Lame but shot to Fame

Hello Friends. There is a beautiful story I would like to share with you today and I’m just so excited about this.  I have been studying the instrumentation of divine favour in the lives of some biblical characters and looking at the lives of some the beneficiaries, I have wondered what they did to enjoy such tremendous benefits from God.  Some of them, in spite of the terrible things they had done enjoyed God’s favour immensely. A typical example of some amazing favour story is the story of Mephobosheth.

Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathan, the grandson of Saul who was the first appointed king of Israel. Three(3) of Saul’s children had died in battle with him,including the beloved Jonathan (who was so loved by David) and two others sons alongside his grandchildren had been hung for an agreement Saul had violated. His only son  who survived and had become the king was killed by the captain of his army, so Saul was left with no one to bear his name. However, by some divine orchestration, Mephibosheth was the only male descendant of of the dead king alive. This grandson of Saul was kept alive by some amazing act of providence. Yes he was alive but something was amiss in his life.

2nd Samuel 4: 4 Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son who was lame 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 it happened, as she made haste to flee, that he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth..

Mephibosheth had every reason to thank God he was alive. Every other man in his lineage had been wiped away in unfortunate circumstances. The kingdom was indeed taken away from his grandfather as God decreed. He had no family member and probably no friends. He was lame, had lost the legs by no fault of his and he must have been miserable all the days of his life. He had lost all the members of his father’s family and nothing was said about his mother. In fact it was a nurse that fled with him. He must have been enjoying the royal treatment as a prince in the palace but all of a sudden, he lost all! He was left at the mercy of a nurse who further made his life worse. At five years old, having walked all his life and enjoyed a royal lifestyle as a prince, the nurse dropped him in an attempt to shield him from destruction. He lived and groaned for many years wallowing in self-pity and dejection. Then came a particular day that birth an encounter with FAVOUR.

2^nd Samuel 9: 3-10

3Then the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, to whom I may show the kindness of God?” And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who islame in his feet.”

4So the king said to him, “Where ishe?”And Ziba said to the king, “Indeed he is in the house ofMachir the son of Ammiel, in Lo Debar.”

5Then King David sent and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo Debar.

6Now when Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he fell on his face and prostrated himself. Then David said, “Mephibosheth?”And he answered, “Here is your servant!”

7So David said to him, “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.”

8Then he bowed himself, and said, “What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?”

9And the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “I have given to your master’s son all that belonged to Saul and to his entire house. 10You therefore, and your sons and your servants, shall work the land for him, and you shall bring in the harvest, that your master’s son may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s son shall eat bread at my table always

Your inadequacies are not enough to stop you from getting to the palace. God's favour will secure you a place in the palace where those who are stronger, more read, more qualified, more connected than you have not been able to get to. Mephibosheth had lost hope. When David met him and told him of the good intentions he had for him, he asked why David would look unto a “dead dog” as he was. He saw himself as a useless, good for nothing individual. He had forgotten that once he was a prince, he would forever be a prince. David saw what he couldn't see about himself and instantly he was elevated to the position he was supposed to be occupying. He was the son of a prince and the grandson of the king. Even though he became lame; disabled by reason of a fall, favour located him and brought him to the palace, not as a slave but to dine at the palace-table with King David. His gifts, qualifications and skill didn't bring him here, He probably had none anyway but something did.

Only God knows how long he had wallowed in his contemptible condition. He was emotionally, physically and psychologically bankrupt. He lived every day as it came and probably looked forward to when death would come. He was five (5) years old when he fell from the hands of the nurse and as at the time He had this divine encounter with favour, He had a child already. That must have been a long period of time; wasted, fruitless, futile agonizing years. But the Favour of God came to work and there came the turnaround  From the verses above, look at some of the things that happened to him thereafter.

 ·         David restored all the land of His grandfather to him. Saul must have been very wealthy. So Mephibosheth collected rent and royalties till he died.

 ·         He was to eat bread from David’s table forever. He started to dine with kings and the mighty- Not only with David but also with David’s friends, kingmakers and whatnot.  A privilege he lost many years ago was restored to him within the twinkle of an eye.

 ·         David handed over to him Ziba his late grandfather’s servant (who had been enjoying part of what belonged to Mephibosheth) alongside his sons (fifteen of them) and twenty of his servants to till the land and bring in harvest for Mephobosheth. This means he established a business for him and gave him the capital and human resources. Even though he was to eat at the king’s table, the proceeds of the business would be brought to him. That is money he wouldn’t even have to spend. Mephibosheth must have died a multi billionaire!

 ·         In a country where he was an outcast and he needed a visa, he was given a diplomatic passport instead. He lived in Jerusalem all the remaining days of his life.

·         Above all, God gave him a son to preserve his legacy and so that his name would not be wiped away entirely.

2nd Samuel 9: 12Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Micha. And all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants of Mephibosheth. 13So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king’s table. And he was lame in both his feet.

What Saul the king lost, favour gave it to the lame Mephibosheth. Beautiful story of a turn around you will agree with me. Don’t forget that whenever he sat at the king’s table, his legs would be covered under the table and so no one would know he was lame. He would eat whatever meal he wanted, sleep at the palace, have servants at his beck and call and get a royal treatment all his days.

 Friends, God is able to cover our inadequacies and restore lost years to us. Can’t you remember that the Bible says God prepares a table for us, in the presence of our enemies ?(Psalm 23:5) You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing (Message version). He does not only prepare the banquet table for us; He’s seated at the table with us, in spite of our weaknesses and inadequacies. We get the royal treatment and dine with the King of kings Himself. Having dined with Him and still dining with Him, we cannot be found sitting in the midst of mere men any longer.Just like Mephibosheth’s lame legs were tucked under the table,our inadequacies are hid under the table in God’s presence. He doesn't even see them, they don't exist any longer for His strength is made perfect in our weaknesses and right in the presence of our enemies, detractors and accusers, He justifies us.  Hey get excited friend, irrespective of all you have lost like the young man named Mephibosheth, God will give much more that will last a lifetime!

Don’t keep giving a lame blame dear, you are destined for fame!

The Pen……

Picture Credit: Google