Faith | Hope | Love

Warrior. Poet. King

Pt. 4 David and Mephibosheth

1 Samuel 9

David, in the Bible, was a man’s man. He was the kind of guy that all the little Jewish boys pretended to be. He was a poetic, noble warrior. He was strong, yet gentle. Stern, yet gracious.

So far we’ve looked at the stories of how David interacted with Goliath, Saul, and Jonathan. We’re kind of following a timeline here. And now we come to an absolutely beautiful story of David that is sadly not taught a lot. I believe it’s a very clear image of the Gospel, and so we’re going to study this story in light of the Gospel. Allow me to set up the scene for you.

Saul and Jonathan have died in battle. The Israelites were retreating and the Philistines pursued them. Jonathan was caught and killed. Saul continued running, but soon realized he also was going to die. And so, rather than let the Philistines have the honor of killing the Israelite King, he committed suicide. So the story of Saul and Jonathan ended there on a bloody battlefield, but their legacy continued on.

Word came back to the palace in the middle of the night that Saul and Jonathan were dead. As the servants were awakened there was sorrow and dread. In those days, if a ruler was defeated, it was customary to kill off his entire family so there would be no heirs. Saul and Jonathan died, which meant Jonathan’s brothers, Ish-bosheth would become king. Ish-bosheth was a cruel man who would certainly kill off Jonathan’s family.

Soldiers were already starting to get anxious. And not before long, they heard Ish-bosheth coming with his soldiers to take over. That’s when the servants and family fled into the night. One servant, scooped up Jonathan’s five year old son, Mephibosheth, and without any time to gather belongings or clothes she fled the dark palace. She could sense she was being pursued and so she ran all the faster. She was just making it into the all clear when she tripped on a root. She and Mephibosheth tumbled to the ground and the boy fell at an odd angle, breaking his back and paralyzing him. The servant scooped him up and continued running for their lives.

II Samuel 4:4 Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled, and as she fled in her haste, he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.

So now there is chaos in the royal palace. A growing number of people are following David and are demanding his rightful place to the throne, while Ishbosheth, who has crowned himself the king according to the customs, won’t give it up. Years pass, chapter 4 ends, and we’re kind of left wondering, “Why was Mephibosheth’s story even in there?”

And then the plot thickens… Ish-bosheth is killed by an insider. The assassin brings word back to David, thinking he did a wonderful thing, but David is grieved to have a family member of his best friend killed in his name. So he has the assassin killed, but he is none-the-less, crowned as the new King of Israel. However, years pass on again. David gets lost in his duties as king. Until…

II Samuel 9:1-5 And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” ₂Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.” ₃And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.” ₄The king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.” ₅Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.

David summons Mephibosheth and the servant from the Land of Lo-Debar. Interestingly, the name Lo-Debar is interpreted as, “Land of nothing.”

I Samuel 9:6-8 And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.” ₇And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.” ₈And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?”

He had lost his ability to walk, his inheritance, and his family. He was a broken man living in the land of nothing. We can safely say, Mephibosheth is in a dark and desperate place.

I Samuel 9:9-13 Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. ₁₀And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master’s grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. ₁₁Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table, like one of the king’s sons. ₁₂And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba’s house became Mephibosheth’s servants. ₁₃So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king’s table. Now he was lame in both his feet.

In a beautiful climax of the story, David vows to take care of Mephibosheth and treat him well. You might have already put the pieces together, but let me lay out the Gospel for you according to this story.

We’ve all been broken by our own fall. We’ve been paralyzed and are incapable of taking care of ourselves. Our fall was sin. And that sin left us broken and alone with nothing to our name but emptiness.

God summoned us just like David summoned Mephibosheth. And when we answer that call He brings us to his table.

This table is a position of royalty. In the palace it was well-known that only the king’s family and guests were to sit at this table. David made it very clear, Mephibosheth was to be considered family. So God takes us from a position of brokenness, forsakenness, and helplessness and sits us, as his children, at a table of grace.

What a beautiful picture of God’s redeeming grace! It doesn’t matter who your family is. It doesn’t matter where you’ve come from. It doesn’t matter how deep your brokenness goes. It doesn’t matter that you come from a land of nothing. God has called us to join Him at His table. And what’s absolutely gorgeous in this picture is that, so long as Mephibosheth sat at the table, he could not see his broken legs. But you know what he did see? The spread in front of him. A feast of grace. And this is the truth for you.

If you’ve put your trust in Jesus Christ, remember this, you were called out of nothing. You were helpless. And God set you at his table. You need to remember this, to humble yourself. Perhaps you are fixated on your sin, and you’ve convinced yourself that your brokenness has disqualified you. Simply scoot back up to the table. Let God’s grace cover your sin.

