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The Lord is My Shepherd, He Provides Blessings
How does God provide for you? As we continue looking at Psalm 23, we see the amazing blessings God provides for us. Join us for a few minutes today as we reflect on these blessings.
Psalm 23:5, Matthew 3:17
Psalm 23 has a lot of imagery of shepherds and sheep. However in verse five the picture kind of changes a bit to that of a man who’s provided for by God.
You set a table for me in the presence of my foes.
You drench my head with oil.
My cup is overflowing. (Psalm 23:5)
It’s the imagery of a feast, maybe we can think of a Thanksgiving meal spread out on a massive table and how the person of honor is invited to come and to eat, despite the fact that his enemies are looking on in scorn and disgust.
When I read these words it’s hard for me not to envision a picture of the New Testament sacraments: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. It’s not so much of a stretch for us to imagine that table laid out before us a reference perhaps to the Lord’s Supper, that cup even overflowing as in the Lord’s Supper God gives to us bread and wine, yes, but also with it the true body and blood of Christ for the forgiveness of sins, an abundant blessing.
It’s not too much of a stretch to think about this one who’s anointed with oil. Could it be a reference even looking forward to baptism, as even Jesus own baptism was referred to as anointing? We think about what happened there the Holy Spirit descended upon him the father spoke of him
“This is my Son, whom I love. I am well pleased with him.” (Matthew 3:17)
As we think about the blessings for us in baptism we can be reassured there we are God’s dear children. That we received the forgiveness of sins all while the scoffers and enemies of God and His Word and of the church look on.
There are many who say there’s nothing more there than bread, wine, or water. It doesn’t benefit you any more than maybe stilling a little bit of hunger or washing your body clean from dirt, but there is. As we trust God’s Word and what it says that through those things God provides for us abundant blessings not the least of which is the forgiveness of all of our sins.
Yes, rejoice in this table spread out before you. Rejoice in the sacraments that God has given to you to provide these incredible blessings. Amen.
