(2 Sam 9:8 CEV) Mephibosheth knelt down again and said, “Why should you care about me? I’m worth no more than a dead dog.”
This morning we continue our series “Grace that is Simply Amazing.” We have been discussing Mephibosheth for a couple of days now and I am not done yet. For years I have taught on faith and I loved highlighting the faith of men and women in the Bible who held onto their expectation of God, even in spite of seemingly insurmountable circumstances. I love talking about people who remained in faith for the long haul. But in this series I am teaching on Grace and Mephibosheth’s story is a great example of the Grace of God.
Mephibosheth did not hold on, per se. He buckled under the pressures of life and he lost the grasp he once had on his dreams. I am sure that Mephibosheth, as a young prince running around the palace, dreamed of the splendor he would some day enjoy as the king of Israel. He dreamed of reigning from the throne. He imagined himself sitting where his grandfather Saul was. Whenever he sat on Saul’s lap, the young king-in-training would play around on the throne he thought he would one day command. Can you see him? Mephibosheth was only five years old when his life came crashing down. I have a six-year-old son right now, Joshua. Joshua already dreams of what is going to be when he grows up. Joshua will tell you, with full assurance, that he will be a preacher, and what he calls a “Math guy,” and a spy, and… you get the point. Little Mephibosheth no doubt had similar excitement about his future. But somewhere along the way he gave up. In one day, as a five-year-old, Mephibosheth lost his royal lineage, his royal inheritance, and his ability to walk. So not only was he no longer an heir to riches, but would not even have the ability work as an able-bodied man. So it’s understandable why he had low self-esteem. He was living in Lo-debar, a barren place full of dead dreams, and he saw himself as a “dead dog.”
Here comes the good news. Here comes GRACE! Although Mephibosheth was not David, Jacob, Joseph, Paul, or many of the other Biblical characters who exhibited exceptional faith and patience, God still had a way of blessing him. Since Mephibosheth was not in a position to stand in faith for his own breakthrough, God moved upon the heart of David to simply offer it to him. While the Bible does not say it, I am convinced that God had a hand in David and Jonathan’s relationship and part of the purpose of the relationship was to redeem Mephibosheth from Lo-debar. When Mephibosheth was at his lowest point the favor of God was offered to him to bring him out! That’s Grace and yes, it is amazing! When no one else was thinking about Mephibosheth, God was and He moved upon the heart of David to bless him richly.
So what does this mean to you today? Three things:
1. God has a clear faith requirement. God unquestionably expects you to live by faith and to have the patience to hold on for your breakthrough, no matter how long it takes.
2. God also has favor and grace. There are times when God knows you are not in a position to stand in faith and while He could allow you to wallow in your pity and to remain in your lowly state, He sometimes moves upon the hearts of others to bless you and favor you simply because of His grace. Never cease to thank God for His amazing grace!
3. We serve a God who spends time thinking about us. When you think no one is thinking about you, remember that You serve a God who is. He is mindful of you (Ps 8:4) and He takes the time to make plans for you (Jer 29:11). Just knowing that the God of universe spends time thinking about you should bring you comfort, joy, and peace.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for Your grace and favor. I know You expect me to live by faith and to remain in faith for the long haul. I am a faith warrior and I declare that I will. I shall walk and live by faith every day of my life. By faith I am able to access to the grace that You bestowed upon me before the foundations of the world. But I also thank You Father for those times when You move in my life in spite of my lack of faith or in times when I have a faith-failure. I am thankful that I have not ONLY received those things I exercised faith for. You have been far better to me than my level of faith. On countless occasions You blessed me by grace, in spite of my lack of faith, and You did it by Your sovereign power and overwhelming goodness. I thank You for being so gracious to me. You spend time thinking about me and the plans You made for me by grace. When I am down, and You see that I am not aligned with what You have assigned me to do, You love me enough to move upon the hearts of others to favor me, bless me, and help me to get out of my rut. Thank You Father for thinking about me, for making plans for my life, and for caring enough about me to intervene when I need help. I enter this day with a determination to live by faith, but my faith is rooted in my understanding of Your grace. You don’t give “it” to me because I exercise faith. No, I exercise faith because You already gave “it” to me, by grace, before the foundations of the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
