Bridget A. Thomas

Today is Memorial Day in the United States, a day to honor those in the Armed Forces who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Many, like me, have the day off from work. But I fear that many also forget the true meaning of this national holiday, and only look forward to an extended weekend.

Today let’s take a moment to reflect on the importance of this holiday, and let us remember the brave souls who died for our freedom.

Also, many thanks to those currently serving, to our veterans, and to the families who have to sacrifice a lot as well.

And I hope all of you reading this have a blessed day, with whatever it holds.

© 2018-2026 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.

As Christians, we have a huge gift with us every moment of every day – the gift of the Holy Spirit and God’s presence with us.

In John 14:16-17 NKJV Jesus said, “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.“

And in Acts 2 we read about how the Holy Spirit came upon the first Christians on the day of Pentecost, which we celebrate today on Pentecost Sunday.

When we gave our lives to the Lord, the Holy Spirit came to dwell in us. I think sometimes we forgot the magnitude of this. He is with us always.

When we are facing a difficult situation, we might feel like we are alone. We think the weight of the world is on our shoulders. We believe that we have to fix things on our own.

However, the truth is that we have THE Living and Almighty God of the universe with us. Every moment. No matter how things look, or how we might feel, we are not alone.

I just want to remind you of this truth today. Whatever you are facing, you are not alone. Take comfort in the fact that God is with you. Allow Him to lead and to handle the trials in your life. There is power in His presence!

Pray with me: God, I want to thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit. I forget sometimes that You are always with me. In those moments, fear and worry come in. It feels like I’m alone and I have to handle everything in my own strength. Help me to keep my eyes on You. Help me to lean into Your presence and rely on Your strength. I’m so grateful that You are always near. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

© 2018-2026 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.

No, this post isn’t a test. But in life we will be tested often.

It says in Proverbs 17:3 AMP, “The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the LORD tests hearts.”

When things go wrong, or when life brings one problem after another, stop and consider – could this be a test?

I’m sorry to say, I have failed many of these tests. I’m so thankful the Lord doesn’t give up on us!

Maybe, like me, you wonder why we have to be tested. Why can’t life just be easy? As the verse above implies, the Lord is refining us. In our testing, He is strengthening us. When we have to wait, we are learning patience. When we don’t get our way, we are learning to trust God.

When you are being tested, make a decision to face your test with faith. Fix your eyes on Jesus. Ask Him to show you what it is you need to learn. And allow Him to lead you through this difficulty. There is no safer place to be than in His hands.

Pray with me: LORD, I’m sorry I have often failed the tests in life. I allow worry and fear to have too much room in my heart. As a result, my faith and trust weaken. I’m making a decision, here and now, to keep my focus on You. No matter what. I choose to trust You, every day. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

© 2018-2026 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.

What an incredible Lord and Savior we have. He is everything to us. He is the beginning and the ending of our stories, and hopefully every day in between. When others look to us, I hope they see the light and love of Jesus shining in our lives.

Often our prayers are more about what we can get from the Lord. But this week, as we approach Easter, let us take time just to praise Him for who He is. Even if He gave us nothing, He still deserves our praise.

In church a couple of Sundays ago, we were singing a worship song about how amazing it is to be loved by God, and how faithful and good He is. It struck me that He deserves more from me. More praise and gratitude. Less complaining and worrying.

When we complain and worry, we have a divided heart. We might say we trust God one moment, but our complaints and worries show how we aren’t fully trusting Him.

He is always there. Our Good Shepherd never leaves us. He faithfully watches over us, every moment. Even when we don’t see it or realize it, His goodness and mercy are chasing us down.

The God of the universe, who set each star in place, sees each of us. He hears our prayers. He cares about what we are going through. He is the most loving Father there is, which means we can trust Him to fight our battles.

He sent His one and only Son to take our place on the cross. Jesus died, so we could live. He paid the price we could never pay. How can we ever doubt His love?

As Paul asks in Romans 8:32 (NLT), “Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?”

His love for us is so overwhelming. We cannot even comprehend how vast it is.

