​Psalm 23:5b 

How can we count all the blessings that the Lord has given? He has given us the bounty of salvation. He has promised us a place in heaven where we will spend an eternity with Him. He has paid a horrible price for our sins. Our debt to Him is beyond computing.
 
He gives us the sunrise. He has given us the beauty of the sunset. The northern lights show us the complexity of His creation.  He shows us His love in the smile of a baby, the variety of nature's bounty and the vastness of the universe.

While we may not appreciate the snowfall, look at the 
uniqueness of the snowflake. Not one is the same as any other.  They are a geometric marvel. The types are formed according to the level of humidity in the air and the temperature of the air.
 
A seed falls to the ground and dies but yet in it's time it will
germinate and grow. A single seed of corn can produce hundreds. A seed of corn can make a movie more fun when we pop it along with a few of it's friends. Add a little butter and salt and we have a feast.
 
A single brain cell is so complex that it takes years to 
understand it's function. A starfish can regrow a limb. A beaver can build a dam that can turn a small stream into a large pond.
 
The One Who created all of this loves us enough to pay the ultimate price for a race of stiff necked, rebellious people. He has tolerated our resistance to Him and still provided a way for us to commune with Him, to serve Him and to worship Him. While His mercy seems to be endless, a day is coming when we, His people will be called to stand for Him. If we do not acknowledge Him to the world, He will not acknowledge us to His Father.
 
He stands in the gap for us, defending us from our enemy.
He sits at the right hand of the Father awaiting the time when we will be called into His presence. Whether we will see the day of the rapture or fulfill our days in death, we will stand before the Lord on the day of judgment. We who have given our hearts and lives to the Lord will be given a mansion.

Those who have chosen to do what is right in their own eyes, will spend eternity regretting their poor choices.    Rev 22:12 reminds us that He is coming soon and that we will be judged in what we have chosen. He is bringing His reward with Him.

​Whoever is thirsty, He is offering us the living water. Drink freely and rejoice in His redemptive love. What more can we ask?

​Psalm 23:5a 
 
When shepherds move their sheep to summer pastures, they will go ahead of time to prepare the meadows and streams to be as safe as possible. They will look for a safe place to water them. They will look for dangerous areas that the sheep can be injured or killed. They look for areas that wolves or other predators may lurk. They familiarize themselves with the area.
 
The tops of mountains that are flat are called a mesa which translated means 'table' such as Table Mountain.  Many of the mesas in the West are examples of what David is talking about.
 
When David says that God prepares a table, he is referring to a shepard's preparation for his sheep.  Just as Jesus is preparing a place for us. John 14:1-4 tells us that He is going ahead of us to prepare a place.
 
Jesus is aware of the dangers we will encounter as we feed in green pastures. He is aware of the temptations and trials ahead of us. He is preparing our hearts for the times when we will fall into temptations. He is giving us the spiritual food to strengthen our faith and sustain us when the challenges of life drain us of our reserves.
 
Throughout the Bible, we are warned that Satan is 'roaming through the earth' (Job 1:7) seeking victims to devour. We need to be aware that he, Satan, is watching us very carefully to see where we are weakest. When Jesus prepares a table for us, He reminds us that Satan is watching what He, Jesus, is doing.
 
When Jesus served at the Last Supper, He had an enemy disguised as a friend at the table. He knew the plans Judas had but welcomed him to the table anyway.  Jesus is aware of the plans of our enemy and still is willing to prepare a table for us.
 
Be aware that as we feast at the table with Jesus, our enemy is also present. Jesus wants us to feast with Him but also we must build our spiritual muscles so that we can stand strong and know the signs of the enemy's presence.

Psalm 23:4b

Proverbs 3:11,12 My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline and do not resent His rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, as a father the son he delights in.
 
Proverbs 4:1 Listen my sons, to a father's instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.

Read also 2 Sam 7:14   Hebrews 12:7,ll   Rev 3:19
 
I remember when I was young and stubborn. (Now I am old and stubborn). I wasn't too happy when the switch was applied to my center of learning.  I learned much from those
times of instruction. While at the time, I felt abused and unloved, I had parents that loved me enough to try to keep me on the straight and narrow.
 
Our loving, heavenly Father also cares enough about His children to guide and instruct us. He is willing to chasten us
in ways that don't seem fair. He knows that we have so many
fleshly desires that are difficult to ignore. We see things on a temporal level and have a difficult time waiting for the eternal
benefits that He has promised.
 
The Lord will sometimes allow us to deal with the consequences of our own choices. He grieves when we make those bad decisions but in His deep love for us, He walks with us through those times of learning. He seeks our honest repentence and offers comfort in our times of troubles.
 
The shepherds of old used a rod and a staff as weapons
and as tools of the trade. The staff was used to pull a sheep from a place where they fell. He would hook it around the sheep's neck and pull it to safety. The rod would protect the sheep from wolves and whatever other enemy lurked or attacked.
 
So, too, our Father will use the rod of discipline to bring
us back to Himself. He uses the staff to sometimes drag us back from the places of danger we have fallen into. He does not enjoy those times but rejoices when we gain wisdom and grow in our Christian walk.
 
He is asking us to view His training as a blessing and not
become angry with Him. When the rod and staff show up in your life, search your heart carefully. Seek His face and ask Him where you need to repent. Be honest with God and with yourself. If you don't see sin in your life, He will show you if you honestly seek Him.

After seeking His forgiveness, grant yourself forgiveness. Then move on. Learn from the experience but don't beat yourself up over it.  We are not greater than God. If He forgives, so can we. Our sins are not the greatest He has seen. He has forgiven far greater.