SCRIPTURE
"David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba. They summoned him to appear before David, and the kings said to him, “Are you Ziba?” “At your service,” he replied. The king asked, “Is there no one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?” Ziba answered the king, “there is still a son of Jonathan; he is lame in both feet.” “Where is he?” the king asked. Ziba answered, “he is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.” So King David has him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makin son of Ammiel. When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to Dvid, he bowed down to pay him honor. David said, “Mephibosheth!” “At your service,” he replied. “Don’t be afraid,“ David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.” Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?” Then the kins summoned Ziba, Saul’s steward, and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master’s grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.) The Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons. Mephibosheth had a young son named Mika, and all the members of Ziba’s household were servants of Mephibosheth, and Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table; he was lame in both feet." 2 Samuel 9:1-15
SPOTLIGHT
Do you ever feel insecure, or even worse, unloved? Does your self-confidence diminish under pressure? If so, then step back, take a breath and pause to reflect on how David treated Mephibosheth. Here is a picture of how God treats you.
From a human perspective, Mephibosheth didn’t have much going for him. First of all, he didn’t have the right family connections because he was Saul’s grandson who had been David’s enemy. Second, his appearance was marred because he was crippled in both feet and thirdly, this meant his capabilities were greatly limited.
Maybe you think your background, appearance and capabilities have set you up for failure. Where you come from, what you look like and what you can do significantly affect how you feel about yourself and how you relate to others.
King David is a picture of how Almighty God looks at you and me. David invited and welcomed Mephibosheth to be a part of his family and live in his palace. Background, physical appearance and capabilities had nothing to do with how Mephibosheth was to be treated. In David’s eyes, Mephibosheth never looked so good.
That is just like God. Your heavenly Father, Almighty God, Creator of life and the universe, treats you the same way King David treated Saul’s grandson. The Bible says in 1 Samuel 16:7, “but the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height;…The Lord does not look at the things that man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’ ” God does not look at where you have come from, how you look or what you can do. In the eyes of God, you’ve never looked so good as you do today. God accepts you, loves you and willingly forgives you of your sin. In God’s eyes, you are highly valued.
The way God looks at you can be summed up in 3 healing truths that are seen in this story:
1. WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN DOES NOT DICTATE WHAT YOU CAN BECOME
2. WHAT YOU SEE IS NOT NECESSARILY WHAT YOU GET
3. WHAT YOU APPEAR TO BE ABLE TO DO, DOES NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT YOUR TRUE VALUE
God wants you to become a loved, confident Mephibosheth, not a frightened, lonely Mephibosheth. God highly values you! You’ve never looked so good!
SOMETHING TO DO
1. When do you feel insecure, unloved or lack confidence?
2. Tell Your Heavenly Father about these times.
3. Sit in His presence and let Him change you.
SOUL TIME PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank you that you accept me just as I am as well as love me and value me. Thank you that these truths do not change because You are the unchanging God. Knowing this, I can face every day and face anyone knowing that I am your child, a child of God. Knowing this, I can be and do anything according to Your will. I have never looked so good or felt so good!