Page 40 - Livin Light Issue 81

Friday July 14 - The provision of the king
“And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my
table.” 2 Samuel 9:10
Mephibosheth had received David’s promise, his kindness, call, grace and mercy. Today, we consider the culmination – the king’s provision. Mephibosheth had nothing; he was ‘on his uppers’! But praise God, there was more! When you came to faith, it did not end with forgiveness – there was much more. I remember an occasion at a pastors’ breakfast, when our regional superintendent said, “Jesus did not come to forgive our sins.” A pregnant silence fell. What heresy was this? He let us hang there for a few moments before qualifying: “The real reason Jesus came was to restore us into a living relationship with the Father.” Relief filled the room!
God does restore the years the locusts have eaten (Joel 2:25), but more than that he restores our peace, joy, hope, purpose, security, value and our destiny. Jesus, the second Adam, restores everything lost through the first Adam’s fall. That is why Jesus cried, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). The pathway to FULL restoration is in place, sealed by Christ’s resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
The window of God’s blessing opened, just as it did for Job (Job 42:10) and many others. Mephibosheth would always eat at the king’s table, no longer struggling alone; the king’s resources were available to him. Dear friend, how wonderful that God, in his mercy, has restored you and made the Holy Spirit available so that you can live victoriously!
Father, today I rejoice and give thanks for full salvation, so rich and free. Amen.
Saturday July 15 - The testimony of the king
And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the
king’s table; he was lame in both feet. 2 Samuel 9:13
We often watch ‘Pointless’ on TV. The host, Alexander Armstrong, invites contestants to say something about themselves. What would you say if asked?
I guess Mephibosheth would have started this week by saying, “I am Mephibosheth, a shameful thing, a dead dog”. At the end of the week, we find him saying, “I am Mephibosheth, I always sit at the king’s table”. What a turnaround! His identity had changed; he remained lame in both feet and was still Saul’s grandson, but he had met with the king. Praise God!
The theme of this issue of Living Light is ‘The Grace of God’ and here, right in the middle of our reflections, we find great grace. Have you, like Mephibosheth, come to King Jesus and bowed before him, acknowledging his saving grace? If not, why not consider it just now? For those of us who have taken that step, are you amazed by God’s grace to the degree that you want to please him above all others?
As a young Christian, I struggled with the Apostle John because he referenced himself as ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved’ (John 21:20). I thought, “What presumption!” to consider that he was loved more than the others. Much later I got it: ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved’ was his new, overarching identity. He was no longer John the son of Zebedee, or John the fisherman – his new identity was ‘one loved by Jesus'!
Heavenly Father, thank you that – by your grace – I am loved by Jesus. Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
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PRAYER FOR TODAY