394 - God Treats You According to the Covenant#
394 - God Treats You with Grace According to the Covenant
(JP Text Group - shalom organized)
The topic of sharing is: God Treats You with Grace According to the Covenant
1 Samuel 20:12-16
12 Jonathan said to David, “May the Lord, the God of Israel, be my witness! Tomorrow, about this time, or the third day, I will find out what my father is really thinking. If he is favorably disposed toward you, will I not send you word and let you know? 13 But if my father intends to harm you, may the Lord deal with Jonathan, be it ever so severely, if I do not let you know and send you away in peace. May the Lord be with you as he has been with my father. 14 But show me unfailing kindness like the Lord’s kindness as long as I live, so that I may not be killed. 15 And do not ever cut off your kindness from my family, not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.” 16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord call David’s enemies to account.”
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. Thank You for bringing us before You. We have a covenant with You; Your name is Jehovah, the God who makes covenants with us. You treat us with grace according to the covenant, not because of our good behavior, but because of the covenant, because of the blood of Jesus Christ, pouring down Your grace upon us every day. In this moment, we seek You, and may You renew us through the Holy Spirit, allowing us to know You more and experience Your presence. We completely surrender the time ahead to the Holy Spirit, helping every brother and sister who seeks You. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen.
1 Samuel 20 tells a story. In the Old Testament, Jonathan and David were very good friends, their relationship was as close as one person. David and Jonathan made a covenant when Jonathan’s father, Saul, was king. King Saul looked down on David because of a saying among the people: “David has slain his thousands, and Saul his tens of thousands.” He felt that one day David would take his throne, and he targeted David in every possible way. David was indeed the anointed servant and king of God, and he valued the covenant he had with God very much. When we value our covenant with God, our covenant with people also becomes effective.
Jonathan said to David, “May the Lord, the God of Israel, be my witness.” The bond and bridge between the two of them was the Lord. At that time, Saul wanted to kill David, and Jonathan did not believe it. They made an agreement that Jonathan would find out what his father was thinking. If his father really wanted to kill David, he would definitely come back and tell David, allowing him to leave in peace. If he did not do this, may the Lord deal with him severely.
In fact, Jonathan was inclined toward David in his heart. He believed that David was appointed by God and that what he did was righteous. He said, “May the Lord be with you as He has been with my father.” Jonathan was very clear in his heart that God was with David. Do you know that the Holy Spirit is with you? If you know this, no matter where you go or what problems you encounter, you will not be afraid because God is with you.
1 Samuel 20:14 says, “But show me unfailing kindness like the Lord’s kindness as long as I live.” Jonathan was very clear in his heart that one day David would surely be king, as the prophet had already said. Jonathan did not think that when David became king, he would share the throne with him because it was his father who gave it to him… He did not think this way; he feared the Lord. So he said to David, “Show me unfailing kindness like the Lord’s kindness as long as I live, so that I may not be killed. Even after I die, when the Lord cuts off your enemies from the face of the earth, do not ever cut off your kindness from my family.” Isn’t this an agreement between the two of them?
Jonathan may have made a prophecy at this time, not knowing what his future fate would be, but he had an idea that when David became king and the Lord cut off his enemies, he should not forget the covenant between them and show kindness to his family, never cutting off the kindness to his house. David also agreed, and so Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord call David’s enemies to account for breaking the covenant.” This was the decision of two people swearing and making a covenant in the Old Testament, meaning that both parties would be blessed if they kept the covenant; if one party broke the covenant, they would be punished. This is the covenant.
At that time, Jonathan said to David, if you do not fulfill the agreement, may the Lord call your enemies to account for breaking the covenant, violating the agreement we made. One day your enemies will rise up against you. Isn’t this how contracts work between two people? Contracts have mutual benefits, and breaching them incurs a cost. This applies to both the New Covenant and the Old Covenant; it relates to our lives.
After David made this agreement with Jonathan, the two were of one heart and one mind. They confirmed that no matter what happened, David could not cut off kindness to me and my family. They were true friends, and both kept their covenant. Later, when Jonathan died, the Bible records that David mourned deeply for Jonathan. Later, Jonathan’s father, Saul, also died in battle, and David became king of Israel. Because in the past, King Saul and his sons, except for Jonathan, had persecuted David, almost causing David to lose his life multiple times. The Bible records that the house of Saul became weaker and weaker, while the house of David grew stronger.
