Hey Reader-Friends
Do any of you enjoy hosting dinner parties? How many of you are enthusiasts about making the table display look really special for your guests? Maybe some of you are not into the real hustle and bustle of getting together a fancy fix, but do adore the settings galore on Pinterest!
This morning, I read a devotional from Girlfriends in God that got me thinking about the spiritual implications of setting a table.
The Hebrews use to have their victory feasts before they even went to war. They knew that they would be victorious even before the first cry of battle, because they possessed the mark of God. They were confident that their faith would see them through the toils up ahead. Likewise, we can prepare a table of victory when we face battles in our lives.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.
Psalm 23:5 (NKJV)
Mary Southerland, the author of the devotional I mentioned shares this story:
My friend, Michelle, is the consummate hostess. She makes entertaining look so easy. To her, a dinner party for 50 guests is a simple feat. Just shoot me now! One of her favorite preparations is the dinner table. When I’m expecting company, the first guests to arrive often have the honor of setting the table with whatever they can find in the way of tablecloths, silverware, glasses, and…you get the idea. Not Michelle. I’ve seen her table completely and beautifully arranged days before the anticipated dinner party or holiday meal. When I asked her why she went to such elaborate lengths her answer made me stop and think: “It is part of the celebration for me. I love having the table set early because every time I walk past it, I think of the people who will sit in those chairs and pray for them. I think of their favorite dishes and look forward to preparing each one. I guess you could say that I enjoy the party long before it begins.” That is the idea behind praise.
We can praise God for what He will do long before He does it. We can prepare a victory table before the battle begins, knowing that the battle belongs to our God. And don’t you know that a pre-battle victory party irritates the fire out of the enemy? I love that!
And I love that attitude! I think that what are attitude looks like and how we handle life’s battles are sure measurements of our faith. From now on, I am going to focus on dressing my {pre} victory table with praise. I like to think that it would probably would look something like these:
And my favorite:
What would your victory table look like?
1 comment:
I had tears in my eyes while reading this. What a beautiful picture. I will dress my table with praise because I know that in every circumstance I will be victorious because He is victorious. That doesn't always mean that good things will happen, but I can be victorious even in the hard things. I just have to prepare my table with praise. Blessed by this. Thank you.
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