Leading The Way - Week of September 2

September 2, 2024

Receiving the Unmerited Favor of God

By Michael Youssef, Ph.D.

Read 2 Samuel 9:1-13.

For fifteen long years, Saul chased David from mountain to mountain, wilderness to wilderness, village to village, seeking to kill him. And yet, shortly after becoming king, David decided to show mercy to his enemy’s undeserving family.

The kindness of David foreshadows God’s grace when He sent His Son to earth searching for lost sinners. Just as God reaches out to undeserving, disobedient, and rebellious people, David reached out to Mephibosheth, the grandson of a man who had hated and resented him with every fiber of his being. Likewise, we were once enemies of God, undeserving of His lovingkindness (see Colossians 1:21; Romans 5:10).

When David discovered that Jonathan’s son (Saul’s grandson), Mephibosheth, was living on the other side of the Jordan in a town called Lo Debar, he jumped at the chance to show him mercy. And Mephibosheth was a man in need of mercy. When Mephibosheth was a small child, news of his father’s and grandfather’s deaths reached his home. In a panic, Mephibosheth’s nurse scooped him up and began running, unsure whether the boy would be safe at home. In her hurry, she fell, and Mephibosheth became lame in both of his feet (see 2 Samuel 4:4).

Mephibosheth’s disability is a picture of our spiritual condition before coming to Christ. The Bible actually says we were spiritually dead. By nature, we were unable to run to God. We needed Him to reach out in mercy to save us.

Mephibosheth was from a family that rebelled against God’s anointed. He could not walk because of a fall. He was dwelling in Lo Debar, a barren land without hope. And yet, King David himself sought Mephibosheth out to shower him with blessings. In the same way, Paul tells us we “are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24).

Without condition, David restored to Mephibosheth all the land that belonged to his grandfather. He also gave the young man a seat at his table. In other words, David treated Mephibosheth like family. This is grace—undeserved favor. There was nothing Mephibosheth had done or could have done to earn David’s kindness. David lavished blessings upon Mephibosheth because of Jonathan. Friend, God shows us grace because of Jesus. May we, too, so understand the magnificent grace we have received that we freely extend God’s heavenly grace and lovingkindness just as David did.

Prayer: Father, thank You for Your incredible grace extended to me, a sinner. May my heart continue to be molded by Your love for me. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“The king asked, ‘Is there no one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?’” (2 Samuel 9:3).

Learn more in Dr. Michael Youssef’s sermon series A Heart for God: WATCH NOW | LISTEN NOW

Today’s devotional is adapted from Dr. Michael Youssef’s NEW book A Heart for God. Visit LTW.org to request your copy for your gift of any amount by October 19, 2024! (Offer valid in US, UK, and Canada.)

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