Microwave Mentality
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies Psalm 23:5
Prepare – Important guests are coming for dinner. In my house, that means tablecloths and napkins, the best silverware, dishes arranged, glasses placed, silver polished. Of course, cooking the food is not like ordering pizza. Sometimes preparation begins days beforehand. Everything is designed to be elegant and appealing. That raises the question behind this verse: How long does it take for God to prepare a table like this? Is this a hurried meal, snatched between battle engagements, swallowed in haste for fear that circumstances will suddenly change? Absolutely not! David chose a word that implies “taking my time.” It is ‘erek, a word found over and over in the precise and careful arrangement of the sacrifices on the altar. It is the slow, deliberate, attentive organization of all the details. This is the unhurried meal.
Why is this picture so important? Because when God is in charge, enemies are held at bay. David paints the picture of a sumptuous banquet with all the attending splendor in the middle of a battlefield. There is no need to hurry. There is no need to worry. God has all the time He needs to arrange and provide the meal.
Have you had dinner with God? Has He invited you over for a leisurely banquet? God does not do fast-food. He won’t take you to McDonalds. God is not in a hurry even when we think circumstances warrant haste. We look at the enemy poised to do us harm and we say, “But Lord, I don’t have time for this. It’s taking too long. Please hurry before all these bad things happen.” God just chuckles. He stirs the sauce on the stove, tasting a bit to make sure it is just right. He places the salad forks in the right position. “Don’t worry. I’m in charge here. We have plenty of time. Why don’t you try this delightful hors d’oeuvre I made just for this occasion? It has a special blend of herbs and spices from my private garden west of the Euphrates. I’m sure you’ll like it.”
Are you letting God prepare the table or are you living a microwave life? The meal God has in mind can’t be cooked in 30 seconds. Sometimes it takes 30 years to get the banquet just right. Resist the enemy’s fast-food solutions. God does not prepare meals on the run. Who would He need to run from?
Satan is happy to serve us microwave meals. He wants us to rush through life, cramming as much as possible into fleeting moments while we look over our shoulders at impending doom. Microwave living is the perfect strategy for spiritual ulcers. If you want to sit at God’s table, you will have to slow way down. Let God do the arranging. And enjoy His company. You’ve got time.
