By Staff
There are two forces at work that get us down and out, making us thinking we are lost and hopeless. Circumstances can shove us so far down that we think we will never get up. And simple neglect can cause us to drift away from God.
God is the great seeker. God never loses tabs on anybody.
David said in Psalms, chapter 139, verses 7-10, that whether in heaven, hell, or the uttermost parts of the sea, God is there and active in each place.
This attribute of the great seeking God is illustrated in 2 Samuel, chapter 9, in the life of King David. At this point, David was king, a monarch; in that, he held absolute authority.
David had ascended to the throne of Israel after the death of King Saul and his son, Jonathan. Typically when one became king, one of the first acts was to destroy all potential rivals to the throne, especially any remnants of the former royal family.
In 2 Samuel, chapter 9, verse 1, King David asked this question: "Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?"
Jonathan and David had been very good friends. Even though Jonathan was a royal prince and at the time David was a poor shepherd boy, Jonathan knew that someday David would be king. In 1 Samuel, chapter 20, verses 14-15, Jonathan requests from David that not only would he spare Jonathan but also his family when the time came. David made a vow to Jonathan (1 Samuel 20:17).
When David became king several years later, he remembered the promise he had made to Jonathan. Now he was taking measures to keep the promise.
Is there anybody left of the house of Saul? A former servant of King Saul was found and summoned to the palace. His name was Ziba. Ziba was asked if anybody survived. He said, yes, there was still a son of Jonathan who was a cripple (2 Samuel 9:3). David asked of the son's whereabouts.
Mephibosheth was the son's name. He was a cripple. When the kingdom of Saul fell, Mephibosheth was a small child. His nurse grabbed him up and ran to flee the invaders. As they fled, Mephibosheth fell and injured his feet (2 Samuel 4:4).
Mephibosheth was now homeless. He lived with Machir in Lo Debar (2 Samuel 9:4). Lo Debar means "place of no pasture." Mephibosheth was far, far away from the pomp and grandeur he had once known as grandson to King Saul.
How much further away can you get than being crippled, living as a fugitive because you are part of the family of the former king, having no power to sustain yourself so you live with somebody else, and living in a desolate place called Lo Debar.
King David is a picture of God in this story. God is a promise-keeping God. David had made a promise; now he was keeping it.
The king's men went and found Mephibosheth. They brought him back to Jerusalem and put him before King David. David admonished and encouraged Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel, chapter 9, verse 7: "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."
That is what God does for us. He finds us in the desolate places; He brings us back and gives us everything we need, for the sake of Jesus Christ and His death on the cross; and we are invited to live and eat at God's table continually. It does not get any better than that.
So if you feel like you are in Lo Debar and your future looks hopeless, take courage; God is there for you.
The invitation is open. Come in, sit, and eat at God's table.