“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.”
Psalms 23:5-6
The 23rd Psalm is one of those biblical passages that has entered our culture’s consciousness. Certain phrases from this Psalm resonate not just within the church but well beyond. “He makes me lie down in green pastures;” “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil;” and “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” are especially resonant.
One of the reasons I love this passage is that it acknowledges the pain and struggle of this life as well as the hope we find in a transcendent God.
This passage doesn’t pretend that everything will be great. It admits that we will walk through the darkest of valleys. It acknowledges that we will live among our enemies.
God did not remove David, the author of this Psalm, from the presence of his enemies. God prepared a table for David amidst them. And in their presence, God anointed David’s head. For David, the anointing was literal and figurative. But for us, there is still poetic meaning. God expects us to serve His purposes even when surrounded by our enemies.
Despite the valley of the shadow of death and living in the presence of our enemies, it is sure that goodness and mercy will follow those who dwell in the house of the Lord. This does not mean we will not have struggles. David had plenty of them. Some of his greatest struggles stemmed from his own failings. Yet despite our own failings, God still looks upon us with mercy, wishing us good.
Life isn’t about avoiding pain and trials. They are part of God’s refining that we experience in this life. The question is, do we walk through the valley and only see the shadow of death? Do we sit among our enemies and only see the threat they bring? Or do we remember the anointing? Do we remember God’s mercy and goodness? Do we seek to serve His purposes and continue to dwell in His house?
A Quote to Consider:
“Seeing is not something that happens in the eyes. It happens in the brain.”
This is a great art-related quote that I often pull on when talking with my students, even when I don’t directly reference it.
Artists must learn to see. A major part of drawing is learning to see what is there, not what we think is there. When someone draws a flower, do they draw a generalized conception of a flower, or do they draw the flower in front of them with all its individuality, particularity, beauty, and blemishes?
This is a foundational lesson in art.
It is also a foundational lesson in life.
Can we see what is really in front of us? Can we see the things that our culture, even our church culture, calls good for what they truly are? Sometimes those things are good. At other times, they are not.
Can we see failures of justice? Can we see what is truly beautiful or disgusting, both aesthetically and morally?
Too often, we look at the practices of our faith traditions but cannot truly see them. We look at elements in our culture but do not accurately see them. We can all see injustice, but we do not always have, as scripture says, “eyes to see.”
This seeing happens in the brain, but even more so in our moral center, when God has helped us align our passions with His. We see injustice when we see the Imago Dei, the image of God, in those who are recipients of that injustice. We see abuses and wrongs when we see those who are abused and wronged as the precious creations God sees. When we see every person as a Child of God with inherent dignity, we are on our way to seeing the world with God’s heart. It takes both our hearts and our brains to look at the world and see it as God does.
Prayer:
Lord,
Help us to see with hearts shaped by Your mercy. In valleys, before enemies, and amid injustice, remind us of Your goodness, Your anointing, and Your presence. Teach us to dwell with You and to see others with eyes and minds that are informed by Your love.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
Image: Pamela Reynoso
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