A Delicious Feast

You become my delicious feast even when my enemies dare to fight.  You anoint me with the fragrance of your Holy Spirit; you give me all I can drink of you until my heart overflows.  So why would I fear the future?  For your goodness and love pursue me all the days of my life.  Then afterward, when my life is through, I’ll return to your glorious presence to be forever with you!

(Psalm 23:5-6)

 In many ways, Thanksgiving kicks off the holiday season.  Christmas music fills the airwaves.  Hallmark movie marathons begin.  The Christmas tree comes out.  For a brief season in time, day to day life is enhanced with an extra dose of beauty and wonder.  Bright lights twinkle through the night and the atmosphere becomes pregnant with hope and expectation.

 It all begins with a bountiful Thanksgiving feast.  We gather around the table with family and loved ones and eat until we are about to pop.  We cram turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pies, until we feel like we couldn’t possibly eat one more bite.

 And yet for some of us, we are facing difficult challenges and personal circumstances that threaten our hope. For some of us, we are weighed down by stress, disappointment, and loss.  Even in the midst of a magical holiday season, real life doesn’t take a break.  Tragedies still occur.  Pain doesn’t disappear.

 Yet despite it all, God delivers a promise, not just for the Holidays, but to last the whole year long.  Remember that Thanksgiving feast?  Well, God promises to provide us a feast that tops even that, right in the midst of our enemies and our troubles.  He promises us a feast of His goodness, His love, His faithfulness, His might…a feast of Him.  This is a feast so abundant that we can invite the whole neighborhood and we still wouldn’t have room to contain it.  We could each have our fill ten times over and still there would be more to spare.

 And he does this right in the presence of our enemies.  The enemy speaks lies and distortions.  The enemy attempts to dampen our faith and to believe things are hopeless.  He attempts to magnify our challenges until they appear so large that we can’t see the goodness of our Father.  And right in the presence of our foes, God feeds us.  He provides for us.  He lavishes us with His goodness and love.  And he tells us over and over again, there is more than enough for you.  My love never runs out.

 Whatever the Holidays look like for you this year, take a moment to close your eyes and take a deep breathe in.  Can you smell the feast He has prepared for you?  Immerse yourself in Him.  And when the enemy tries to steal your joy, don’t forget to take your seat at the table of the King.