THE STRENGTH TO FORGIVE
When God speaks of restoration, He does not speak of domination. He speaks of liberty out of His kindness. He spoke to Israel and said that they would have houses and no one would take them away. They would plant fields and no one would eat from them because it was theirs and no one had the right to take it. It is the same with marriages and friendships. No one has the right to destroy anything if it is your possession and your life.
David had power over the son of Jonathan. He could have killed him at any time. He killed all the line of Saul because God told him to do it, but David wanted to show kindness. What else did David allow? He allowed Mephibosheth to sit at his table of fellowship where there were no differences. Mephibosheth did not have to show his ability to run. He did not have to show his crippled feet. They all were sitting equal at the table of fellowship as David made Mephibosheth a man equal to him. The only time that we are equal is at the table of fellowship.
At the cross we become one as brothers and sisters, and we become equal. But regardless of what Jesus accomplished on the cross, we all struggle to feel good about ourselves. Some of us are maimed in the kingdom. Some of us are single and others are married. Some are unhappy. Some of us have fulfilled our dreams, and some of us have not. No matter what we preach, we are not equal in what we are. We all have different lives, and we cannot place our goals on some one else. We don’t have to be like some one else to be successful. On the table of fellowship we become equal. The fellowship we share together through the power of God’s forgiveness in our lives is what makes us equal. The blood through the power of His forgiveness cleanses us all, and that is the only way that you and I can be equal, through the administration of forgiveness to each other.
As David sat at the table, he became one with those at his table. He experienced forgiveness and he administered forgiveness. I don’t know what his connection was to Mephibosheth, but he did have a connection to Jonathan and extended kindness for his sake through forgiveness.
You and I can forgive because of our covenant with Jesus, just as David made a covenant with Jonathan. That covenant gave David the strength to forgive Mephibosheth whether he liked him or not. When we recognize we have a covenant with Jesus that gives us the strength to forgive.
In His Love,
Sigi
Devotions
Posted: May 2004