If you’ve not whole-heartedly trusted in Jesus to forgive you of your sins, would you answer His call? He’s calling you out of your sin, and to His table. He is offering forgiveness and salvation in exchange for your sin and emptiness. He wants you to become His child and sit with Him at His table.

Warrior. Poet. King.

Pt. 3 David and Jonathan

John 13:34

I hope I’m not the only one when I say this, but when I was in high school I allowed myself to be talked into some dumb things. Through those years there were some bones broken, some visits by police officers, typical drama, and a whole lot of stupidity. Needless to say, I had a lot of fun times while I was in high school. But I’ve learned something since then. I’ve learned what friendship is really about.

During that time, my standard for friendship was pretty low. I’m not saying my friends were bad people, but I didn’t have any idea what made a good friend. I tried finding friends who were in my grade. But that wasn’t deep enough. I tried finding friends who had the same interests. But that wasn’t deep enough. I tried finding friends who had similar hobbies. But that wasn’t deep enough. In college I even tried finding friends who were studying ministry like I was. But even that wasn’t deep enough.

True friendship is deeper than fun times, hobbies, and interests. True friendship is a deep, soul connection.

Check out how two friends in the Bible cared deeply for the soul of the other.

I Samuel 18:1-4 “As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2 And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father's house. 3 Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. 4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt.”

What’s happening here is Jonathan is taking off everything that marked him as royalty. He wore a robe, belt, and sword that were probably custom made just for him. They were probably the best of the entire kingdom. And then he gives these things to David as a symbol of his recognition that David is the anointed one of God. He acknowledged that David would inherit the kingdom. NOT HIM. This is probably the greatest sacrifice Jonathan could have made for another human being, short of giving his life.

I love the language in these verses; Jonathan’s soul was knit to David’s. Meaning this was a friendship that was deeper than sharing similar hobbies, classes, or interests. This was a friendship based on deep, soulful connection. True friendship sacrificially cares for the other person.

So here are some questions I encourage my students to ask themselves and answer honestly: Do I normally get in trouble with my friends? Do my friends know/care that I go to church? Would I introduce them to my grandparents? If I share personal things with them, do they change the subject? Ask these questions about yourself as well. Are you being a friend that cares for them?

Remember in the last section of this series how Saul was crazed to kill David? During that whole escapade, Saul tried to convince Jonathan to kill David as well. Check it out:

I Samuel 19:1-3 “And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan, Saul's son, delighted much in David. 2 And Jonathan told David, “Saul my father seeks to kill you. Therefore be on your guard in the morning. Stay in a secret place and hide yourself. 3 And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak to my father about you. And if I learn anything I will tell you.”

About two years ago, at teen camp, we had a vivid glimpse at what this looks like. Our speaker told the story of Jonathan and his armor bearer. How they stood back to back, fighting against an enemy that outnumbered them. How they fought for each other. It so moved our teens that they started a deal in our student ministry of defending one another by shouting, “Armor bearer” and sweeping in (playfully) to fight for their friend. Jonathan was an expert at defending his friends. And in this particular story, Jonathan chose to defend David, even from his own father because he truly cared for him.

What does this mean for you? You can start with defending against rumors, against bullying, against temptation, against sin, etc. Just think: what if you had someone willing to fight for your purity and sanctification? What if YOU were willing to fight for THEIR purity? That would be quite a strong relationship I should think.

I Samuel 20 talks about the strength of Jonathan and David’s relationship. It was a relationship that some people have even speculated might have been homosexual because of their closeness. Obviously I don’t think it was of that nature, I just think that a deep emotional connection between two people, especially two men, is rare and uncomfortable.

Emotional connection is something I never really understood until I came to TX. I have a lot of difficulty connecting on that soul level like David and Jonathan. So here’s what I try to do: I make a phone call at least 3 times a week. I really try to make it every day, but I’m no good at it. And in that conversation, I do what I call a “check-in”. I talk about anything significant that happened that day, I literally say, “That made me feel…” And I also confess any sins that I am aware of. The other person doesn’t try to fix me, judge me, or gossip about me. These are people I trust and usually they simply speak truth and encourage me.

For instance, I called my friend Joey the other week, and said, “Man, I feel like I’m just not going anywhere. I feel like nothing is really working.” And he said, “Do you think you’ve just gotten complacent?” And he nailed it. Do you know why? Because he then told me he was feeling the same exact thing. This is how I try to connect emotionally with my friends. And when I make conscious efforts to do that, I find that I am much more ready to connect on a more natural level.

Do you open up about your feelings? Do you confess sins? Or do you care more about having fun than the actual health of the other person?

