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online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen
&
Brooksyne Weber
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encouragement and exhortation.
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Tuesday,
January 24, 2023
We
will one day
gather at the
Wedding Supper
of the Lamb in
heaven. Jesus
told the
disciples at
the Last
Supper, "I
tell you, I
will not drink
of this fruit
of the vine
from now on
until that day
when I drink
it anew with
you in my
Father's
kingdom"
(Matthew
26:29).
"A
Dead Rat"
Message
summary: We
rightly
despair at our
hopeless
condition
apart from
Christ's
redemption.
But what
glorious hope
we have in
Christ!
Listen
to our message
on your audio
player.
"David
asked, 'Is
there anyone
still left of
the house of
Saul to whom I
can show
kindness for
Jonathan’s
sake?'" (2
Samuel 9:1).
Mephibosheth
bowed down and
said, "What is
your servant,
that you
should notice
a dead dog
like me?" (2
Samuel 9:8).
"So
Mephibosheth
lived in
Jerusalem, for
he ate always
at the king's
table. Now he
was lame in
both his feet"
(2 Samuel
9:13).
Today
let's explore
the story of
one who would
be described
in our day as
one with a
physical
disability.
Mephibosheth
is among our
favorite
lesser known
Bible
characters.
Dropped as a
very small
child he was "lame
in both feet".
His story is
told in 2
Samuel 9 and,
if you're not
familiar with
his life, you
may need to
read this
entire chapter
and some study
material about
him. Today's
message is
only a
summarization.
He
had a lot more
than his share
of problems
and was now
the sole
surviving
member of
Saul's family
with David as
the king. His
personal
esteem
couldn’t sink
any lower as
he saw the
importance of
his life to be
no more than
that of a
"dead dog".
Since dogs
were not
valued by the
Hebrew culture
(in the sense
we do as pets)
this
self-description
packs a double
whammy, kind
of like me
referring to
myself as "a
dead rat".
But
David models
the love and
kindness of
God when he
sought
Mephibosheth
out and made a
place at the
King's table
for him, "like
one of the
king's sons",
not just for
the evening
but for the
rest of his
life. He gave
him land and
appointed
servants that
provided for
his needs.
This is an
excellent
illustration
of generosity
and grace
exhibited in
the Old
Testament.Many of you may not be able to identify with Mephibosheth at all. Life for you has been pretty good. Most importantly you have an assurance of God's love and a network of family and caring people around you.
We encourage you to consider others who may need a lift today by your expression of personal interest, your gesture of kindness and generosity, or your effort to communicate in such a way that the person with the disability doesn't feel less valued than others in society. David so powerfully illustrates God's grace in the fact that he didn't wait for Mephibosheth to cross his path, but actually made the necessary effort to locate him and then chose to personally bless him. How can you demonstrate that grace today to one who might be regarded as among "the least of these"?
There are others of you who readily identify with Mephibosheth. Life's always been hard and you’ve wondered when and if things will ever flow smoothly. It's been one hard blow after another and you could reckon the value of your own life as that of a "dead dog" or "dead rat". You question in your mind, "Does anyone love me? Does anyone really care?" And here you are reading this message. God wants you to hold onto this unchanging truth that is filled with eternal hope: God loves you and He cares about you.
The fact is, apart from the love and mercy of God, everyone of us are as "dead rat". John Newton put it this way, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!" Or as the hymn "I Stand Amazed In The Presence" expresses it, "a sinner, condemned, unclean". "At The Cross" has these words, "Would He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I?" We rightly despair at our hopeless condition apart from Christ's redemption. But what glorious hope we have in Christ!
He calls us to endure the temporal difficulties while living our lives here on earth, but He also invites us to enjoy the eternal delights of living our lives in heaven. He has saved the best for last, but that’s OK because that’s where we’ll be forever and always, long after the troubles of this life have faded from view! I'm sure glad it's not the other way around, though, for those who choose not to enter the kingdom of God, it surely is!
Daily
prayer:
Father,
there is much
that we don’t
understand on
this side; why
some go
through life
seemingly with
ease and
little
trouble, and
others seem to
be born with
trouble that
never goes
away. It is
not for us to
understand
Your ways for
You are a God
of mystery
with greater
purpose than
we can
comprehend,
and yet You
have made
clear to us
through
Scripture that
which we are
to understand.
Some of the
very trouble
we seek to
avoid is that
which brings
us to faith
and causes us
to live a life
that is
honoring to
You and
purposeful to
others. Keep
our hearts
sensitive and
compassionate
toward those
who are
undervalued by
the world’s
standards.
When we put
ourselves in
their place,
we identify
with their
struggles and
feel the deep
hurt they
experience
when looked
down upon and
rejected by
others. May we
be Your tender
arm of
compassion and
Your gentle
voice of
acceptance
with
unconditional
love. In the
name of Jesus
we pray. Amen.Today's
Suggested
Music and Supplemental
Resources
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Wordpress
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radioPermissions: Please feel free to pass on, reproduce and distribute any material on Daily Encouragement Net, in part or in whole, in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this material, not protect or restrict it. We do request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription information intact.
Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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