Where would you rather be?

 

 From Poverty to the Palace

Mephibosheth sat in a house in Lo-Debar, a slum town of ancient Israel far from the king’s court. At the tender age of five, he had lost his claim to the throne because King Saul, his grandfather, and his father had died in battle. On that fateful day, his nurse fled with him in her arms, but in her haste, he fell and became lame in both his feet.

David became Israel’s next king. After he had established his throne in Jerusalem, he remembered Jonathan, Mephibosheth’s father. Had anyone of his family survived?

David learned from Ziba, Saul’s former servant, about Mephibosheth, and he called him to the palace.

“Mephibosheth!”

“Your servant.”

“Don’t be afraid because I will be kind to you for the sake of your father, Jonathan. I will restore your land, and you will eat at the king’s table.”

Mephibosheth bowed before the king. “Why should you notice a dead dog like me?”

 David told Ziba to gather his family to serve Mephibosheth. “Farm Mephibosheth’s land and bring in the crops so that his needs are met.”

 Ziba agreed to do everything the king commanded, and Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem.

Long before David became king, Jonathan and David agreed to support each other and their descendants because they were as close as brothers. David wanted to honour his deceased friend. He could have forgotten about it, aware Jonathan would never know. Instead, he honoured God and Jonathan’s memory.

Mephibosheth felt useless. Despite his royal birth, he couldn’t farm his land or fight in the king’s army. With a new king on the throne, the nation had forgotten him, and he felt no better than a dead dog, broken and unwanted. David transformed his life. Mephibosheth lived in the royal city and feasted at the king’s table. With the king’s support, his reputation and circumstances were restored.

 King David’s kindness reminds us of a greater king: the King of kings, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Before we accept Jesus as our Saviour and Lord we are spiritually poor and bound by our faults and mistakes, removed from the King's presence, just as was Mephibosheth by his lameness and poverty. Have you ever wandered away from your parents’ Christian faith? They prayed for you, just as mine prayed for me. God will never forget their faithful concern because he is faithful to his promise. He has heard their pleas for you. Though God doesn’t want anyone to enter hell, the choice is ours. We either accept him or reject his Son. Accept Jesus’ sacrifice for sins, and through his resurrection, receive eternal life. We need the King’s restoration to bow in his presence, receive his grace, daily mercies, and the blessing of an eternal inheritance.

 Jesus invites us to his table.  His kind of love is rich food for our souls. He provides protection, and he draws us close to him through his precious word, the Bible. When we're his, he has an even greater promise in store for us. After this short earthly life, we will enter his Father’s house forever, the Holy City that glistens with God’s glory and perfection.

 Where has life led you? Do you find yourself spiritually poor, mentally broken and in need of renewal? Countless people have surrendered to Jesus. They will tell you remarkable stories of his saving power, of how he rescued them from broken lives, addictions, a life of crime, or boredom and apathy. If pray from your heart, he will answer you.

 And for those of us who have walked with Jesus for many years, let’s keep our faith fresh by feasting every day at his table. In the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit and by the washing of God’s word, he offers unlimited, tasty morsels that satisfy us. We are not worthy, but God keeps his promise to Abraham. He will bless every nation through his offspring, the Lord Jesus Christ.

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.  Titus 3:4-7

  While closing with another beautiful verse, I pray this will be your experience:

He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap. He seats them among princes, with the princes of his people. Psalm 113:8.

 The princes in your life may not dress in fine clothes, but they will love and accept you because they have promised God they will be his servants and sons just like Ziba in King David’s court. They will feed your soul, tell you about Jesus and he will nourish your spirit. Don’t be afraid to accept a little kindness! You can trust Jesus like no other friend. 

                            It is time to reside in the king’s presence and enjoy the riches of his court.