Now before we end, I have to say, this blog isn’t really a lesson on “How to be like Jonathan and David”. This is a lesson on “How to be like Christ”. He does all of this the best. Jesus cares for us. Defends us. And wants to connect with us. Look at this:

John 13:34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”

When we do these things for others we are reflecting the Gospel like David and Jonathan and we are loving like Christ. Jesus made a covenant with us when He died. He said that there would be no condemnation for those who are in Christ. And Jesus is a man of His word. He will forever be faithful because He made a covenant with us.

When Jonathan gave David his robe, belt, and sword, that was actually a covenant action. He was, in that moment, swearing to David that he would forever care for him, defend him, and connect with him. The best way for your friendship to connect on a deep, soulful level is to make that covenant with a friend. To promise to each other these things. And to stick to your word through the thick and thin.

In conclusion: there is one of three places you might find yourself in: 1. You need new friends. 2. You need to go deeper. 3. You need to experience this friendship with Jesus. Where are you? John 15:15 says Jesus is our friend. He wants to connect with you emotionally. You know what you need to know. You have what it takes. Now is the time for action. Go quickly and do what needs done.

Warrior. Poet. King

Pt. 2 David and Saul

We’ve started going through the story of David. We’re giving his story a few articles, because there is so much for us gain from it. We’re specifically reading through the stories of his relationships. Last week was the story of David and Goliath. As you read, be sure to remember who is who. David represents God, Goliath represents the overwhelming sin in our lives, and the scared, helpless soldiers represent us.

Do you remember how David’s story begins with him being anointed as the new king-to-be? Keep this in mind as we go through the timeline of what happened next. David had killed Goliath. So Saul brings David to live in his palace. He loves David, and accepts him as part of his family and gives him responsibilities in the military. But something starts happening. David is extremely successful and Saul promotes him to the status of general; both a social and political status of honor. And he starts winning the hearts of the Israelites. The people start cheering for David and Saul notices those cheers are getting louder than his cheers. (I Samuel 18:6-9)

On top of this growing jealousy, Saul had this nagging memory about how David was prophesied and anointed to be the next king, and this started driving him crazy. It escalated to the point where Saul became unwilling to let the throne be passed on to David. He was denying David his rightful place on the throne! And this was the beginning of a dramatic saga of betrayal, assassinations, and corruption. Saul’s jealousy, anger, and self-righteousness flared up so violently that in the very next verses he attempted to kill David. (I Samuel 18:10-11)

This actually happened twice! And David eventually took a hint and went on the run.

There were soldiers in David’s authority that were still loyal to him. So several hundred soldiers flee out of the country with David also. And Saul pursued them! At this point, Saul is on a rampage. He’s killing everyone who stands in his way; entire cities including, priests, women, and children! The dude is nuts!

Eventually, David and his men find themselves living in caves. When Saul heard about it he started scouring the hillsides looking in all of the caves. At one point, nature calls and Saul has to use the restroom. And so, while on a break from hunting for David, he goes into a cave to relieve himself. Lo and behold, it was the very cave that David and his men were hiding in! (Talk about embarrassing.) Saul does his business, completely unaware that dozens of men were hiding behind him. (1 Samuel 24:1-4)

During this awkward moment, a few of David’s soldiers get the idea, “Let’s take this guy out! We’ll never get a chance like this again!” But David says no, and actually chooses to spare Saul’s life. Instead, he gives him grace and mercy. (1 Samuel 24:5-7) Let me give a quick definition of these two words.“Mercy= not getting what you deserve” “Grace= getting what you didn’t deserve”.

Here’s the point: I am Saul. I am self-righteous, arrogant, angry, and insecure. In my self-righteousness, I have attempted to deny Jesus His rightful place on the throne. And if you were to be honest, I think you would say the same thing. But Jesus, our David, spared our lives and has returned grace to our violence.

In the movie Hacksaw Ridge, Desmond Doss is a conscientious objector, meaning he was against the war. Nevertheless, he feels compelled to join the army as a medic. His reason as he said was, “With the world so set on tearing itself apart, it don't seem like such a bad thing to me to want to put a little bit of it back together.” He joined with the promise that he wouldn’t have to touch a gun or be combat trained. The problem was, his commanding officers and fellow soldiers didn’t like that. If he wouldn’t fight there, then he wouldn’t fight on the battle field, and wouldn’t be able to save them. So they took every opportunity to force him to fight. At one point they even jumped him while he was asleep and beat him. Still, he continued his training in every other area. The entire climax of the movie tells the story of how Desmond went to battle with his battalion, and acted heroically in spite of being called Doss the Coward. By the end of the night, he had saved 75 wounded soldiers, without firing a single shot.