As we approach Good Friday, let us keep in mind what Jesus did for us. The suffering He went through, for our salvation. His sacrifice is beyond words.

And as we approach Easter Sunday, may we remember His resurrection. He is no longer on the cross. He is no longer in the grave. He has risen. He defeated death and sin.

Thanks to Jesus, we have so much to be grateful. We have eternity in heaven to look forward to. And while we are on this earth, our eternal lives have already begun. We have a priceless relationship with our Almighty God. We can approach the throne of God in prayer, any moment of any day. The Holy Spirit lives inside of us, guiding us each day. And God showers us with His love and blessings, because He delights in us.

May each day of our lives be full of wonder, because of the priceless gift Jesus has given us.

I wish you all a Happy Easter, celebrating our Savior. ✝️

If you have never invited Jesus into your heart, I encourage you to do so now. It will be the best decision of your life. Please see the prayer here.

And if you have any special prayer requests, please let me know in the comments.

Thank you for reading. God bless!

© 2018-2026 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.

I don’t remember where my mother originally got the cane, but it was likely at a yard sale. It was black and a bit ugly, to be honest. But it traveled around and was used for many years.

If anyone else would have had that cane, there’s a good chance it would have wound up in the dump. But my mother doesn’t make a habit of trashing much of anything.

One day my mother took a closer look at the cane. She discovered that the reason why the cane was black was because it was wrapped with electrical tape. After all those years, my mother felt the need to investigate and she started peeling away the tape. She unraveled the entire layer covering the cane from top to bottom.

Underneath my mother discovered a beautiful, gold cane. For so long she carried around something ugly, while she actually held a treasure and didn’t even know it.

This reminds me that there is so much goodness around us. There is goodness in our lives. There is goodness inside ourselves. There is goodness inside our loved ones and the people we encounter.

Yet many times we focus on the negative. Often we can’t see beyond the tape that is wrapped around the situations we face and the people in our lives.. 

Like my mother did with the cane, we need to take a closer look. We need to pause and look at the bigger picture. Our human eyes don’t always see things with the right perspective. Sometimes we have to ask God to help us see things the way He sees them. We have to ask God to help open our eyes to the goodness around us and to the beauty around us.

Let us make an effort to keep our eyes open for God‘s goodness. Let us take the time to look for the beauty inside ourselves. Let us remember to always look for the good in the people around us. And in each situation we face, may we remember that there is always something to be thankful for.

“The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” – 1 Samuel 16:7b NIV

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” – Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” – 2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV

“Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” – Psalm 34:8 NIV

Thank you for reading. God bless. 🙏🏻

© 2018-2026 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.

I’ve been reading in the book of Numbers recently. There is so much to learn from the Israelites in this book.

They continued to gripe and complain, no matter how many times the Lord came through for them. Their hearts were fickle. They allowed fear to keep them from entering the Promised Land. And there were several who were prideful and jealous of Moses and his calling.

When we read it, especially with the perspective of knowing the whole story, it’s easy to shake our heads at their behavior. Yet I wonder how many times we fall into some of these same traps?

The enemy will plant seeds of doubt in our minds, and these seeds can easily grow when we feed them. A small negative thought can develop into something crippling if we continue to focus on it.

The Israelites were full of discontent, worry, fear, and criticism. And in some of the stories we read about them, they allowed other people’s negativity to impact them.

How can we put a stop to this kind of attitude?

The key is to take our thoughts captive, as the apostle Paul encouraged:

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. – 2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV

If we simply tell ourselves not to think about something, that method will likely fall short. Instead we need to choose different thoughts. We need to feed our minds with truth.

It’s especially helpful to find Bible verses that speak to the concern in our hearts. For example, if we struggle with anger, we can memorize Proverbs 15:1 which says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

If the issue is temptation, 1 Corinthians 10:13 can bring encouragement: “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

Scripture is powerful in aiding us to fill our minds with the right thoughts. And we can also focus on prayer, gratitude, and praise. When we are consistent with these practices, we will find the goodness of God in our lives.

This won’t be a one-time thing. This is something we need to work on, but over time we will see our hearts change for the better. And thankfully we have the Holy Spirit to help us. When we call on Him and ask for His help, He will gladly provide.

When we spend too much time focusing on our hardships, as the Israelites did, this will bring us down. But God calls us to a higher level of thinking. He asks us to step out in faith, and focus on Him and His power in our lives.

He is greater than anything we are facing. He can turn our setbacks around and work them out for good. He can make a way where there is no way. We have to make the choice to trust Him, and He will guide us.

Whatever you are struggling with today, turn to the Lord in prayer and seek His guidance and comfort. He is the only One strong enough to handle all the challenges life will bring our way. And there is no safer place to be than in His arms.

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Before you go, I also wanted to share that two of my friends have each recently published a book. You can find them both on Amazon.

Out of the Shadows and Into His Light: A Memoir of Adversity, Redemption Through Christ, & Lessons Learned Along the Way Light by Alicia M. Witt. This is an incredible journey through Alicia’s life and the challenges she faced. And she shares how the light and love of Jesus turned her life around and brought beauty from ashes. Alicia also has a blog, For His Purpose, where she shares faith-filled encouragement through life’s lessons.

Jonah: The Relentless Grace of God by Manu Susan David. This is a study on the book of Jonah and highlights God’s incredible love, grace, and mercy toward us all. The book also reflects on Jonah’s character and aids us in our own heart checks. I haven’t read through it yet, but I am looking forward to digging into this insightful book. Manu also has a blog, The Faithfood Blog, where she shares inspiring posts that reflect on faith and Scripture.

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Thank you for stopping by and reading. I know time is precious, and I don’t take it lightly that you have taken the time to read my post. You all are in my prayers.

© 2018-2026 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever. – Psalm 23:6 NKJV

Over the last several weeks we have gained incredible insight on how deeply our Good Shepherd cares for us. He is always watching out for us, protecting us, guiding us, and making sure our needs are met. This has helped us come to an understanding of how His goodness and mercy have always been, and will always be, poured out in our lives.

W. Phillip Keller puts it this way, “Throughout the study of this psalm, continuous emphasis has been put upon the care exercised by the attentive sheepman. It has been stressed how essential to the welfare of the sheep is the rancher’s diligent effort and labor. All the benefits enjoyed by a flock under skilled and loving management have been drawn in bold lines. Now all of this is summed up here by the psalmist in one brave but simple statement: ‘Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life!’” [1]

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life

Let’s take a closer look at the pieces of this declaration.

Surely – I appreciate that this verse starts with the word “surely.” This tells us that there is no doubt. This is a deep assurance that God’s love and mercy will follow us. The original Hebrew word here could also be interpreted as “only.” And some Bible translations begin with that word, rather than “surely.” Ponder that for a moment: “Only goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life.”

This doesn’t mean that David was naive about reality and life. Recall that scholars believe the twenty-third Psalm was written later in David’s life, after he faced many challenges. So what this means is that David can look back at his trials and his mistakes, and he can see how through it all God’s goodness and mercy were there. Life’s difficulties might be great, but God’s goodness and mercy are greater.

Goodness and mercy – These two words are who God is. He can never be anything contrary to who He is because He never changes. This gives us another assurance that we will always have His goodness and mercy.

“Our moods may shift, but God doesn’t. Our minds may change, but God doesn’t. Our devotion may falter, but God’s never does. Even if we are faithless, he is faithful, for he cannot betray himself (2 Timothy 2:13). He is a sure God.” [2]

Goodness – In our English translations this word doesn’t have as much of an impact as the Hebrew word.

“Goodness is almost too big a biblical term to describe. The Hebrew word David used refers to goodness in its broadest sense, covering physical, moral, practical, economic, spiritual, emotional, and eternal grace toward us in all its dimensions.” [3]

We often say, “God is good.” And that’s try. However, that statement sounds weak in comparison to how vast God’s goodness is. And because we are His beloved children, His unlimited goodness follows us all of our days.

Mercy – Different Bible translations express this word as love, unfailing love, faithfulness, lovingkindness, or faithful love. When we add those words in, it broadens our perspective. “Surely goodness, mercy, unfailingly love, and faithfulness will follow me all the days of my life.”

There are numerous authors who portray goodness and mercy as two sheepdogs in the herd. Sheepdogs are loyal and energetic. So I picture them being relentless when it comes to their duties. And similarly God is relentless in His goodness and mercy.

Follow – Many scholars agree that this was a weak translation and would be better portrayed as “pursue.” Let’s think about that for a moment – “Surely goodness and mercy shall pursue me all the days of my life.” That gives us a whole new outlook. Being followed could be seen as trailing behind. The word “pursue” on the other hand has more of an impact. It leaves an impression of diligence. We might picture more of a chase. And now we can see why some authors use the analogy of two sheepdogs.

All the days of my life – There was a time in my life when I was far from God. Perhaps many of us can say the same. Yet, even when we were far away, God’s love pursued us. He left the ninety-nine to come after us and bring us back to the flock. (See Luke 15 and Matthew 18:12-14.)

Looking at the past and the ways God has been there for us before, and thus realizing how God is faithful and will be there for us in each day ahead, this helps us to declare – “Surely Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” May we praise God and express our gratitude for His unfailing love – all the days of our lives.

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever

These words have a twofold impact for us as Christians. First, while we are here on earth, we will always have the Lord’s presence with us.

In John 14:16-17 (NKJV), Jesus assures us that the Holy Spirit will always be with us. “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”

The original disciples needed to wait for the Holy Spirit to be sent. However, for us, we have the Holy Spirit as soon as we give our lives to Jesus.

There is a particular Greek word used in the verses above that I want to point out. It occurs twice as the words abide and dwell, which are both the same original word with a meaning of: “To stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy):—abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry.” [4]

When we became Christians, the Holy Spirit came to live inside us. And considering the meaning of the original words spoken by Jesus, He is saying that the Holy Spirit will continually dwell in us.

Dr. Charles Stanley wrote, “I often hear Christians pray to invite God’s Spirit to join them. The truth is, we don’t need to invite the Lord to come into our presence. We are always in His presence! We are never apart from Him.” [5]

What a gift it is to know that the Lord’s presence is always with us. We can dwell with Him all of our days. We can call on Him day and night. Anytime we need His help, He is already there to help us, guide us, and bring us comfort.

And when we depart from this earth, we will be with the Lord for all eternity. Jesus said in John 14:2-3 (NKJV), “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

For all eternity we will be with Jesus in heaven. The most famous verse in the Bible, John 3:16 (NIV) says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (emphasis added). These words were spoken by Jesus Himself. And He promised us eternal life when we believe in Him.

I admit I have a difficult time wrapping my head around the thought of “forever.” It’s hard to fathom something that has no end. Yet heaven is our eternal home.

Philippians 3:20 says that our citizenship is in heaven. Our time on this earth is temporary. And when we compare it to our time in heaven, our time on this earth is only a blink. This reminds me of the importance of being present here and now. Each moment is a gift from God. Every day we have the opportunity to make the most of our time, enjoy our lives, and work for the Kingdom of God.

“He is leading us home, yes, but the way to his house is a scenic route we need to savor.” [6]

This is the final verse in Psalm 23 and therefore concludes this series. I hope you have enjoyed this study as much as I have. Thank you for joining me on this journey!

© 2018-2025 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.

[1] A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller. Copyright © 1970, 2007, 2015 by Phillip Keller. Published in Grand Rapids, Michigan, by Zondervan.

[2] Safe in the Shepherd’s Arms: Hope and Encouragement from Psalm 23 by Max Lucado. Copyright © 2002, 2009 by Max Lucado. Published by Thomas Nelson.

[3] The Lord is My Shepherd by Robert J. Morgan. Copyright © 2013 by Rob Morgan. Published by Howard Books.

[4] https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3306/kjv/tr/0-1/

[5] When the Enemy Strikes © 2004 by Charles F. Stanley. Published by Thomas Nelson.

[6] The Lord of Psalm 23: Jesus Our Shepherd, Companion, and Host © 2023 by David Gibson. Published by Crossway.

With today being Thanksgiving Day in the USA, I want to take a moment to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. No matter what part of the world you live in, I hope you will take time today to thank God for all the blessings in your life.

As you may know, I lost my dad earlier this year. I’m sure you can understand the heaviness of facing the holidays after losing a loved one. Of course I miss him and wish he could be here. However, I also know he is in a better place and I will see him again one day. This helps me face Thanksgiving with peace and love.

I also wanted to share a quick memory about my dad. I’m originally from New York, but I attended college in North Carolina. On one particular Thanksgiving during my college years, I had to fly home to make a visit to the orthodontist. Except for my dad, the rest of the family was in Florida where one of my grandmothers lived. My high school friends were planning on going to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and invited me along. When I mentioned this to my father he said it was up to me, and I could do whatever I wanted.

I asked, “Really? Whatever I want and you won’t mind?”

“No, I won’t mind,” he replied.

So I said, “Okay, I’d rather go to the parade with you.”

He probably didn’t see that coming and might have regretted his initial statement. 😂 We got up early, took the train into the city, enjoyed the parade, and then headed back home for a turkey dinner. It was a cold day, and we even had some snow flurries. I’m really grateful for that time we shared.

If you are missing loved ones today, try to hold onto the special memories that make you smile.

And no matter what your day looks like, or where you are in the world, remember all the blessings in your life.

“If you woke up this morning with more body parts that don’t hurt than those that do, you are blessed. If you have food, clothes, and a place to live, you are more secure than 75 percent of the world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, or spare change at home, you are among the top 8 percent of the world’s wealthiest people. If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 500 million people in the world. If you read this message, you are more blessed than two billion people in the world who cannot read.” [1]

We have so much to be thankful for. Let us try to change our perspective. Instead of focusing on the negative, we can choose to focus on the positive. I know it takes practice, but it’s worth it.

Our Heavenly Father does so much for us, every single day. May we learn to stop and look around, and see God’s goodness in our lives. Every day is a gift from God!

One of the things I am grateful for today is all you. Thank you for being here and for walking by my side. I pray you and yours have a Happy Thanksgiving!

© 2018-2025 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.

[1] The Power of Being Thankful by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2014 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

This is a long post. You might want to grab a cup of coffee or tea to enjoy while you read. ☕️

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. – Psalm 23:5 NKJV

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies

There are two points to consider when we read about the table in this verse. Tablelands and feast.

Let’s start with tablelands. When David wrote this Psalm, some scholars think he had tablelands in mind. Tablelands are high plateaus where the sheep are taken during summer months. But the shepherd has to prepare the “table” ahead of time by clearing the land of anything that could bring harm to the sheep – holes, rocks, poisonous plants, to name a few things. This is painstaking work.

And when they are up in the high mountains, they are far from civilization. This means there are more predators around watching the sheep for an easy meal. This brings to light how the sheep are in the presence of enemies. The shepherd has to stay alert at all times, protecting the sheep from attack.

Being a shepherd himself, we know David, the author of Psalm 23, experienced this kind of situation firsthand. In the famous story when David faced Goliath, he was a young man at the time. This was prior to becoming king. The king at the time, Saul, protested because he didn’t think David could handle Goliath. However, David said to Saul:

“Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17: 34-37 NIV)

This gives us a glimpse of the threats that the sheep face. If they didn’t have a shepherd fighting for them, they would be destroyed.

There are also many authors who, when reflecting on this verse, write about a feast. At this point David is no longer speaking in terms of shepherd and sheep; he is now focusing on the roles of host and guest.

“To prepare a table was to make ready a feast. It was to do more than to give a loaf of bread to a weary pilgrim. It was to detain one as a guest and set before him the best of everything that could under the circumstances be had.” [1]

A couple of weeks ago when we focused on verse 3, I mentioned the story of the prodigal son. This story comes to mind again, because in this story we can see how the father had a big feast prepared for his son.

See Luke 15:11-32. Verses 22-24 I particularly want to highlight. “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.”

The father wanted to make sure his younger son had the best of everything. God also celebrates us as His beloved children. He wants only what’s best for us.

And remember in the story of the prodigal son how the older son behaved? He was prideful and jealous of what the father did on his brother’s behalf. But the father told the older son, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours” (v. 31). In His great love, God gives us everything. He doesn’t hold back.

In Romans 8:32 (NLT) it says, “Since [God] did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?”

God extends His goodness and blessings to us each and every day.

“In a figurative sense, God’s table is His favor, blessing, and communion extended to us. It’s an invitation to partake of the good things of God. It’s an opportunity to accept God’s provision, experience His protection, and enjoy His pleasure.” [2]

Notice how this verse says “You” prepare. This means God is the one preparing the table. In David’s culture if someone was invited over for dinner there would have been servants preparing the food and the table. But God, in His great love, prepares the table for us. This shows us, all the more, how great His love is. What a magnificent Heavenly Father we have.

This also makes me think of the parable that Jesus told about those invited to the marriage banquet. The original list of invitees declined their invitation. So a new set of people were brought to the party. Basically, anyone they could find on the streets. (See Matthew 22:1-14).

This reminds us that many of God’s chosen people, who were originally invited into a relationship with Him, didn’t accept His offer. But God’s offer is for all the world. Any of us who will accept Him. All we have to do is accept our invitation in order to enjoy the feast. How amazing it is that God offers us so much. Let’s take a moment today to thank the Lord for a seat at the table.

In this verse, it doesn’t just say the Lord will prepare a table before us. But it adds an additional layer – the table is prepared in the presence of enemies. David, the author of this Psalm, knew a lot about enemies. Throughout his life he was faced with too many enemies to count.

As children of God, our main enemy is satan. He can’t have our souls, but he does try to steal our peace while we are on this earth. He tries to take us off course, because we are doing Kingdom work. And often times the battles we face in life are coming from him. The stress and worries that sneak into our lives can be the work of the adversary. He will use whatever he can to push our buttons and get us off course.

But one thing to remember is that Jesus already won the battle. We don’t have to worry about the enemy, when we have God Almighty beside us. He will be sure to see us through any trouble we face.

Unfortunately, though, we might give the enemy too much credit or focus in our lives. By that I mean that we might allow the troubles he brings our way to take us down. We might allow worry to take over our minds. We might allow bitterness to get into our hearts. We might allow the enemy’s destruction to appear bigger than God’s feast.

As pastor Louie Giglio aptly says in the title of one of his books – “Don’t give the enemy a seat at your table.”

When we are being attacked by the enemy, our faith needs to speak louder than our troubles. This is not necessarily our instinct. So we have to take action through prayer and holding onto God’s promises. We have to walk and talk like our God is mightier than anything the enemy throws at us. We have to sing praises to the One who is fighting our battles. When we put our focus on God instead of our battles, it helps us to properly place power in the right place. 

You anoint my head with oil

As there were several angles to look at regarding the table, this is also the case with oil. As we go through this, keep in mind that anointing with oil in the Bible is often associated with the Holy Spirit and God’s Presence in our lives.

Oil has a number of useful benefits for tending sheep. From the perspective of a shepherd, Phillip Keller wrote about oil deterring the array of insects that pester sheep. “There are warble flies, bot flies, heel flies, nose (nasal) flies, deer flies, black flies, mosquitoes, gnats, and other minute, winged parasites.” The nasal flies are one of the most aggravating. “For relief from this agonizing annoyance, sheep will deliberately beat their heads against trees, rocks, posts, or brush. They will rub them in the soil and thrash around against woody growth.” In order to prevent this, a shepherd would rub oil on the sheep’s nose and head. “What an incredible transformation this would make among the sheep. Once the oil had been applied to the sheep’s head, there was an immediate change in behavior. Gone was the aggravation, gone the frenzy, gone the irritability and the restlessness. Instead, the sheep would start to feed quietly again, then soon lie down in peaceful contentment.” [3]

This is a reminder of how little annoyances in life can cause a lot of destruction, if we allow them to. But God’s presence in our lives is like an anointing that brings peace. When we are with our Good Shepherd, the little gnats don’t have the power to pester us. Note, though, that it’s not a one-time thing. Just as the sheep would need the oil reapplied at times, we too need to continually commune with our Shepherd.

Oil can also be used on sheep to aid in healing wounds. This reminds us that the Lord’s Presence in our lives heals our hurts.

“It’s often during life’s hurts that we come to understand the heart of the Shepherd, as we learn to accept His care and to trust His heart. As He tends us and mends us, we fall in love with Him and receive the comfort He gives.” [4]

Oil can also prevent injury on feisty rams who want to butt heads. When we seek the Presence of God consistently, He helps us to walk in peace where we are less likely to butt heads with those around us.

Our daily action of spending time with the Lord brings immeasurable blessings that we might not even understand.

“The sheep doesn’t understand why the oil repels the flies. The sheep doesn’t understand how the oil heals the wounds. In fact, all the sheep knows is that something happens in the presence of the shepherd. And that’s all we need to know as well. ‘LORD, I give myself to you; my God, I trust you.’” [5]

Something else to consider is that David was anointed with oil when he was chosen to become the second king of Israel. (See 1 Samuel 16:1-13.) In this case, the act of being anointed is symbolic of being chosen. And as God’s children, we too are chosen. What a privilege it is to be chosen by God.

In John 15:16 (NIV), Jesus said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.”

(Funny story about oil. Last week we received a box from Amazon which was supposed to have a bottle of vitamin D3 softgels in it. But instead it had a bottle of anointing oil from the Holy Land. My husband and I agreed that God had to have sent this!)

My cup runs over

The word cup here is symbolic of blessings. In another Psalm by King David, he wrote “LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure” (Ps 16:5 NIV). The Amplified Bible puts it this way: “The LORD is the portion of my inheritance, my cup [He is all I need]; You support my lot.” I love that statement – “He is all I need.”

Jesus, our Good Shepherd, brings us abundance. In John 10:10b ESV, Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

Note that in Psalm 23 it says that “my cup runs over.” God doesn’t just fill our cup, but He gives us so much that the blessings run over.

“The overflowing cup was a powerful symbol in the days of David. Hosts in the ancient East used it to send a message to the guest. As long as the cup was kept full, the guest knew he was welcome. But when the cup sat empty, the host was hinting that the hour was late. On those occasions, however, when the host really enjoyed the company of the person, he filled the cup to overflowing. He didn’t stop when the wine reached the rim; he kept pouring until the liquid ran over the edge of the cup and down the table.” [5]

This is incredible to consider. This helps us to understand how deeply God wants to be with us. God loves our company and He wants us to know it. He wants us to continually commune with Him. This is our God’s heart for us. He loves us so much and wants to bless us.

Thanksgiving Day in the USA will be celebrated on Thursday; and I believe in light of what we learned here today this is a wonderful verse to ponder and express our gratitude to God.

God loves us so much. It’s humbling and overwhelming to think about it. I wish we could always remember this. Yet too often we complain about minor grievances. May we pray for God’s forgiveness when we are quick to complain. May we learn to keep our eyes open to His love and His goodness. And may we love Him in return, with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Thank you for reading. I will be back on Thursday with a quick post. God bless!

© 2018-2025 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.

[1] William S. Plumer, Psalms: A Critical and Expository Commentary with Doctrinal and Practical Remarks, (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1975), 314.

[2] Psalm 23 – Bible Study by Jennifer Rothschild. Published by LifeWay Press® • © 2018 Jennifer Rothschild.

[3] A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller. Copyright © 1970, 2007, 2015 by Phillip Keller. Published in Grand Rapids, Michigan, by Zondervan.

[4] The Lord is My Shepherd by Robert J. Morgan. Copyright © 2013 by Rob Morgan. Published by Howard Books.

[5] Safe in the Shepherd’s Arms: Hope and Encouragement from Psalm 23 by Max Lucado. Copyright © 2002, 2009 by Max Lucado. Published by Thomas Nelson.