Under Siege

The verse says: "you set a table for me before my enemies" ~ Psalms 23: How does this scene look like? Are you there eating at a table covered with fine food while your enemy, who has sworn to kill you, is watching you eat? 

Yes, by the power of the Lord, that's how it looks like, with some adjustment of the scene.

In a country at war, (intentionally not named), my family and I, were trapped in an apartment building where we lived. There were also members of the extended family, making a total of thirteen people.

The enemy fighters were swarming all over the neighborhood and around the building. So we couldn't get out to buy food. If the gunmen saw us, they'd kill us. 

How do thirteen people eat when there is no access to a supply of food? Especially, as it turned out to be, the siege lasted 21 days. How could we have survived 21 days with no food?

Our prayers were intense, and we kept recalling the story of Daniel in the Lions' den, invoking the Lord to deliver us like He delivered Daniel.

We were the only family left in the building. There was no way out for us. 

On the first floor, in the back of the building, behind the cage of the elevator, there was a back door, unseen by anyone, even to people, when in peace time; they would come in and out of the building. 

Nobody used this door, but it was there, built for us 30 years ago when the building was first constructed. 

The Lord knew then that we would need it one day to save our lives, and He inspired the architect to put the door there although it had no real use. 

While looking for a way out of the building, we discovered this door. 

When we opened it, we found out that it led to a vast storage room, filled with boxes.

Some merchant had rented it to store his boxes in it. What did the boxes contain? We know now that we should have guessed. 

Foodstuff items! Everything! Vegetables, pasta, cheeses, ham, jam, and anything else we could have ever wanted. 

We carried as much as we could to the apartment. Every day, we would help ourselves, taking the food items from the storage room up to the apartment, without being seen by the enemy, because it all took place within the building. 

We didn't steal the food since later on we paid the owner all what we had consumed. He was happy to learn that his food saved our lives. 

Every day, we would eat like kings, while the fighters-killers below, ate sandwiches.
By that, the promise of the Lord came true: "He sets a table for me before my enemies" (Psalms 23:5). 

This verse may not be one which attracts attention. But it proves that God has already foreseen every single situation in our lives, beyond our imagination and for each and every one of them, He has prepared a solution.

"I will get you out, I promise", He says in different ways throughout the Bible.

Every single one of His promises comes true, for sure, we can count on it, since "Your fame is accrued by the accomplishment of your promises" (Psalms 138:2). 

I gave my life to the Lord since I was seven. So, I didn't experience the feeling of a "before" and "after" following my conversion. I grew up with the Lord very present in my mind that I can't imagine how life could be without Him. 

The Lord has delivered me from numerous situations of distress, throughout my life. He was there; he delivered me every single time. 

~ Philo Soly 

(You can follow Philo on Twitter: @Philosoly)