Today's Verse

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

Devotion

You can't opt out of the gifts and the calling of God on your life (Romans 11:29). You can't give up when you feel like it, or quit when things get hard, or retire simply because you can afford to retire. Those that have been called out of the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of God can't just walk away from the battle that is going on between the two kingdoms. After all, there are no other options. It's one kingdom or the other. If you've made the choice for the Kingdom of God, then you have to put on the full armor of God and fight for the Kingdom (Ephesians 6:10-18).

Indeed, walking away from the battle has dire consequences. The city of Meroz walked away from the battle between Israel and the kingdom of Canaan and it did not go well for them. They had refused to join the army of the Israelites led by Deborah and Barak (Judges 4). As a result, the angel of the Lord spoke this over them after the Canaanites were defeated in battle: ‘"Curse Meroz,' said the angel of the Lord, ‘Curse its inhabitants bitterly, Because they did not come to the help of the Lord, To the help of the Lord against the mighty."' (Judges 5:23)

In contrast, joining the battle means that there will be blessings spoken over you. Our verse for today is a case in point. In the verse, David speaks of the blessings there are for those that follow the Lord. Even in the presence of your enemies, the Lord will prepare a table for you. He will richly provide everything that you need. Your enemies will be forced to watch you partake of the Lord's blessings on your life. As you can imagine, they won't be happy about it.

Even more, the Lord will anoint your head with oil and your cup will run over. Both of these images speak of the abundance the Lord will provide you with. You will have everything you need to fight the battles. You will have everything you need to fight the good fight (II Timothy 4:7).

Today and every day, then, don't even think about opting out. Instead, think about the best ways you can fight the good fight.

Created to encourage and strengthen your faith, Verse of the Day and Devotion includes a daily Bible verse and devotion to help you grow through God's Word. We hope you are encouraged by today's Verse of the Day and Devotion.