has to come first, that threats must disappear, and that circumstances must improve before peace is possible. Psalm 23:5 challenges that assumption. David does not say the enemies are removed. He says the table is prepared while they remain. God’s answer to fear is not always escape or removing the source of fear, but promising his presence, provision, and protection in the middle of what is causing fear.
Being invited to sit at someone’s table was an act of honor and belonging. A host does not invite guests casually. To sit at a table meant invitation, acceptance, and care. When David writes that the Lord prepares a table for him, he is describing more than food. He is describing being welcomed and sustained by God even while surrounded by threat. Fear says this is not going to end well. Faith says God has a place for me to sit in his presence.
Remember David’s life? Long before he became king, he lived with enemies on every side. Saul hunted him. Accusations followed him. His future felt uncertain and fragile. Yet God continued to provide for him. God sent companions like Jonathan and Abiathar. God opened doors of refuge. God anointed him with purpose long before the crown rested on his head. The table was already set even though the battle was far from over.
In Isaiah, God invites the weary to come and eat freely, even while exile and hardship remain (55:1-2) Jesus welcomes sinners to His table before their lives are cleaned up or fully restored. At the Last Supper, Jesus breaks bread with His disciples while betrayal is already in motion. God’s table has always been a place of grace in the presence of trouble, not a reward after it disappears.
God does not wait for your life to become peaceful before offering peace. He does not wait for every enemy to be silenced before calling you His own. He gives peace even when your story is still unfolding.
Imagine being invited to a table where you are not rushed, questioned, or evaluated. You are simply welcomed. You are seen. You are served. That is the posture God takes toward His children. In moments when fear rises and voices of shame or uncertainty grow loud, this verse invites you to sit down and receive what God has already provided, his love, his grace and his peace.
Reflect: What enemies such as fear, shame, or voices from the past try to steal your peace? Where do you see God providing for you right now, even if the situation is not yet resolved?
Prayer: God, thank You for meeting me with grace even when life is messy. Help me receive Your care and believe that I belong at Your table. Amen.