Desmond Doss illustrates Jesus giving grace to those who have been unkind, cruel, and even violent to Him. And it’s the same thing we are commanded to do in Matthew 5:43-44

What are we to do then? Because of the Gospel of God’s grace on us, who have been cruel and unkind to God, we are to extend that grace to others. Not so we can be like David, but so we can be like Christ. Did you know the Bible says in Romans 2:4 that it is God’s goodness that leads to repentance? It’s not God’s wrath that causes people to turn to Him. It’s not His justice, wisdom, or sovereignty. It’s His goodness.

That’s what happened with David and Saul. After Saul left the cave, David followed him out and said, “Saul, look here. I had your life in my hands. I could have killed you, but I spared you. Just to prove it, here is a piece of your robe that I cut off. I will not kill you.”

And here is Saul’s response to David’s grace. I Samuel 24:16-22 As soon as David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. 17 He said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil. 18 And you have declared this day how you have dealt well with me, in that you did not kill me when the Lord put me into your hands. 19 For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safe? So may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done to me this day. 20 And now, behold, I know that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. 21 Swear to me therefore by the Lord that you will not cut off my offspring after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father's house.” 22 And David swore this to Saul. Then Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

David’s goodness brought Saul to repentance. When we’ve been treated with evil, we are to return grace, because we are like Saul, and God has given us grace. And just as God’s goodness has shown us His beauty, mercy, and grace, we too can share that with those who’ve hurt betrayed us. Who knows, it just might bring about their repentance as it brought about yours.

Pt. 1 David and Goliath

 

His entire life is so spectacular that we’re going to spend a few articles on it. It’s a story of conspiracy, war, adultery, bravery, beauty, and nobility. Those characteristics are often best seen in his relationships with other individuals like Saul, Jonathan, Bathsheba, and his Mighty Men. So we’re going to do a study on the different relationships David had, and how they reflect the Gospel to us.

His story begins with an unexpected visit from a prophet. Samuel shows up at David’s house and tells the family that David is destined to be a king! This is the making of a great fantasy novel, right? Then the prophet leaves the family for all of them to just dwell on what he announced. It was very long after this that David started getting some notoriety. Perhaps the one event that launched David into the spot light of the kingdom is the most famous part of David’s life; when he fought Goliath. So let’s talk about that historical moment with a new lens.

There’s a stand-off between two armies. The Philistines are on one side of the valley. Israelites on the other side. I want you to place yourself in the shoes of the soldiers. Sleeping every night thinking you could go to battle the next morning. Cooking every meal as if it was your last. Constantly listening for the sound of the enemy. And then David shows up to see this strange moment. He was bringing food to his soldier brothers. But he got curious. Why was nobody fighting? Why was everybody just camped out? So, he starts asking around.

It turns out there’s this Philistine giant who’s laid out a challenge. If anyone beats him then they win the whole battle! Pretty simple, right? This was actually a typical Philistine tactic. It allowed the Philistines to decrease the loss of their own soldiers, while also laying claim on more of the enemy’s soldiers. It was a win-win for them. Especially because of who their champion was.

It’s hard for us to imagine what Goliath looked like, even with a description in the Bible, because we’ve never seen anybody quite like him! The tallest man on record is Robert Wadlow who lived in the early 1900’s. He stood at 8’11”. That’s crazy tall! But even when you look at his picture, you wouldn’t think of him as a soldier. Goliath was 9’9”! In addition to his height, he was strong. His spear is described to be like a beam. He had one man designated to carry his shield. This dude was bred for war!

Now contrast this giant killing machine with teenaged, shepherd boy David, who was probably about 5’7”( that’s the average height for a 15 year old.) It’s no contest! My money is on the giant spear!

So David hears and sees all of this. And in his typical teenage boy wisdom asks, “Why isn’t anyone taking this guy on?” So he then offers to combat the giant soldier. Can you imagine? Some farm boy, basically estranged from his family and all of society, shows up with cheese and bread, and says, “Hey, I’ll fight that giant!”

Of course, anybody would be skeptical. But everybody is also desperate, including the king. He’s unexpected and unlikely. They don’t think he can pull this off. So David explains just who he is. “Listen, I’ve fought off a bear and a lion with my bear hands. I’ve been fighting for sheep. I stand for those who can’t stand for themselves. I’m a protector, a fighter, a warrior.” And the King, at the shock of every around, agrees to let David fight for them.

David, an unlikely shepherd, who seemed unqualified to fight this giant, stands in the place of every soldier.

As King Saul and the whole army waits in anticipation, David goes out to a stream and finds five smooth stones. And you have to wonder, is David regretting this whole thing? Does he have any doubt about God actually getting him through this? If David fails, the Philistines will take over Israel! And David will go down in history as the failure who plunged Israel back into slavery.

Nonetheless, he confronts the giant and delivers an awesome monologue. You have to read this. I Samuel 17:41-47 Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. 42 He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him. 43 He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!”

