You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

Psalm 23:5

Life happens around the table.

Throughout Scripture, a shared meal is far more than food on a plate—it is a picture of welcome, provision, covenant, and communion. When Abraham received the three visitors on their way to Sodom, he honored them with a prepared meal. The Passover table carried deep meaning, pointing beyond the Exodus to the ultimate sacrifice of Christ. And the meal Jesus shared with His disciples is still celebrated by believers around the world as we look ahead with hope to the marriage supper of the Lamb, when He restores all things.

Tables matter because they remind us that God draws near.

In Psalm 23, David declares, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” What a bold statement of confidence. The Good Shepherd doesn’t merely provide scraps in secret—He prepares a table. It is intentional. Personal. Abundant.

This echoes Paul’s assurance in Philippians 4:19: “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Our provision flows from His riches, not our resources.

This is the same faithful God who sent manna from heaven while Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years. Day after day, He proved that He could be trusted. He did not abandon His people then—and He does not abandon us now.

Notice something else: the table is prepared “in the presence of my enemies.” God’s provision does not require the absence of opposition. He is fully aware of what surrounds us—pressures, critics, uncertainty, spiritual battles. Yet even there, He spreads a table.

The psalmist rests in this truth: the LORD sees, the LORD knows, and the LORD provides.

And He still does.