Devotion
All are equal in the eyes of God
David Jacobs
Then Ziba said to the king, "Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do." So Mephibosheth ate at David's[a] table like one of the king's sons.
A good friend of mine has Tourette syndrome, a psychological disorder that causes him to have some motor and verbal tics. I often introduced or talked about him as my friend with Tourette's. Although he had gotten used to it, he pulled me aside one day and asked if having Tourette's was the only attribute of his character that I considered. "Why not introduce me as your generous friend or helpful friend?" I remember his asking. I couldn't help but wonder why I judged my friend on this sole attribute.
Jonathan, the oldest son of Saul, was one of David's closest friends when he was alive. David wants to honor his friendship with Jonathan by honoring any surviving relative of his. Luckily, he is introduced to Mephibosheth, one of Jonathan's sons. Before David meets him, he is told that Mephibosheth is lame in both feet, unable to walk. You can imagine how difficult survival would be for a person with a physical disability during that time. Similar to how I introduced my friend, David is immediately told of Mephibosheth's disability. Mephibosheth is surprised that he is summoned at all, maybe even afraid. David comforts him, explaining that he wants to honor the friendship that he has with Jonathan. Mephibosheth has such low self-worth that he wonders what David, the king of Israel, could want with a "dead dog" like him. David treats him as he would treat any surviving family member of Jonathan, allowing Mephibosheth to sit at the king's table and eat for all of this life.
Nothing strikes me more in these verses than Mephibosheth's opinion of himself: he views himself as a dead dog. People have thought of only one thing about him for his entire life: he is unable to walk. It made me think about how I have treated other people that have disabilities. God does not view them for only their disabilities, just like he does not view me only on my best or worst day. Follow God's lead, as David did and treat all people, regardless of their physical or mental capabilities, as equals.
Prayer
Try to notice what is similar about other people and who they really are rather than what makes them different.
Devotion
Abraham is Father of All
Frances Taylor
There are questions in every age about the importance of the Old Testament for Christians. Abraham is considered to be the Father of Faith for Jews, Christians and Muslims. We forget that it was Abraham who believed in the doctrine of only one God. It is through him and his descendants that this tradition comes down to us. Another fact that we can overlook is that Jesus was Jewish. He was born a Jew, lived as a Jew, died, rose and ascended into heaven as a Jew. Because we believe that he was the Messiah, the Christ, and we follow him, we are called Christian. Without the Old Testament, we wouldn't understand the promise of salvation; we wouldn't understand why it was important for Jesus to be of the family of King David. We would not understand his teaching either, because Jesus quoted from Scripture – the Old Testament – frequently. He told us that he came to fulfill the Scriptures, not to abolish them. In the same way, we can ...
Morning Prayer
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Inspiration
We have a responsibility, as Christians, to abstain from the sinful practices we partook in before we became saved. While it may be a gradual process of change, we should ensure that we are putting in our best to play our part in resisting temptation. God enables us to resist temptation, but it is up to us to actually resist.
Prayer
Dear God, I pray that I will always be a person of action. Father, I take delight in my new life in you and I do not desire otherwise. I pray that in times of temptation, may I act on the strength you have given me to flee and/or resist. May I never rely on excuses or procrastination, Lord. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Night Prayer
Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.
Inspiration
We have chosen to surrender our lives and serve the Lord. We serve Him by witnessing, completing missionary projects, and ministering to those in need. There is always work to do and a world full of people to help. We will look for opportunities to provide for our brothers and sisters in Christ by any means necessary. We are servants to one another as a service to the Lord; He will never forsake us.
Prayer
Dear God, Help us see the world through Your eyes. We desire to serve those around us by reflecting Your love through our actions. You will never forsake us, and we will continually lift praises of thanksgiving to You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
