Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Doubts”
Our Bible verse for today: “Mephibosheth bowed down and said, ‘Who is your servant that you take an interest in a dead dog like me?” 2 Samuel 9:8 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “Err on the side of grace and compassion.”
I love the story in 2 Samuel Chapter nine of King David and Mephibosheth the grandson of King Saul. David had recently been elevated to reign as King over the united Israel. He remembered his promise made years earlier to his best friend Jonathan, the son of Saul, to have mercy on and to bless his descendants. So David instructed his aides to find out if there were any surviving descendants of Jonathan’s that he could bless.
Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathan and he was crippled in both feet as a result of a childhood accident. Normally in those days when a new king took the throne he would root out all family members of previous kings (who could potentially be a threat to his own dynasty) and he would have them killed. Therefore when David’s men came looking for Mephibosheth he rightly expected to be executed.
But instead of killing him, David drew Mephibosheth into the royal court, invited him to dine at the king’s own table, and bestowed land and riches upon him as well. Mephibosheth, this crippled outcast, was flabbergasted by this unexpected expression of kindness, compassion, and grace.
The editors of the Daily Walk Study Bible challenge us to consider if God has placed a Mephibosheth in our lives. Do you know of a needy person who is struggling, maybe being ignored by others, and who would be blessed by an unexpected act of kindness and compassion from you? The world is full of them. They’re all around us.
Often when we consider situations like that we have doubts as to whether or not we should get involved. After all, as I said, the world is full of needy people, they’re all around us, and nobody can do everything for everyone. My advice to you? Err on the side of compassion and grace.
Now it’s true that you shouldn’t be naïve about it, and you do need to use good judgment, but if you’re struggling with the decision of whether to help or not, the best choice is to err on the side of compassion. If the situation isn’t clear and therefore there’s a chance that whatever action you take could be wrong, then be wrong on the side of helping rather than not helping.
I recently read a statement about this that, while not a rigid truth etched in stone, it does accurately capture the essence of Biblical teaching on the subject: “To feel sorry for the needy is not the mark of a Christian – to help them is.”
So, keep your eyes open and your heart soft. There are Mephibosheths all around you who will be blessed to the tips of their toes if you were to reach out to them with a little act of kindness and grace.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 