45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

And then he does exactly what he said he would do. He kills the giant with a supernaturally accurate stone, and beheads him with his own sword. That might be the most boss thing you read in the Old Testament!

So David, the unlikely hero, slays the undefeatable giant! And all of the Israelites enjoyed the victory.

Remember, David is a shadow of Christ. The unlikely hero who stood in the place of all of mankind to defeat an enemy that seemed impossible to defeat. Who are we in this story? The soldiers shaking in our armor. The cowardly King Saul. The skeptical older brothers. We are unable, and maybe unwilling, to face our own giants. We avoid the confrontation.

Goliath then represents an enemy that we can’t defeat: sin. We are soldiers literally living in fear of our enemy. We desperately need a savior. We need our own David to step up.

David goes out, and crushes the enemies head. This is not fulfilling any prophecy, but it is actually reaffirming a prophecy made about Jesus. Remember, in the story about Adam and Eve God tells Eve that her offspring would crush the head of the serpent? David doesn’t fulfill it, but reaffirms it. He is a picture of what Jesus Christ would later do. David stood alone in the place of all of his people. Just as Jesus stood alone in the place of all of mankind.

So what is your Goliath? Is it an addiction? Do you have a stronghold in your life? Is your Goliath a giant of fear? A giant of jealousy? Anger? Lonliness? The lesson for you is this: you can’t defeat your giant on your own. You’re not David. You need a hero. And your hero has already come! He crushed the enemies head!

At this point, your giant is already defeated! You don’t have to fight FOR your victory. You can now fight FROM your victory. Remember, the Israelite army jumped to their feet and chased the Philistines out of their country! So rise up, soldier! Give chase to your defeated enemy. Your giant is a beheaded corpse. You are not a slave to your sin. You are not a victim of Satan’s temptations. You are on the winning side. Enjoy the victory that has been won for you!

 

Anyone who’s given himself or herself to prayer for a sustained amount of time has likely experienced the disappointment of unanswered prayer. But the more theological astute among you may not like that phrase “unanswered prayer.” You may call it a category mistake. I understand your point. In reality, there are no unanswered prayers. God is sovereign and giving us all what we would’ve asked for if we knew everything he knows.

And I’m sure David was told something similar when he penned Psalm 13: “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?” (v. 1). 

Surely you know, David, that God hasn’t forgotten you!

I’m sure he knew.

David continues: “Consider and answer me, O LORD my God” (v. 3). Apparently, David hadn’t experienced an answer to his prayers for a while, and was asking God “why?” I trust you could give a quick, theologically accurate answer.

But David is a serial offender in the Psalms. Maybe you would even quote the Psalms to David and correct him! “He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see? (Ps. 94:9).

Still, David and other psalmists consistently ask the God who never forgets if he has forgotten them.

My Experience 

Have you experienced this pain? I have. There have been days I’ve felt as if I could only pray, “Will you forget me forever?” Maybe you feel that’s overdoing it. Perhaps you’d say, “Well, maybe you should pray for something else. It sounds like you’re expecting God to do your bidding!”

Maybe. But I wonder if you’d be as quick to say so to a brother or sister struggling with addiction, praying 10 years for relief, longing for a wandering child, or to a congregation fearful of its doors closing.

I penned a poem about unanswered prayer once. I wince sometimes when I read it:

Where is your listening ear, O Lord?
Why have you ignored me?
All my prayers are swallowed up in the ceiling!
Is my voice too quiet for you?

It gets worse:

Where have my prayers gone, Lord? What have you done with them? “Ask me anything,” you say—“The desire of your heart!” All my desires have been crushed. All my groanings ignored.

Those last two lines are a sore spot for people who experience unanswered prayer. We read Jesus’s words of almost completely unqualified invitation—“Ask me anything and I’ll give it to you!” (Matt. 18:19; 21:22; Mark 11:24; John 14:13; 15:7; 15:16; 16:23–24; James 1:5–6; 1:17; 1 John 3:22; 5:14–15)—and wonder why he hasn’t answered us.

When will I get some relief?
When will my sighings give way to smiles?
I know where comfort comes from,
But you have locked its doors from me.

My smiles are like powder, my laughter like grass;
With a breeze, they are blown away.

Finding Companions 

As I read the Psalms, I continue to find companions. Asaph considers his trouble and all the times he has prayed for relief: “When I remember God, I moan; when I meditate, my spirit faints” (Ps. 77:3). He’s grown tired of asking. The morning comes, and it’s time to pray, but he’s too tired of being disappointed to ask for anything again.

