You note the irony, but drown in the peace of the moment.

Close your eyes and imagine the following…wait, go ahead and open your eyes.  My fault.  Anyhow, imagine yourself sitting at a fine dining table.  The waiter comes out and skillfully tosses a white table cloth onto the table before you.  There’s no mistaking it, you discover, your waiter is God himself, The Waiter.

He comes out of the back room again carrying plates and silverware, setting the table so that you can eat.  He goes away and then comes back again, this time with your drink—an ice cold glass of whatever-you-like.  Or maybe it’s a steaming hot mug of whatever-you-like.  He leaves and then returns, this time with the bread.  And don’t forget the butter.  Lots of butter.

Just when you can hardly believe that God is serving you, you hear familiar voices at the door.  Peering to your side, you see disturbing faces through the window.  Coming from these faces are angry shouts of ridicule and threats.  Not only are they shouting, but also they are pounding—pounding anything they can throw a fist at.  The cacophony normally would send you into hiding, but not this time.  You are in the presence of God, and he is serving you at the table.

Who are these at the door?  They are your enemies.  They are out to destroy you, to tear apart your reputation and rip you limb from limb.  They hold horror in their hands and hell in their hearts.  The shouting gets louder and they bang at the walls, but the door remains locked and you remain at the table.

The Waiter gracefully turns down the blinds at the window, hiding their faces.  He then begins to sing a song that drowns out the sound of your enemies.  Rising from his chin is the voice of Louis Armstrong, as The Waiter sings “What a Wonderful World.”  You note the irony, but drown in the peace of the moment.

Continuing his song, The Waiter brings out the main dish, the wine, and eventually the dessert.  You have never dined like this before; never have you been so cared for and never have you felt such peace.  For a moment you realize that the enemies are still at the door, but that doesn’t matter, God is taking care of you right now.

You remember some words from Psalm 23, which say, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”

You take another drink, a deep breath, and gaze upon your Waiter.

“Nothing is hurried, there is no confusion, no disturbance, the enemy is at the door, and yet God prepares a table, and the Christian sits down and eats as if everything were in perfect peace.  Oh! The peace which Jehovah gives to His people, even in the midst of the most trying circumstances!” (C. H. Spurgeon).

What enemies are at your door right now?  Are they physical, spiritual, or emotional?  The presence of enemies in your life is not necessarily an indication that you’re doing something wrong or that God is not with you.  The presence of enemies is merely a clarion call to dinner, where you must sit and God must serve.

He will get you through this.

© Samuel Kee, 2011