My Table
- Susie Wong
- Jul 2
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 30
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows,”
Psalms 23:5, NIV.
I understand this verse has been used to show and declare God’s provision regardless of our situation. But I also wonder, is the table prepared for me and my enemies? Is God showing my enemies what they are missing out on? Or is God waiting for me to invite my enemy to God’s banquet? Are they His enemies or my unforgiven enemies?
I ask myself, who are my enemies? Aren’t they the same as God’s? If not, who are His enemies? Since God loves everyone, does God even have enemies?
Yes, God does have enemies. But His enemy list is a bit different than our personal list.
It began with an angel named Lucifer. He challenged God and His authority to raise himself up above God. God removed him from heaven and banished him to earth. He is an enemy of God.
Our first commandment is to put God first above any other gods or anything else. God is to be number one. Lucifer, however, put himself before God.
Unfortunately, we too, rank our thoughts, abilities and understanding higher than God’s at times, which due to our pride, and it separates us from God.
There are also those who oppose God, challenge His authority, or rebel against His commandments. They have willingly or unwillingly aligned themselves with Lucifer, who did the same, and therefore become God’s enemies, also.
Our enemies are people who have hurt us in a variety of ways: lied to us, hit us, stolen from us, ignored us, didn’t let us have our own way, and so on.
The difference is God desires to forgive. He is willing to forgive a wrong done to Him. If the confession is earnest, God joyfully removes them from His enemy list. He is able to do that because Jesus took the punishment for the penalty for all mankind. We only need to sincerely ask for forgiveness and decide to obey God from here on out.
“For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life,” Romans 5:10, NIV.
When we, on the other hand, have been wronged, we tend to hold a grudge, and we remove those who have offended us from our Christmas card list.
Our two lists are very different.
We potentially rank our enemy as eviler than God’s. We tend to focus on our own personal enemies and might not even think about God’s. This is largely due to the fact we might not realize there are things that can hurt God. Often when we do realize it, it doesn’t affect us as it should. We will only be bothered that God is being hurt or offended, when we love and understand God more than we love ourselves.
So, I need to ask myself the tough questions: Do I care that God is getting hurt? Does it bother me when His name is shamed, misunderstood or mocked? Does it bother me when rebellious men and women deliberately break God’s laws—knowing it grieves my Father in heaven? Does it bother me that God sent His own Son to fix all wrongs, yet people burn crosses that represent Jesus’ sacrifice?
Or am I only concerned about my own personal enemies?
God’s gracious table is set before me and my enemies. Do I to love them as God does? Do I to serve them as God does? Forgive them as God does? Welcome them to God’s table? Am I preventing others from coming to God’s table because I keep my enemies at arm’s length and I refuse to forgive them?
How are you answering these questions?
(Feel free to comment. I love reading your thoughts).
Father,
The bottom line is, our enemies are Your potential children, whereas Your enemies have chosen a life and a future without You. Often desiring to damage the name of Jesus.
We, humans, in fact are all Your enemies, until we choose You, and ask for forgiveness.
Help us realize that Your table is for any who desire the kingdom of heaven.
If Your table is set before me and my enemies, the purpose of showing me this is to remind me that I need to forgive like You do and to invite my enemies into the kingdom. Father, forgive me, for I still have a list of enemies.
Help me turn my enemy list into an invitation list to Your banquet.
Maybe they have already been invited by You, yet I foolishly still regard them as enemies, and not as Your guests. Father, forgive me, and please give me eyes to see others as You do.
If I am determined to be like Jesus, a good dutiful child, I need to love like He does, as well.
Help me to do this for Your glory.
Amen.
As you noted, Susie, we often don't see or perceive things the same way as God does. We often overlook or disregard or minimize what God says is super important and hence position ourselves among those whom God regards as enemies. The book of James addresses some of these issues: quarreling, grumbling, jealousy, wrong motives, anger, spiritual adultery, criticizing, judging, prejudice, hypocrisy, divided loyalty, uncontrolled tongue, lack of mercy, selfish ambition, boasting, lying, lack of mercy, discrimination, selfishness, etc. When we engage in these kinds of actions/attitudes, we are actually aligning ourselves with the 'enemy of our souls', the 'god of this world', Satan himself. They are not characteristics of God's wisdom, but rather are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. (James…
I love how you phrase it- "turn my enemy list into and invitation list." This is SO Jesus who visited the outcasts, the marginalized, the traditional "sinners," and He invited them to come and see. He invited them to experience living water. He extended the offer. I can do that too!