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You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies   Psalm 23:5

Before – God knows that the best part of a meal is cooking, not eating.  Of course, it’s wonderful to enjoy the fruits of the chef’s labor.  But it’s far more engaging to be in the kitchen while the meal is being prepared.  Then you get to witness the gathering of the fresh foods, the expertise of the chef, the secrets of his recipes.  You are part of the smells, the tastes and the ambiance.  In fact, in some of the world’s great restaurants, the best table is literally in the kitchen, reserved for those very few, special guests of the chef. 

David wants us to see that God is not a chef behind the scenes.  He doesn’t make the meal hidden from our sight and then invite us to the banquet table.  He prepares the meal in our faces.  That’s the root of this Hebrew word, liphnay.  It comes from panim, the word for “face.”  God’s culinary work in our lives is accomplished right in front of us.  The miracle of God’s kitchen is revelation, not mystery.  Wolfgang Puck might have secret recipes, but God does not (and God’s meals are far more satisfying).  God’s cooking is plainly revealed to all who come to His table because God invites us to watch Him work.

David saw God’s handiwork.  So can you and I.  Everyday, God is busy arranging the meal for us.  Right in front of our faces, and in the presence of our enemies, God cooks up the best life has to offer.  And more than that, He invites us into His presence to enjoy this wonderful feast.  The best meal with the best company – that’s God’s idea of gourmet dining!

Are you watching the work at God’s table?  Do you see that His culinary skill is educating your palette?  Have you noticed that being in His kitchen makes you hungry for food only He can prepare?  It’s all happening right in front of your face, if you take the time to look.  God is not secretly off behind the kitchen door, concocting mysterious morsels that He plans to present without explanation.  He is changing the ordinary into the extraordinary before your face.  He is creating the chef’s delight – something as old as Eden and as new as tomorrow.  He is delivering the only meal that will satisfy your soul.

Come to the table and watch.