A Seat at the Table

Picture it, a magnificently grand dinner table, with breathtaking decor, and a spread that makes your mouth water at the smells alone in the air. I don't know about you but I'm a foodie, and I would hope that there is a seat at the table for me! Eyes dancing over the selections of savory delights, sweet treats, and all the in-between goodies to partake in and what to start with and what to finish with that will most likely stuff you to the brim! Now, picture this. Just as there is a table with a feast for us to physically partake in, there is also a table that the Lord has set before us, with everything that we need. A table set with mercy, grace, joy, peace, rest, you name it, it's there. But do we take the time to recognize that there is a seat with our name on it so that we can partake in exactly what we need? Or do we keep our blinders on and continue to push through with our own strength, which by the way is extremely fragile when it comes to the strength of the Lord.

I was having a heart-to-heart chat with one of my sweet friends the other night and the Lord wanted me to encourage her with scripture, which then lead to what I am writing about now. A seat at the Table. One of the things we talked about was how good it is to be surrounded by women who can see & sense when something is off with one of us, and then does something about it. An action, a reaction, a calling out, a tender hug, a lending ear. It says in Proverbs 27:9-10 says, "Sweet friendships refresh the soul and awaken our hearts with joy, for good friends are like the anointing oil that yields the fragrant incense of God's presence. So never give up on a friend or abandon a friend of your father -- for in the day of your brokenness you won't have to run to a relative for help. A friend nearby is better than a relative far away." It's so important as Christ lovers, that we are sensitive to our friends, and the Holy Spirit's prompting, and to pay attention to our friends because sometimes the Lord will use you in ways that you don't fully understand but are used for a friend in need. Obedience is a beautiful thing, even when it takes you out of your comfort zone (you heard me correctly so read it again) to say something to that friend, especially when you know something is off or wrong. All of that brings me back to the table, not the one with food for our tummies, but the one that has what we need to fill back up our hearts and soul. I was reading an article about "the table" in Psalm 23:5, talking about what was on it and what it all meant. In reading that article, one of the things that I found absolutely fascinating was when the Lord prepared a table for David while his enemies surrounded him, they posed no threat to David because he had "table guest rights". It then went on to say that in the ancient East, whoever the host was, they were obligated to safeguard their guests at all costs from their enemies. Whoa, no pressure or anything, but that's some intense stuff. If you dig into it, Psalm 23 has a theme, and that theme was to show that no matter the circumstances or situations David found himself in, he NEVER once lacked. Not in the valley of the shadow of death, or in the presence of his enemies, he did not lack because of his close relationship with the Lord. Just let that sink in. He is the host, we, the guest. Meaning, that when we as guests arrive we don't go into their kitchen and raid the pantry or fridge. Bad etiquette! No, we enter the home, are greeted and seated, and we trust that the host will prepare everything needed for that evening. You see, when we are seated at the table of the Lord, we don't have to wait for the appetizer to arrive. Why? Because it's already on the table, the appetizer, salad, main full course, and desserts for days. It's already been prepared, because He the Host, has been watching, and preparing for just the right moment to invite you to dinner. I'll tell you what, I want to make sure my name is permanently at that table! May I never get to a place where I think I don't need to meet the Host for dinner. May I never become so far involved in myself that I forget to look for others to invite to dinner. May I never forget that my name is on the table and there's a seat for me. I hope this encourages you to find your seat too. May the feasting be plentiful, my friends.