In the Presence of My Enemies

“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 

I will fear no evil for you are with me…
You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies.”

(Psalm 23:4-5)

We are journeying through a valley of desolation. All our regular rhythms are thrown off, our favorite distractions are postponed until further notice, and every time we open the news-feed we are reminded of a very real enemy that stalks us in the shadows. It is no wonder that many of us are exhausted and starving for moments of joy. Why else would we keep sharing coronavirus related memes?

But Eric, what do you expect?
How can I rest when I’m out of work?
How can I rest when there’s a virus out there killing thousands of people every day?
How can I rest when I don’t see the end in sight and we may be on lock-down indefinitely?

These are fair questions. And yet, Psalm 23 reminds us that we don’t need to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. It’s not our responsibility to think through every contingency, to protect ourselves from every enemy, or to scrounge up enough provisions to carry us through this prolonged quarantine. That’s our Shepherd’s job, and He is fully up to the task.

We may be deep in the valley, but He’s right here with us. And His presence provides a place for us to rest and find our nourishment in the presence of our enemies.

Our minds might be screaming, “Run! Fix it! Get out of this as fast as you can!”
But our Shepherd is inviting us to “be still and know that I am God.”

Now, I will confess that resting when we are surrounded by enemies can feel impossible, bordering on irresponsible. But then I think of all the times God allowed His people to find themselves in a place where all they could do was fix their eyes on Him in the face of danger.

For instance, after that first Passover when God powerfully delivered the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt, He led them to the edge of the Red Sea. As they camped there, hemmed in by an impassible body of water, they turned and saw the Egyptian army bearing down on them. As the horizon was darkened by the dust of the most powerful military force of their day, the Israelites were understandably concerned. They began to cry, “Why would God lead us out here into the wilderness to die?”

But then Moses reminded them not to fear the enemy, for their God was with them:

“Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”  (Exodus 14:13-14) 

You know how the story goes. God ultimately parted the sea and led His people through on dry ground, with the Egyptian army hot on their heels. And then, once the Israelites passed through the valley of water, God decimated the enemy army without His people needing to raise a hand. Their cries of lament turned to cries of victory – and their fear gave way to faith.

We find ourselves in a similar place. We are huddled inside our homes, a deadly enemy advancing upon us, and we feel the urge to do something, anything to protect ourselves. So we try to stay busy, educate ourselves about the virus, or just distract ourselves with memes. And yet, our Shepherd is inviting us to be still and rest in His presence: to recuperate from the harried schedules we’ve been keeping; to be present with our loved ones; and to find nourishment for our souls in the midst of this dark valley. Because He has prepared a table for us in the presence of our enemies, and He’s provided us with plenty of time to partake of it.

I will close our time together with these words from Psalm 46:

God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Israel is our fortress.
(Psalm 46:1-3, 10-11)