When the 10 spies brought back a bad report to Moses and the people of Israel, Caleb gave a different view and said “do not fear the people of the land for they will be our bread” (Numbers 14:9). This is not a phrase I would use in my normal conversations.
Psalm 23:5 says that God has set a table before us in the presence of our enemies. I would prefer that God’s table of provision was in the absence of any enemies but then I’m not the one setting up the rules of the game. It seems to me that if I want to partake of that particular table mentioned in Psalm 23 then I need to recognise that where I have enemies (contrary circumstances, problems, challenges, difficult relationships, etc) then that is the place in which God has placed a table of provision.
I wonder what is served up for me on that table of provision? Which brings me back to my opening paragraph. God serves up my enemies as bread for me, to sustain me and strengthen me.
So when things come against us, pull up a chair, get your knife and fork and a serviette because it’s time to eat. Our enemies become our sustenance.
How can our enemies sustain us and make us greater? That principle is found in Judges 3:1,2
Now these are the nations that the Lord left, to test Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had not experienced all the wars in Canaan. It was only in order that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, to teach war to those who had not known it before.
In other words, God allows enemies so that we learn to be victorious.
Conclusion: when evil forces come against us, rejoice, for deliverance is at hand. That deliverance will come through us as we defeat our enemies with God’s help. And as we defeat our enemies we will be strengthened, ie they become “our bread”.