2 Samuel 9:7 - So David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.”
When the people in the palace heard that King Saul and his son Jonathan had died in battle, they panicked. Fearful that David was coming to seize the throne, and kill all the sons and grandsons of Saul, they ran for their lives. A nurse took Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, and ran. But as she fled, the five-year-old boy fell and became lame in both feet. (2 Samuel 4:4)
The poor boy would not have been crippled if they had known that David actually loved Jonathan and Saul, and would have looked after Jonathan’s son because he had made a covenant with Jonathan. (1 Samuel 18:3)
In this story, King Saul represents the human race. He is like Adam who sinned against God and forfeited all that God gave to man. He had the position, but not the power anymore because of sin. Jonathan, who came after Saul, represents Jesus, who came as a human. Jonathan was not like Saul—he was good, just as Jesus is not like Adam—Jesus is the perfect Man. David represents God. So Jonathan’s covenant with David speaks of Jesus’ covenant with God. Mephibosheth represents believers today who are “lame” in some way—sick, depressed, fearful, poor and so on.
Now, Mephibosheth became lame because of bad news that was based on a lie. Many believers today are suffering needlessly because they believe the wrong things about God. They think, “My sin has found me out! God is coming after me!”
Well, I have good news for all Mephibosheths: David is not after your life! When David looked for Mephibosheth, it was to show him kindness, to take care of him and restore to him the land that had belonged to Saul his grandfather.
Likewise, God is not out to get you. He knows all about your sins and still loves you. That is why He sent Jesus as the payment for your sins. And because of Jesus’ covenant with Him, He says to you, “Don’t be afraid, I will surely show you kindness. I will restore all to you and you shall always eat at My table!”
Thought For The Day :
God is not out to get you, but to show you kindness, and to give you provision and restoration.
WISDOM SEEKERS
Blessed are those who find wisdom. —Proverbs 3:13 niv
Every spring colleges and universities hold commencement ceremonies to celebrate the success of students who have completed their studies and earned their degrees. After the students cross the stage, these graduates will enter a world that will challenge them. Just having academic knowledge won’t be good enough.
The key to success in life will be in wisely applying everything they have learned.
Throughout Scripture, wisdom is celebrated as a treasure that is worth seeking. It is better than riches (Prov. 3:13-18). Its source is God, who alone is perfectly wise (Rom.16:27). And it is found in the actions and attitude of Jesus, in whom “all the treasures of wisdom” are found (Col. 2:3). Wisdom comes from reading and applying the Scripture. We have an example of this in the way Jesus applied His knowledge when He was tempted (Luke 4:1-13). In other words, the truly wise person tries to see life from God’s point of view and chooses to live according to His wisdom.
What’s the payoff for this kind of life? Proverbs tells us that wisdom is like sweetness of honey on the tongue (Prov. 24:13-14). “Blessed are those who find wisdom” (3:13 niv). So seek wisdom, for it is more profitable than silver or gold!
Lord, strengthen my resolve to live by the wisdom that comes only from You. Give me the discernment to live all of life from Your point of view that I might know the blessings of a life lived wisely.
Blessing comes from seeking wisdom and living by it.
THE DESIRE TO PLEASE HIM ...
For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. - Philippians 2:13, NLT
Do you desire to please Him? When you become a believer by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, God begins working in you. He changes your desires from self-seeking to God-seeking. When you make a wrong choice or do something that displeases Him, most times, you know it immediately. There’s uneasiness on the inside of you. You might even feel a little sick to your stomach. That’s because the desire to please God is built inside of you. That “feeling” is the Spirit’s gentle conviction that keeps us on the path He has for us.
But notice He didn’t just give you the desire to please Him; He gave you the power to please Him, too. He didn’t just call you; He equipped you! Follow that inner prompting. Even when you make a mistake, even when you have a setback, God is always ready to help you. He loves you so much, and He wants the best for you. His plans and purposes for your life are good. And when you are submitted to Him, nothing can stop Almighty God from accomplishing great things in and through you!
THE POTTER'S PLAN
...as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand...' Jeremiah 18:6 NKJV
In the good times it's easy to see that we're making progress, but in the tough times we are prone to feel like we're not making any progress at all. We react to pain, loss and adversity by consulting our feelings instead of God's faithfulness. Please understand this: at all times you are securely in God's hands! '...as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand...' (Jeremiah 18:6 NKJV) You're a work in progress and the crucial thing isn't your circumstances or feelings, but the Potter's commitment to finish what He began. '...He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.' (Philippians 1:6 NKJV)
Here are two things you must remember while you're spinning on the Potter's wheel:
(1) The Potter has the right to mould you as He sees fit. Nothing can prevent Him from making you into what He wants you to become. He is an expert at turning lumps of clay into objects of value and usefulness. 'Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the ...lump to make one vessel for honour...?' (Romans 9:21 NKJV) Your job is to stay on the wheel and let God make you into what He desires you to be.
(2) The Potter has an individual plan for each lump of clay. The Potter, not the clay, determines the end-product in the same way that the Holy Spirit determines your place and role in the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:18).
So discover the Potter's plan and submit to Him!
JESUS IS YOUR WISDOM
But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God… 1 CORINTHIANS 1:30
God wants us to go after wisdom. In the Book of Proverbs, God tells us wisdom is the principal thing (Proverbs 4:7). We are not to go after riches. But when we have wisdom, all the things we seek will follow after us, including honor and length of days. So never make riches your goal!
My friend, if you lack wisdom, simply ask God for it. He will give it to you “liberally and without reproach” (James 1:5). The truth is that He has already given you wisdom when He gave you Jesus, “who became for us wisdom from God”.
So if you are facing a challenge at work and you don’t know how to resolve it, say, “Jesus, You are my wisdom. I thank You that You will provide me with the best solution.” If you have a wayward child, say, “Jesus, thank You for wisdom in loving and raising this child well.”
Beloved, meditate on how Jesus, in whom resides all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, is in you, with you and for you today. He will lead you to do the right thing at the right time!
FOCUS ON JESUS ...
Luke 10:20 - "Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven."
We were never instructed to have a Ph.D. in demonology. However, some justify focusing on Satan and his activity to an inordinate degree. This will actually encourage demonic activity and become a device that Satan can use against us.
As Paul said, we should not be "ignorant" of Satan's devices. We certainly need to know that the devil and demons exist, and we need to recognize when we are facing demonic activity. But we need to keep our focus on the Lord.
Some people who are excessive in "spiritual warfare" actually spend more time talking to the devil each day than they do talking to God. That's not right.
The best defense against the devil is to be so "God-centered" that we give no place to Satan. People who are very sensitive to the devil's presence usually do so at the expense of being sensitive to the Lord's presence. David said, "If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there" (Ps. 139:8). Any time Satan's oppression is there, God's presence is present too (Heb. 13:5)! It's just a matter of which one we focus on. Focusing on the devil is a trick of the devil.
Our total ability in the Christian life is found in Christ. It is not our ability that makes us strong, but our availability to Christ that enables us.
Paul said, "For when I am weak, then am I strong" (2 Cor. 12:10). He was saying that when he recognized his inability and, therefore, relied on the Lord, then the Lord's strength flowed through him. We can do all things THROUGH CHRIST.
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