Asaph continues: “Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable? Has his steadfast love forever ceased? Are his promises at an end for all time? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he shut up his compassion?” (Ps. 77:7–9). Asaph knows the answer to his questions. In fact, elsewhere he answers them. Even Jesus begs for relief (Mark 14:36), and when he experiences the Father’s absence, he cries aloud: “Why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34).

The Psalms keep good company. They give me words when I’m at a loss. They open windows in the rooms of my heart I didn’t know were there, and they let in fresh air. That’s a grace for seasons of unanswered prayer. 

When you sit patiently with these psalms, you find something more. You remember these aren’t just the words of David and Asaph; these are the words of God. Before David gave me the words, “Will you forget me forever?” God gave them to David. These complaints are God’s gifts. He knows how we are. When we are at the end of our rope, these words are his way of lengthening the tether.

Isn’t that something? God has inspired words of complaint and protest to say to him when we are confused and sad, angry and desperate. He gave us words to say into our pillow as we drink our tears. “Here,” he says, “these words will help. Go ahead. I’m not self-conscious.”

Fighting to Wait

There’s an old church father, Diadochus of Photike, who was part of the Council of Chalcedon in AD 451. He was known for writing On Spiritual Knowledge and Discrimination, or as it’s best known, “The Hundred Chapters,” which is primarily on prayer. He introduces a term that probably won’t catch on with modern readers: “educative desolation.” Diadochus says “educative desolation” is God’s intentional hiding of his presence from the senses of his children. He hides the “experience of divine attention” in order to increase their desire for him. “Educative desolation,” he explains, “brings to the soul humiliation, grief, and proper despair in order that the part of the soul that seeks glory and is easily exalted may return to humility.” Such a soul that “seeks glory and is easily exalted,” he observes, “does not easily renew its love of God.” In infinite wisdom, the Lord uses various ways to awaken our longings for himself again.

I don’t know if this is why God sometimes doesn’t answer my prayers and makes me wonder if he’s near. But I’ve found comfort in these instructions and have tried to look for ways to stir my love for him. When I do seek him, I’ve often heard the whisper of the Lamentations: “You came near when I called on you; you said, ‘Do not fear’” (Lam. 3:57). Notice he doesn’t say “Here’s your answer,” but “Do not fear.” I can use that.

Until then, Jeremiah teaches me to wait as he laments his exile: “The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him” (Lam. 3:25). He says so when all he can think about is his affliction, and he wonders if God thinks of him (Lam. 3:19–20). He knows the right answer. So he waits. And God says “those who wait for me shall not be put to shame” (Isa. 49:23).

The Lord is good to those who wait for him. In my heartache and confusion, my waiting is not in vain. He’s going to be good to me. He already has been. 

I came across a quote from the old pastor and theologian A.W. Tozer and it stopped me in my tracks:
-A.W. Tozer

What you think, when you think of God…is the most important fact in your life right now.  It is impacting every single day: How you deal with your past. How you relate to your job, your money, your mate, your kids in. Things in the present and your hope in the future.

If you ask this book we call the Bible that question, what is God like, all 66 books come back with the same answer:  GRACE.

If you go to the very beginning and you ask Adam and Eve what God is like, they would say grace.  If you ask Abraham, the beginning of the Jewish people, what he thought about God, he would say grace.  If you asked Noah (the Ark), a story a lot of people have pushed aside as untrue but the Bible says was literal, the Bible says Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

When you come to the New Testament, Paul (who wrote 3/4 of the Bible) 130 times talked about the grace of God.  He gave the summation of it all when he says, Ephesians 2:8-9   ⁸For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹Not of works, lest any man should boast  

We do we think of Jesus Christ?  Most anybody, whatever their view of Christ, think of Him as a good man, a powerful figure in history.  Jesus, though He never used the term "grace", the phrase he used more than any other was "fear not".  The Bible says in John 1 that Jesus was full of grace and truth:

John 1:14, 16-17   And the Word (CHRIST) was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

We use words like that all the time: grace, faith, redemption, justification... Sometimes we get kind of "churchy" and don't explain our terms or talk about what we mean.  Let's be honest, we use "grace" all the time. When we pray before a meal we are saying grace.  When a ballet dancer does something amazing, we talk about how graceful they are.  Princess Diana was known for her grace; there's a book title called "Grace is Not a Blue-eyed Blond".  What do we mean when we talk about grace?  I could spend some time trying to tell you, but I want to spend our time showing you [in the Bible].

Grace can mean coordination of movement, it can mean a prayer, it can refer to dignity and elegance.  So when it comes to God…what is GRACE?

2 Samuel 9:1 And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness (lit. GRACE) for Jonathan’s sake?

Already tremendously weird, unusual circumstances, because usually the new king would seek out the family of the former king and kill them.  They don't want any challengers coming after them to restore their father's kingdom.  That was the policy of the day, to wipe out [the former king's] descendants completely so they are no threat.  David wants to show the family kindness.  That word literally in Hebrew is GRACE.  David wants to show grace to one of Saul's descendants and do it for Jonathan's sake.