After David became strong, the descendants of Saul feared David and all fled, including Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth, who is the central figure we are talking about. Jonathan died, and he had a son named Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth did not know about the covenant between his father and David and was very afraid of David, always hiding from him.
Let’s look at a passage of scripture, 2 Samuel 4:4:
4 Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son named Mephibosheth, who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became disabled.
This is Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth had been living in a man’s house named Machir. This family was very afraid of David; they understood how Saul and his sons treated David. Now that David’s power was growing, were the descendants of Saul very afraid? Having watched many historical dramas, when the enemy gains power, they will definitely eliminate all their opponents and those who have persecuted them. After becoming king, it is very easy to do this.
Now the problem is that Mephibosheth and those who raised him were all afraid of David, always telling Mephibosheth how terrible David was. Perhaps Mephibosheth heard a lot of negative news about David when he was very young, such as: this throne was originally yours, but now David has taken it away; David has robbed you of your throne and destroyed your family. You must not let David find you; otherwise, your life will be in danger. You are only lame now, but once David finds you, your life will be over… For so many years, Mephibosheth has been avoiding David.
Why am I telling you this? Have you ever thought that Mephibosheth is like many people who do not believe in Jesus, hiding from our God. When Adam and Eve violated God’s words and ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they became afraid of God and began to hide from Him.
Let’s look at Genesis 3:8:
8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Have you ever thought about why Adam and Eve hid from God? What were they afraid of? God only said, “If you eat from that tree, you will certainly die!” But God did not say you would be afraid. Why did they run away? This is the mindset of Adam and Eve after they sinned and violated God’s words; they felt that God would surely pursue their sins and come to judge them. When God came to find Adam, He called out, “Where are you?”
What was God’s purpose in looking for Adam? Was it really to judge him? No. Brothers and sisters, when Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they saw that they were naked, and the judgment had already ended. Do you know? Because when they had not violated God’s words, they were filled with God’s glory and did not need earthly clothes. But when they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, at that moment, they died, and the glory disappeared. They saw themselves as naked; it was not that they would be judged when God came; the judgment had already ended before God arrived.
So what did God come to find them for? Let’s look at this passage, Genesis 3:21: The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.
Now you know what God came to find them for, right? And the reason Adam and Eve were afraid was that they thought God was coming to pursue their sins, to judge them, to punish them, just like people today are afraid that God will judge them. Has God’s judgment already ended? As long as you do not believe in Jesus, you are destined to die, whether you seek God or God seeks you; this outcome has already been determined, right, brothers and sisters?
The purpose of God coming to find Adam and Eve was actually to cover their shame. Because after they realized they were naked, they made themselves loincloths out of fig leaves, which could not last long. God provided them a way, killing an animal and making them garments of skin to cover their shame. To this day, people still need to wear clothes; do you understand now?
The initial way of making clothes started with God. As generations have progressed, people’s demands for clothing have become higher and more refined. What is the most expensive clothing? Genuine leather! Did God not give Adam and Eve leather clothing? No matter how humanity develops, it ultimately returns to God! This is the reason God went to find Adam.
God had another reason for finding him: to tell him where salvation is. Although you made a mistake, God did not block all the paths; instead, He gave him a way out. At the time of judgment, it seemed like judgment, but in reality, it was salvation! Because He said to the serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Is this not the emergence of salvation?
Brothers and sisters, God came to comfort Adam and Eve and to give him a way out. When people are far from God, they think they are covering their shame and creating their glory, not realizing that everything they do is just a skirt made of fig leaves, which will disappear quickly. Only when Jesus comes and puts His robe of righteousness upon us do we have eternal glory.
John 1:10-12:
10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
This is the purpose of Jesus coming into the world. Many people are unwilling to accept Jesus because they fear that when they come to church, God will expose their sins and reveal their problems. This is a misunderstanding of God, and it is also the devil’s trick! In fact, no matter who you are, when you seek Jesus, He does not want to condemn you; He wants to save you. This is what the Bible clearly tells us about Jesus. The world was made through Him, yet the world did not recognize Him. Jesus came into this world, and people did not receive Him, but instead became enemies of Jesus.
What is another blessing? Once someone accepts Jesus, He gives them the right to become children of God. What Adam lost in the past, we have regained through Jesus. Now most people in the world are like Mephibosheth, still living in fear, hatred, and confusion, not knowing where the road is. Upon hearing about God, they become afraid because they realize they have problems and have sinned, yet they are unwilling to believe in this Lord.
Christmas is coming soon. We let this person go shopping, play elsewhere, or even worship other gods, and no one opposes it. But when it comes to letting this person come to church and believe in Jesus, many people react negatively. Even if they do not know what Jesus is, they are unwilling to go, but they do not reject other gods. This is because this God is the true light. When this light shines into people’s hearts, fear arises, but it is not the light that brings fear; it is the misunderstanding of our God, just as Mephibosheth misunderstood David, not knowing the covenant between his father and David, living in exile all these years. It is truly a pity.
He misunderstood David, just as people today misunderstand our God. In fact, our God, when you seek Him, does not want to condemn you; rather, He wants to give you grace and let you know what Jesus has done for you. It is because so many people do not know what Jesus has done that they are very afraid of God, still avoiding Him, living in guilt, pain, sickness, and various confusions. Now God has come to find them, just as we talked about today, David going to find Mephibosheth.
Let’s look at this passage, 2 Samuel 9:1-3:
1 David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 2 Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba. They called him to appear before David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” “At your service,” he replied. 3 The king asked, “Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?” Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is lame in both feet.”
Did you notice that it was David who took the initiative to find Mephibosheth? Just as Jesus came into this world, He personally came to find us. False gods are sought after by people, but only Jesus came to the world; He is the true God, seeking us, yet people are unwilling to accept Jesus and instead run away. At first, Mephibosheth ran away when he met David, but now David is looking for him. Before finding him, this statement had already been made very clearly: “I want to show kindness for Jonathan’s sake.”
It is not that this child is too pitiful that David shows him kindness, brothers and sisters, it is not because you are pitiful before God, crying and weeping, that God grants you grace, nor is it because you have achieved much and made many contributions that God wants to save you. God saves you because of Jesus.
Let’s look at this passage, 2 Samuel 9:5-8:
5 So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel. 6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor. David said, “Mephibosheth!” “At your service,” he replied. 7 “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.” 8 Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”
Through the dialogue between David and Mephibosheth, we can see that Mephibosheth was very afraid of David. For so many years, he had been avoiding David, and this time he saw that he could not escape; David sent someone to invite him over. We can imagine how Mephibosheth felt during the process of being invited to see David. Was he unwilling to go? Perhaps he was caught after trying to run away, but regardless, Mephibosheth was now in a situation where he had no choice but to come before David. Although he was unwilling to meet David, he still came, and when he came before David, he bowed down.
David said, “Mephibosheth!” Perhaps this statement startled him, right? Mephibosheth said, “Your servant is here.” In Mephibosheth’s heart, did he think he could be like David’s son? He did not dare to think this way. Many people who come to seek Jesus and believe in Jesus never dare to think of themselves as children of God, always viewing themselves as servants. The prophets in the Old Testament were indeed servants, like Moses and Elijah, who were all servants. But you are different; you are sons! When you accept Jesus, God, because you accepted Jesus, is willing to show you grace; you are a child of God, not a servant! You can sit at the table with the king.
In verse 7, David said, “Don’t be afraid, for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan.”
Do you know why we can remain in God’s grace for a long time? It is not because of what we have done, nor is it because we are pitiful; it is because of Jesus. Jesus established a covenant between us and the Father, called the blood covenant, established with His blood! This covenant is longer-lasting and more effective than the covenant made between David and Jonathan, Amen! Moreover, our Father is the King of kings and Lord of lords; He will treat you with grace because of Jesus. The key is whether we can believe it. When Mephibosheth heard David say this, he could not immediately accept it.
He might think, “What am I?” What did he say afterward? Mephibosheth bowed down again and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?” Since David has said that he can eat at his table, it means that he is not a servant! In Israel, eating at the same table represents what? What is mine is yours, and what is yours is mine, hallelujah! This is what it means to eat at the same table. This is how I made a covenant with your father; I will surely show kindness to his descendants. You are his son; no matter how you are now, even if you have nothing, I still want to show you grace. You only need to eat with me.
Now think about it; after we accept Jesus, have we not eaten with Jesus? This means that Jesus has fully accepted us. If He does not accept you, it is impossible to eat with Him. When Jesus entered Jericho, there was a man named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and was deeply hated by the Israelites because he often overcharged taxes, essentially embezzling. The Israelites hated him very much. Yet Jesus went into Zacchaeus’ house to eat. At that time, the people murmured, “Look at this man, how can he go into the house of a sinner and eat?”
We might think it is just a meal, but for the Israelites, it was not just a meal. Eating at the same table means you fully accept him; you see him as one of your own! Now you understand why to this day, Jews do not eat with Gentiles.
At the beginning of Galatians, Paul rebuked Peter for what happened. Before the big leaders from Jerusalem came, Peter was still eating at the same table with Gentiles and accepting them. But once that group of religious people from Jerusalem arrived, Peter immediately stood up and hurried away. Paul saw this and said, “You are not acting correctly!” They were unwilling to eat together because they were afraid of being criticized for eating with him, which would imply that they were the same kind of people.
Now David invites Mephibosheth to eat with him, and he does not think that you are now of low status or have nothing. It is because of your father’s reason; there is an agreement between you and your father. Our Heavenly Father treats you with grace not because you perform well, but because of Jesus. It is because Jesus is so good; our Heavenly Father has a covenant with Jesus, and this covenant is to show you grace! Pouring all His blessings upon you! Do not think you are a servant; since God calls you a son, call yourself a son!
Excessive humility is also a form of pride. Prolonged pride turns into self-righteousness. Brothers and sisters, what God has given us, we have received. Live out this identity as a son and tell others, “You too can accept Jesus and become a child of God.” If you feel like a servant and always feel unworthy, what kind of gospel can you share with others? How can you let others dare to call themselves sons? How can you say you are saved? It is not that easy! At most, you can only be called a sinner who has received grace, not a son, unworthy of being a son.
The Bible has said many times that we are sons, children of God, just as David let Mephibosheth eat with him regularly. He treated him the same as a son. Brothers and sisters, otherwise, who has the right to eat with the king regularly? Besides his son, who else? Does David’s servant have this qualification? No. Only a son has this qualification, hallelujah! You are children of God.
At that time, Mephibosheth was still very afraid, saying, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?” He did not understand David’s heart. What David valued was the covenant, hallelujah! Do you know that our Heavenly Father loves you this way? Accept God’s love and pass it on.
2 Samuel 9:13: So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table; he was lame in both feet.
Why is it particularly mentioned that he was lame in both feet? The Bible could have simply said that he often ate with David, but why add that he was lame in both feet? David did not care about this! His being lame indicates that he could not do anything to repay David. David did not want that; he was lame, and David did not care. He still let him eat at his table, Amen. Do not say that you have failed, sinned, or have problems, and that God will not listen to your prayers. Even if you have nothing and have failed completely, you are still a child of God and can still pray to Him. He sees you as a son; He will not ignore your prayers; He will definitely listen.
David treated Mephibosheth with grace, not because he had any achievements or could repay David. David treated him this way because of his father Jonathan. At first, Mephibosheth did not know this and thought David was seeking his life. When he was in poverty and fear, his view of David was negative. But David’s heart was always loving him, Amen. Do you know this? Just like many people in the world, they are afraid of our God, even misunderstanding and misjudging our God. But our Heavenly Father still loves them and waits for them to turn back, willing to be found.
The problem is that many people are so stubborn that they do not want to come! It may be like David sending someone to find Mephibosheth; you cannot catch him, and he runs faster than anyone else! So what to do? You can only use all means to finally bring him back. It is not to judge him but to show him grace and let him eat at the king’s table.
Brothers and sisters, do not misunderstand our Heavenly Father. Because of Jesus, our Heavenly Father has accepted you. The Father is willing to accept all people, letting them become children of God through Jesus. He is willing to give you all the blessings of Christ, not because of your good behavior, but because of Christ, because you are the offspring of the righteous, hallelujah, you are the offspring of the righteous.
Let’s look at this passage, Galatians 3:26-29:
26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
This passage is very important. You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. If Mephibosheth believed David’s words, “For the sake of your father Jonathan, I will show you grace and provide for you until you die, and you can eat at my table with me,” he could accept this and always have a grateful heart. David does not need him to repay anything; his father has already done enough. Do you know that our Heavenly Father treats you with grace and does not require you to do anything to repay Him? Because Jesus has done enough, what you need to do is receive the Father’s grace and share this love, proclaiming His name, and that is enough, Amen.
You are all children of God because of faith in Jesus Christ. This identity should be firmly remembered in your heart; you are not a servant but a child of God. You who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. What does this mean? After believing in Jesus, Jesus gave us His robe of righteousness, and we put it on. The Father sees us as being the same as Jesus. You wear the robe of Jesus’ righteousness; God sees you as holy, righteous, and beloved. This is why the Bible tells us that as Jesus is, so are we in this world. It is not just a simple statement of wearing Jesus’ robe of righteousness; it represents that everything of Christ is upon you. You are a child of God; you are righteous.
Many people also say that they are justified by faith. Do you know what being righteous represents? One day, when your father passes away, you are his son and can inherit the estate! Hallelujah, we are children of God, the righteous, who can inherit the rewards and blessings of the righteous, inheriting all the possessions of Christ.
Many people only know they are righteous but do not live out the blessings of the righteous. How many people believe in Jesus but still live in fear like Mephibosheth before entering the palace, feeling like they are being pursued by David, as if God is always using a magnifying glass to find their sins? Once found, He will deal with them. They feel very afraid, and the more they believe, the more fearful they become. Aren’t there many people like this?
We should not think this way, brothers and sisters. You are clothed with Jesus Christ. The following statement says there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female. It does not matter what ethnicity you are or what you did in the past; it is not important. What matters is that because of Jesus Christ, you have become righteous in Christ. How God treats Jesus is how He treats you. How God loves Jesus is how He loves you!
Verse 29 says, “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed.”
Why is Abraham mentioned here? Because Abraham inherited blessings in two aspects. The first aspect is spiritual blessings, and the second aspect is earthly blessings. What do earthly blessings include? His sons Isaac and Ishmael; isn’t it true that about two-thirds of the world’s population are his descendants? There are many who do not believe in Jesus, but they are still physically descendants of Abraham. Isn’t that interesting? What are we? You belong to Christ, which means you are the spiritual descendants of Abraham.
In the flesh, we are not Jews, nor are we descendants of Ishmael, but spiritually, we are indeed descendants of Abraham. When Abraham received earthly blessings, he first received spiritual blessings. Do you know that you are the same? Before you receive earthly blessings, you must first confirm that you are the spiritual descendants of Abraham. All spiritual blessings from heaven, God is willing to give to you; you just need to open your mouth.
Imagine if Mephibosheth, after entering the palace, wanted something to eat; could he not command a servant to bring it to him? If he lived in constant fear, always afraid that David had ill intentions, would he not suffer more in the palace? We should not be like this, brothers and sisters. Do not let your faith become increasingly burdensome and painful; that is not correct. It should be that the more you believe, the more joyful you become, and the more you serve the Lord, the more joy you experience; that is the right way! Mephibosheth should have entered the palace and been joyful every day, living in gratitude.
Believing in Jesus, you are all descendants of Abraham. Abraham prayed to God, and God blessed him. Spiritual blessings, while on earth, you can also receive. You are heirs according to the promise. According to which promise? Jesus. Because of Jesus, God wants to bless you. The Father loves you and wants to love us wholeheartedly; we just need to believe in Him and rely on Him.
When you come before the Father, He sees you through Jesus, just as God sought Adam. God wants to save him and give him a way out. God blesses you and loves you because of the blood of Jesus. Because of Jesus’ covenant, He is willing to bless you. Your prayers are answered because of this covenant, established with the blood of Jesus, Amen.
In the past, perhaps because of you or others, you lost many blessings. This is not important. If Mephibosheth complained to his grandmother every day, “Why did you run so fast and drop me?” Living in guilt, self-blame, and anger, his life would be very dark. Moreover, if others told him many negative things about David, he would think of fleeing, and life would indeed be very bitter! Now that he has entered David’s palace, his life has changed. Let go of everything from the past! You should live like this. If you rely on yourself, there will be pain and various grievances, but now because of Jesus, it is different. Even if you have lost something, no matter the reason, our God can compensate you for everything.
Joel 2:23-25:
23 Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains because he is faithful; he sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. 24 The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. 25 I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm, my great army that I sent among you.
Why does it say, “Be glad, people of Zion”? Zion represents the new Jerusalem and can also be said to represent God’s grace. You are blessed as people under grace! In the past, when under the law, you sinned, fell, and were weak, you lost many things, but now it is different. You should be glad. Can Mephibosheth be glad now? He has entered the palace! He can eat with the king every day; what is there not to be glad about? Do not mention the past anymore, Amen! Rejoice in the Lord your God, brothers and sisters. What people give us can bring joy and pain, but both are temporary. You should rejoice because of our God; what He gives you is eternal.
For He has given you the autumn rains, what does this mean? The people of Israel have autumn and spring rains, which represent harvest. The new grain, wine, and oil will overflow, representing an increase in their earthly wealth. Isn’t it first from the spiritual? Therefore, you must first see in the spiritual that God will treat you with grace because of Jesus. It is because the covenant is fulfilled not by you, but by Jesus. God says He will repay you for what you have lost. Those years refer to the parts you have lost in the past; God says He will repay you.
Many people doubt why they have not seen repayment. Change the mindset of complaining like Mephibosheth. From now on, declare that in Christ, I am a beloved child of God, filled with Christ’s blessings. No matter the circumstances, do not be affected; just declare that Christ is my joy, and what He arranges for me is the best! If you believe and declare this every day, spiritually, you will see the blessings come, and you will see the compensation arrive! If Mephibosheth eats with David every day but doubts David, thinking, “You took our throne; you should treat me better!” his life will still be filled with bitterness.
Mephibosheth may indeed have such a mindset. If you read 2 Samuel carefully, you will know that later, when David was in trouble, Mephibosheth was not so actively helping him. What we most expect is that when we have nothing, others show us kindness and can believe their words. What does it mean to believe? True belief is to trust regardless of the circumstances. God is now blessing me; I believe in Him. This is something countless people can do. If you pray and God does not fulfill your wishes, will you still be willing to believe in Him?
Many people say they do not believe anymore, asking, “What is the point of believing in you? You do not fulfill my prayers.” What you want is not this God but just the blessings! True belief transcends material and circumstances, just like the covenant between Jonathan and David, where they had already disregarded life and death! Even if I die, I believe you will surely show kindness to my family. If you do not believe, this covenant cannot be fulfilled!
Brothers and sisters, do you believe that because of Jesus, our Heavenly Father will surely treat you and your descendants with grace? Keep believing! No matter whether your prayers are fulfilled at this moment, you should believe this way, just as God said to Abraham: “I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore.”
In fact, when Abraham died, he did not see this, but Abraham believed. Has this matter been fulfilled now? Yes, it has. God wants to bless you according to this promise made to Abraham. Even if my eyes do not see it now, I believe God can do it because He never lies! He said He would repay me, so He will surely repay me. God keeps His promises.
When the Israelites went to Egypt as slaves, no one paid them! But after 430 years, when they left Egypt, did God let them suffer? No! When they left, first, spiritually, they were healed through the lamb’s meat. When they left Egypt, not one of them was weak; secondly, when they left, they took with them the gold, silver, and fine clothes of the Egyptians. Over 400 years of wages were paid in one night, all taken away!
God absolutely keeps His promises. When He says He will repay you, He will surely repay you. The only fear is that we do not believe and try to do things ourselves, which will lead to problems! When God told Abraham that only what comes from your own body would be your offspring, Abraham believed, but his wife could not believe. What did they do? Hagar appeared. His wife thought of a plan: “You can have a son with my maidservant Hagar, and let him belong to my name. This way, God’s promise will be fulfilled!”
Was this not a very appropriate method at that time? But what was the result? Endless troubles! If they had not meddled, the world would not have fallen into today’s situation. Just believe that God’s words will surely be fulfilled; that is enough. God will surely treat you with grace because of Jesus. If your current life state is like the prodigal son, always drifting, having no place to settle, feeling no peace or comfort, come and seek our Heavenly Father! Jesus loves you; He is willing to give you all blessings as long as you are willing to return to your Father’s house and eat at the same table with Him.
Or you may be like Mephibosheth, having many misunderstandings about God, even complaining against God. Do not make such wrong complaints anymore. Correctly understand our God, Amen. Please accept His love and live in gratitude every day. Let the past be the past; cherish today’s time! Live every day in grace.
Finally, let’s look at this passage, Psalm 84:9-12:
9 God, look on the face of your anointed one. 10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. 11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. 12 Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.
In this passage, brothers and sisters, you can meditate on your own. Meditate on God being my shield; because of Jesus, He will treat me with grace. One day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere; it is because our God does not just speak to you; His words will surely be fulfilled. His words will always comfort you, and what He gives is grace and truth.
You may receive attacks, slander, or even contempt from the world, but our Jesus will never give you these. God is the sun and shield, wanting to bestow grace and glory upon you. We should think this way: The Father wants to bestow grace and glory upon me. As a new week begins, I look forward to God’s grace and glory appearing upon me because He has not withheld any good thing from me! The one who walks blamelessly is you; you believe in Jesus, and the robe of Jesus is upon you. In God’s eyes, you are the one who walks blamelessly! Our God is willing to bless you; He expects you to seek Him and rely on Him.
Finally, verse 12 says, “Blessed is the one who trusts in you!”
This blessing is not just referring to spiritual blessings but to real, tangible blessings! Brothers and sisters, we all hope that after believing in the Lord, our lives can change, allowing my family and friends to see it. Start with relying on God for spiritual blessings, holding onto God’s promises. No matter how others believe, we believe that God’s promises do not change, believing that He will surely treat me with grace, continuously believing and expecting good things to appear!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. Thank You for treating us with grace through such words. We are people who have a covenant with You! You are the God who keeps the covenant and shows mercy. Because Jesus has fulfilled this covenant, You will pour out all the blessings of Jesus upon me! I can eat at the table with the king; I am a child of God, a blessed person, righteous, holy, and pleasing to You!
The Holy Spirit will guide my steps every day, allowing me to see Your beauty. As a new week begins, please lead my steps, letting me know You more. No matter how tragic the past was, it has become the past. In Christ, You have renewed everything about me! No matter where I go, this blessing will accompany me, allowing my eyes to see and those around me to see! I am a channel of this blessing, bringing this blessing to those around me, letting them see how blessed the Son of God is! This week, I look forward to experiencing Your presence more, and all glory be to You. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen!
Let us partake in the Holy Communion together
In the name of the Lord Jesus, we set apart this bread; it is no longer ordinary bread but the body of Jesus given for me. This is the covenant established between God and us, established with the blood of Jesus. His body was broken for me, and this covenant is still valid today.
By the stripes Jesus received, I am healed. You receive the body of Jesus given for you, which shows that Jesus has not left you; He is still with you! Think about what you need Jesus to do for you. If you have sickness or need healing, you can say: “Jesus, I receive Your body. Once You enter my body, all sickness will leave, and I will be healed!” What do you need Jesus to do for you? Please open your mouth and pray to Him, receiving the body of Jesus! Tell Him what you need; He will heal you through the body of Jesus!
In the name of the Lord Jesus, we also set apart this cup; it is the precious blood of Jesus shed for me. It forgives all my sins! This precious blood is the covenant between me and the Father, an eternal covenant! It allows me to be called a child of God forever! It allows the Father to treat me with grace forever, to be accepted by Him. Thank You, Father, for loving me so much, for treating me with such grace. I am a forgiven person; because of the punishment Jesus received, I have peace! I reject all negative and condemning messages; You will change me and renew me.
Brothers and sisters, if you have grievances or sadness, speak them out before the Father! He wants to comfort you and give you His grace, hallelujah! Believe that because of the punishment Jesus received, you have obtained peace! His peace will fill you, completely fill you!
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. You do not abandon us or give up on us; You are always seeking us. Through the Holy Communion, we remember once again what Jesus did for us on the cross. Thank You for loving us so much, for bestowing grace upon us. As a new week begins, we have the glory of Jesus Christ, living with this blessing. No matter where we go, Your grace will follow us, revealing the glory of Christ. I also bless you and your family in the name of the Lord Jesus, keeping you away from all sickness, and let you know more of Jesus’ love! In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen.