Touched by Grace

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“Is there still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” (2 Sam. 9:3 ESV).

Those who have been touched by the grace of God want to pass it on.

God had demonstrated grace to King David in so many ways. He fought the giant Goliath and won. He had escaped the snares and dangers of wild beasts. His life had been redeemed from the pit of pain, hunger, and desertion multiple times. Now, David wanted to reciprocate that grace.

When David became King, he asked, “Is there still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” (2 Sam. 9:3 ESV). Customarily, the incoming king would exterminate all the members of the previous dynasty to prevent any descendant from seeking the throne. David found Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, a crippled man, living in fear and obscurity who thought of himself as a dead dog. Hobbling into David’s throne room, expecting to be executed, David spared his life. David showed Mephibosheth kindness because David knew Jonathan. In addition, David restored Mephibosheth’s fortune and included him into the King’s family. From then on, Mephibosheth always ate at David’s table. (You can read this story in 2 Samuel 9.)

Just as David, the king, brought the outcast Mephibosheth into the palace and made him a son, God adopted us into his family. You and I are Mephibosheths, too. The similarities between his life and ours are eerie. Before we came into a relationship with the Father, we spent our lives running from him in brokenness and shame. We feared that entering his presence would bring judgment upon our heads. When, finally, we lay trembling at his feet, he touched us and said, “Don’t be afraid.” He lifted us up and said, “I’m going to give back to you everything you ever lost because of sin. I’m going to give you an inheritance, blessings, and riches in the heavenly places. But more than that, I want you forever in my presence eating at my table, and I’m going to call you my child.”

And when we protested, “But why would you care about a handicapped loser like me?” He answered, “Because I know your brother Jesus. And for his sake, I’m doing it all for you.”

 

About Rick Ezell

I am a husband, father, pastor, and writer. This blog is about shaping character, transforming church, and impacting culture. I believe that if one defines their moments then their moments will determine their character and their character will influence their world. I write on personal development, church leadership, and our changing culture. I also write about the resources I am developing and the books I am writing. My goal is to create challenging, relevant, and inspiring content that will help you be a better person, the church be a better parish, and the world a better place. If you are interested in those things, this blog is for you. I have served the church my entire career as a student minister and senior pastor. I studied at Samford University, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Northern Baptist Theological Seminary (eventually I will get it). I have written eight books. My most recent ones are Chapter 13: The Excellence of Love and Soul Therapy: The Healing Words of Psalm 23. Both are available as eBooks. I have written over 1000 articles for various local, regional, and national publications. I have been married to Cindy for thirty-three years. We have one wonderful daughter. We live in Greenville, SC. In my free time, I enjoy writing, reading, running, tennis, and golf. You can contact me via email or follow me on Twitter or Facebook. This is my personal blog. The opinions I express here do not necessarily represent those of my employer. The information I provide is on an as-is basis. I make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, correctness, suitability, or validity of any information on this blog and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its use.
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