You see, there's part of the story I didn't tell you.  Though Saul hated David's guts with all of his being, Saul had a son named Jonathan.  Jonathan and David were best friends.  They loved each other with all their heart and at one point Jonathan came to David and said "I know God is setting you up and taking my Dad down.  When you get to your kingdom, when God gives all this to you, I don't want you to forget about me.  I want you to remember my house and not wipe us out.  Promise me David."  And David made that promise to Saul's son and now he wants to know if there is any of Saul's decedents he can show grace to for Jonathan's sake.

Now here's the answer to that question...

2 Samuel 9:2-5  And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he. ³And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet...

Before we go any further, why did Ziba say that?  David didn't ask that; what he looked like, what kind of background he had, what physical state he was in, if he was handicapped. Yet Ziba throws out "yeah, there's a guy. He has a descendant, but he's lame [he's crippled]." I think what Ziba is saying here is "I kinda get where you're going here David, you want a poster boy for Saul's kingdom and show everybody how good and gracious you are and parade him around.  Listen, this guy is not going to be your poster child.  You don't want to bring out this one to show your grace.  He's crippled...." and I think what Ziba doesn't tell David (and this is me talking not the Bible) is that this guy H.A.T.E.S. you.

...⁴And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar. ⁵Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar.

Lodebar is an interesting word.  "Lo" literally means "no" and "debar" means "pasture"; what it's saying is "no pasture land".  This was a barren, nasty, outskirts type of place. David has this attitude of  'I want to show grace to Saul's decedents' and now we meet Mephibosheth, one of Saul's decedents, and the attitude he has.  Mephibosheth is living his life away from the present king; afraid of David.  A life of bitter anger toward the present king.  He's gotten as far away as he could go, as far as  he can, so David will never find him.  Mephibosheth doesn't want to be found or recognized because naturally this king will want to take his life if he ever found him.

Let me give you a reason why I believe this man by the name of Mephibosheth was angry toward David.  If you look a few chapters back, you find a unique little scene.  Whenever Saul and Jonathan died in battle, word got back to Mephibosheth's nurse (he was just a baby) that the king and his son were dead.  Naturally the nurse assumes they are coming to kill Mephibosheth because he is next in line and there will be no future for either of them.  The Bible says in her haste, she drops the baby and it cripples him.  Here's what you find, Mephibosheth has been running not only from David but the very thought of David all his life.  Every time he sees that crutch hanging up on the wall, "David's the one who made me like this."  "David's the reason I have to live out here."  "David's the reason I can't have any kind of life."  He's away, afraid, and angry; then one day the thing he's most scared of comes knocking.  Mephibosheth is out in Lodebar, a long way from the capital and the palace.  You may of thought you were hidden real well and you weren't; the king wants to see you.  The king knows you're here.  He told us to bring you to the palace.  All his fears about David and that fateful day have just come true and we believe this guy has a wife.  We know he's got a baby.  They pick Mephibosheth up, they grab his crutch, and they make the journey to the palace.  I don't even know how to tell you, my imagination is not keen enough, can you just imagine what Mephibosheth is feeling when those giant wood doors swing open, guards on either side, sharp swords and spears and shields, and Mephibosheth is walking down a long pathway to the throne room of the king.  The doors open and there's David seated on his throne.  As weak as Mephibosheth is, that's how strong David is. Mephibosheth is brought down all the way to the throne of the king and the one that he's had in mind all his life, he's never seen or talked to, but had his mind made up about, is seated on the throne.

Let's see what happens...

2 Samuel 9:6  Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, (slings out his crutch and falls flat on his face in front of the king) and did reverence...  
I don't think this guy was a coward. I think this guy has a wife and a baby, he knows there's not a shot in this world that he survives, but maybe he won't kill my wife and kid.  Maybe there's some kind of hope here if I beg him.

2 Samuel 9:6  Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence And David said, Mephibosheth...  Mephibosheth can't even see David, his face is down to the ground.  He didn't know if David's arms were crossed, if his hands were in the pockets of his robe, Mephibosheth didn't know if David was distant, hateful

And David said, Mephibosheth And he answered, Behold thy servant! (Exclamation point, fear in those words).

I've read this a bunch of time and I still can't get over it...

2 Samuel 9:7  And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake (and I'm not only going to spare you), and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.

Then David stooped.  The king, all of his royalty, all of his power; he bends down to this man and takes him by the arm.  "What you thought I was like, I'm not like that.  The reason you thought I brought you here, I didn't bring you for that reason.  You’re mine.  I take you just as you are, crutches and hang-ups and liabilities and all.  I don't take you because I have to, I take you because I want to,  I take you for your daddy's sake."

