Saturday, March 1, 2014

Pursuit Of His Presence

2 Samuel 9 
David and Mephibosheth
1David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
2Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba. They summoned him to appear before David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”
“At your service,” he replied.
3The 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.”
4“Where is he?” the king asked.
Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”
5So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel.
6When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor.
David said, “Mephibosheth!”
“At your service,” he replied.
7“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.”
8Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”
9Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s steward, and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. 10You 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.)
11Then 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.
12Mephibosheth had a young son named Mika, and all the members of Ziba’s household were servants of Mephibosheth. 13And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table; he was lame in both feet. 
 

Devotional

From a Dog to a Prince

by Kenneth Copeland

“And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.” 2 Samuel 9:7
Most people know the story of the covenant between David and Jonathan. The Word says, “The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul” (1 Samuel 18:1). These two men, a sheepherder and a prince, entered into a blood covenant with one another.
What most people don’t know is what happened after Jonathan died. The covenant relationship continued between Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth and David.
You see, David’s unconditional love (hesed) didn’t end the day Jonathan was killed. It remained within him—even though he had become king. Even though he was wealthy and powerful, his covenant with Jonathan still burned inside him. He was so compelled that years later he cried out, “Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” (2 Samuel 9:1). One of Saul’s former servants, Ziba, gave David his answer: “Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet.... Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar” (verses 3-4).
When David sent for him, Mephibosheth was afraid David would kill him. He came into the palace, threw himself at David’s feet, and began to religiously bawl and squall about what an unworthy dog he was (verses 6-8). David didn’t even acknowledge his unworthy dog talk. In his eyes, Mephibosheth wasn’t a dog. He was a rich man. He just didn’t know it. David had kept his covenant with Jonathan...and all of Jonathan’s wealth had been set aside for an heir. All Mephibosheth’s life he had been covenanted to David, but he didn’t know it. David was as much his father as Jonathan was because of the blood covenant between them.
That’s the message of God’s prosperity. Mephibosheth didn’t do anything to become prosperous. Someone sent for him, picked him up, and placed him in the middle of the most prosperous situation he’d ever seen in his life. Someone loved him—not because of anything he had done, but because he was the heir of a blood covenant.
Once you grasp that, you won’t ever believe you don’t deserve to be healed, blessed or delivered. You didn’t do anything to get where you are except receive Jesus. Once you did that, the Holy Spirit “fetched” you and placed you in the middle of the abundance of God Himself. You are surrounded by His blood. You are filled with His Spirit. You are crowned with His crown. And you wear the robe of His righteousness. Receive who you are in Christ Jesus today. Live like the son or daughter of the King. You’re a prince...destined to live in abundance in your spirit, soul and body.
Speak the Word
“God has made me a king and priest and I reign on the earth.” —Revelation 5:10
Need prayer? Call 817-852-6000. We’re here for you, 24/7!
Also, visit www.kcm.org/youversion to receive a free gift from Kenneth and Gloria Copeland.
 

No comments:

Post a Comment