We have been studying Psalm 23 as ‘David’s Journal’.  David wrote down only the high points of God’s dealings in his life.  In verse 1 we saw ‘David’s Revealing Days’, verse 2 ‘The Resting Days’, verse 3 ‘The Restoring Days’, and verse 4 ‘The Renewing Days’.

Let us turn our attention to verse 5 where we find ‘The Rejoicing Days’ in his journal when David says, “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.”

Let us look at three great truths from this text.  There is first of all, ‘The Rejoicing Assurance’ seen in this phrase, “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:” There are two words that stand out with assurance in this phrase.  They are the words ‘preparest’ and ‘before’.  The word ‘preparest’ means to arrange in order, to direct and ordain.  The word ‘before’ has the idea of going ahead of in time.  Our God goes before us and brings a solution before the problem.  In the story of Abraham and Isaac they were going up the mountain with a problem but God was at the top with the solution, a ram caught in the thicket.  I know which one came first.  He was a lamb slain before the foundation of the world when John saw Him on the Isle of Patmos.  There are great grounds for rejoicing in the assurance that God spreads this table in the ‘presence of mine enemies’.  It would seem when the enemy is around we would fight or flee, but God gives us time to feast even in their presence.

There is also in this text ‘A Rejoicing Anointing’ as seen in the phrase “…thou anointest my head with oil;” Every believer is a priest of God.  He has made us kings and priests.  We cannot serve Him as an earthly priest without the anointing oil of service.  Oil in the Bible is a picture of the Holy Ghost.  Let our cry be daily, ‘Lord, pour fresh oil upon me’.  A Christian lacks power to serve when he is devoid of the fresh oil of the Holy Ghost.  Let us not teach, sing, preach, deacon, cook, cut grass, treasure, or clean the restrooms without the fresh oil of God’s Spirit.  If we do anything without this oil it will be the letter of the law and kill everything it touches.  If we have the oil of His Spirit there will be the letter of the Spirit creating life wherever it touches.

We also find a third truth, ‘The Rejoicing Abundance’.  It is seen in the phrase, “…my cup runneth over.”  The Lord gives not a cup full but He causes our cup to over flow.  Our Shepherd will cause us to drink from the saucer.  He is not a God who sends enough, but always abundance, more than enough.  This overflow will reach even into the empty cup of those we serve and minister to.

This verse of rejoicing is so illustrated in a greater than David.  It is our Shepherd the Lord Jesus Christ.   While at the house of Simon the leper, Judas Iscariot’ father, Mary came in and anointed His head with oil, smothered His feet with kisses and dried them with her hair.  This table was prepared right in the presence of Judas, His archenemy.  This cup even runs over into our empty cup as we study these precious truths today.  This verse causes us to follow Paul’s admonition when he said, ‘Rejoice in the Lord alway, and again I say, Rejoice.’