Y'all, I was amazed by this.  Do you know what the word "grace" literally means in the Hebrew?
Grace –  (HEBR)“To bend, to stoop.” It carries with it this thought, "To extend favor or kindness to one who doesn’t deserve it and can never earn it.”  

The story of every single one of us is a story of us being away, afraid, and in most cases us being angry.  This God took my Daddy two years ago with prostate cancer. I don't know why God lets some of these things happen.  For some of you, you suffered abuse growing up.  "I don't know why my life has turned out like this and this God if He's really a God of love, how could He do that?  Be like that?  Allow that?"

We spend our lives taking His gifts.  Every morning the gift of breath in your lungs.  The gift of a beating heart.  The gift of healthy kids in most cases. The gift of a roof over your head and a car in your garage.  The gift of a job.  The gift of America.  The list goes on and on but we take the gifts and reject the Giver.  We run like mad from God and we crash straight into Him at funerals when we can't think about anything else.  We crash into Him when life caves in and the bullets are flying. We cry out to God when most of the time we've spent our life thinking evil thoughts about God.  And all the while, God stoops.

You say, "Preacher, if you knew the stuff I've done, I've said, the people I've betrayed.  If you knew the way I've let my loved ones down; the sins I've committed and the lies I've told you'd know that God may stoop toward somebody else, but he can't stoop toward me.  He can't reach down to me.  The stuff I've done, I deserve hell.  I deserve to be cut off.  I don't deserve God."  Friend, listen to me.  David didn't take Mephibosheth for his sake; he took Mephibosheth  for Jonathan's sake.


Two-thousand years ago, God sent His Son down to planet Earth.  He lived a perfect, flawless life.  He thanked God for every breath and every beat of his heart.  We all know he died on a Roman cross at the age of 33.  Don't let the culture steer you wrong on this; He wasn't just a good man, He wasn't just dying to make a point. The Bible says the penalty of God, his wrath and judgement, all the wrong stuff you've done and ever thought, all the filthy stuff I've ever done and thought, He has to punish that and he punished Jesus on the cross so that He could set you free.  Jesus took your place so that God could bend down to you and say "Listen, I will take you just like you are.  I'll take you with your crutches, hangups, problems, temptations, all your flaws, like you are for Jesus' sake!"  That, my friend, is what we mean when we talk about Grace.

Now Mephibosheth has a choice doesn't he?  How is he going to respond?

PRIDE?  I don't need you.  I don't need anything you can give me.  I don't need your kingdom or your table.  Give me my crutch and I'll make it out of here the same way  I came in here.  You're the one who made me like this and I don't need a thing from you.

UNEARNED?  David, let me do better first.  Let me extend some effort .  I haven't done anything for you; I can't accept a gift like this.  Let me go out and praise you and serve you a little bit.  David, let me earn this somehow.

SHAME? David, I'm too ashamed.  I can't sit at your table, it's too embarrassing.  It's too humiliating.  I don't deserve it.

Listen friends, you know why some of you have not yet bowed the knee to Christ or said "God if You're stooping down to me, I'll take it.  If you sent Jesus for me, I'll take it."  BECAUSE YOU HAVE TOO MUCH PRIDE.  "God, I don't need you.  You let that happen to my family, to me when I was a kid; You're the source of my problems and I don't want to have to bow a knee to You. I don't need You."

Some of you have tried to be religious to earn your way back to God.  You have tried to do good works, to please Him. You tried to somehow earn it and you've been so ashamed of yourself that you thought it wasn't for you.  Can you imagine how tremendously insulting it would have been if the king is stooping down to this man and this man for any reason says "I can't take it, I don't want it, you can't give it to me."  That's the one thing on the face of this Earth that could have sent him back out those palace doors EMPTY.

No problem, sin, struggle, flaw, or frailty could have kept him from the king, but pride and shame would have sent him away empty.  That's not what he did...

2 Samuel 9:8-13  ⁸And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? Then the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master’s son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house. ¹⁰Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master’s son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master’s son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. ¹¹Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king’s sons. ¹²And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth. ¹³So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king’s table; and was lame on both his feet.

Luke 11:13   If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

John Newton said "I'm evil but maybe God can take somebody even like me."  It didn't end there and over the next few years, God spoke and drew John Newton.  This filthy, vile, slave trader asked Jesus Christ to stoop down and save his wicked soul.  Later down the road, John Newton got sick, he went blind, his wife came within an inch of death; but through all that, God called him to be a preacher.  He became not just a preacher, but a powerful writer of songs.  He sat down one day to write a song he entitled “Faith’s Review and Expectation” and here's how the song went: