When gold is as worthless as the dirt you walk on
The Lord Is My Shepherd (Part 3)
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You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
Psalm 23:5-6 (ESV)
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We dug into this passage in seminary.
At first glance, it reads like God is setting out a banquet in the middle of the battle.
Seems strange.
But, that’s not the imagery here.
This is a picture of the celebration after the battle is won.
Eating a feast after the battle, in the presence of the enemy you just defeated, is a humiliation for him.
This is David showing his confidence in God, that he would be feasting in victory while his enemy looks on with envy.
Because this follows the picture of walking through the valley of the shadow of death but fearing no evil, we can see just how confident David is.
Then the passage looks farther forward, to the rest of life with God.
God anoints David’s head — which Samuel had done before — signifying his anointing as king.
Also, an overflowing cup is a picture of God’s overflowing blessings on his life.
Then David takes away the metaphors and just spells it right out:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Just rest in that for a bit.
Can you picture it?
The goodness of God overflowing your life. His mercy following you around, His presence filling you up. His Spirit living in you.
But it doesn’t stop here on earth.
We get to spend eternity with God. A place that’s so unimaginably valuable that gold is as valuable as…
DIRT!
(i.e., streets of gold)
What a blessing.
— Ricky Ketchum
Copyright © 2026 by Ricky Ketchum. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication prohibited.
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