Resurrecting a dead dog
Grand Sweep Daily Reading: 2 Samuel 7, 8, 9
2 Samuel 9:7-8 (NIV)
7 “Do not be afraid,” David said to him [Mephibosheth], “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?”
I Corinthians 15:55-58 (NIV)
55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Good morning!
David’s ability to honor and forgive the ones who hurt him was uncanny. How does someone forgive what seems to be unforgivable? How do we know when forgiveness is genuine and heart felt? Have you ever spent time wallowing in the mud puddle of resentment and self-righteous anger, unwilling to give your hurts over to the Lord once and for all?
There was a time in my life when I was consumed by anger. Like Mephibosheth, I allowed the anguish and hurt of days gone by to paralyze my spirit. This little boy lost his father and grandfather when he was just five years old. He carried the evidence of unforgiveness and grief in his physical body. Have you ever experienced such pain that it keeps you from standing up and walking tall? Why do we allow the anguish that comes from an unforgiving spirit to consume us like a fire that will not be extinguished?
David had every right to be angry with Saul. Still, he loved Jonathan like a brother, and Saul like a father. David recognized how sin kills us bit by bit. It is like a creeping paralysis, stiffening our necks, hardening our hearts, and paralyzing us in fear. David was determined to not allow his painful past to keep him from embracing the future whole-heartedly. He chose forgiveness, over and over again. Do you think David understood the magnitude of what it means to be truly forgiven?
We get so caught up in obeying the rules, that we allow our self-righteous attitudes to prevail, while we point the finger at another screwed up person. Does it really make us feel that much better believing our sin and moral failures cannot possibly be as great as the sins of our neighbors? The law was created by God to help people find happiness and fulfillment in daily living. Like Saul, there have been moments when I have stepped out of the legal box, running at a “break-neck” pace into a brick wall. I don’t bounce well when I hit that wall full force. In fact, those bricks in my life become the stones that smash my soul. Only the Lord can remove the bricks that block you from living in forgiveness and grace.
The Apostle Paul understood that the sting of death is sin. It is sin that continually cripples our spirit and leaves us paralyzed. Sin cuts us to the quick and separates us from a holy and perfect God. We give sin the power to prevail in our misinterpretation of His law. There are many people out there who are good neighbors, who possess strong character and good moral judgment. Yet, these people are lost without the life-giving relationship that can only come from God. They may do all the right things, but for all the wrong reasons. They shake their fingers at the law breakers around them, believing these people deserve the punishment they have earned. The next time you find yourself pointing a finger at someone else and passing judgment on them, take your hand and turn that finger around, pointing it at your heart. When we choose to condemn our neighbor, we have hammered yet one more nail into the precious body of our Lord Jesus Christ.
David knew what God can do through true forgiveness and mercy. Returning kindness after kindness, especially when it is not deserved, it a God-like quality. Mephibosheth asked the King why he would even bother noticing and caring for a dead dog like him. I’ve asked the Lord that very same question in prayer. Why would you care enough to take my broken spirit and hard heart, and melt it in the palm of your Hand? Why would you heal my stiff neck, bring life to my dry and brittle bones, giving me a new body - one that dances each day in the light of your healing grace and love? What have I ever done to deserve this grace?
The Lord invites all of us today to come and eat at His banquet table. He invites us to experience the joy of new life and true forgiveness. Like Mephibosheth, I was a dead dog, wallowing in the muck of sin. If our God can love me enough to pick me up, wash me off, reinvigorate my paralyzed and stiff body with His breath of His cleansing fire, He can do it for you too. Jesus knows how to resurrect a dead dog like you. Won’t you give Him your pain, once and for all?
Grace and peace,
Deb Spaulding
www.songofdeborah.com
Pray for: the Lord to resurrect the dead dog that lies within your hard heart today. Come and eat at the Master’s banquet table. I will save you a place at the altar!
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© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding
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