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Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 (NLT)
Charles Swindoll once wrote, “Attitude is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do.” How we feel about ourselves and how we feel about God are the two main ingredients that determine if we will be happy with life or frustrated and living under the circumstances of our existence.
If we see God as being weak, apathetic or unconcerned about us, or if we see Him as being angry and vengeful towards us we will approach life in fear and hopelessness. If we see ourselves as worthless failures doomed because our past or present circumstances, life is full of despair and we don’t really believe God is who He says He is.
The Apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Romans that we need to avoid thinking the way the world thinks. People around us measure everything by what is seen, what can be held and what they see as important. Tradition, religious dogmas and society rules can affect our drive to succeed. Some will tell us that a certain type of music is wrong, or that we need to eat certain foods or act certain ways or go to certain churches and be involved in this religious act or that religious act. But who we are has nothing to do with what we have done, do or want to do.
God created each of us with talents and abilities that are unique to us. God, through His Holy Spirit, wants to change your way of thinking. He wants to help each of us see our potential through His eyes and not the eyes of people. The customs, behaviors and practices of people without Christ will lead us to lives which are empty and wanting more. A life built on realizing we are God’s special creations leads us to lives that are content and fulfilled regardless of our social or financial position.
Be free to be you! Don’t let the world tell you how you should be or what you should think. Believe God to be who He says He is; the Almighty, All-Powerful, All-Knowing, Loving God of the Universe.
As a Christ-follower, ask God change the way you think about yourself. Ask Him to let you see yourself as He sees you. Let His Spirit work through you so that the love of Jesus will be evident in your life to those around you.
You are a child of God! Don’t let the thoughts and actions of others keep you down. With the help of His Holy Spirit you can be empowered to change the world around you.
PRAYER: Holy God, I confess to you that there are many areas of my life where I allow other people to control how I feel about You and how I feel about myself. They use my past, my present and their own ideas to keep me from living the full, joyful life you have for me. I am made in your image O God! I am your Child! Empower me with Your Spirit to show Jesus’ love to those around me. Amen.
You prepare a feast for me, in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Psalm 23:5 (NLT)
Sometimes we feel completely overwhelmed with life. It seems like all of our enemies are crouching at our door, waiting for an opportune time to attack and conquer us. Enemies come in all shapes and sizes. Some are emotional enemies like worry, fear, our past sins, hidden sins and the fear of being found out or feeling like we are a failure and we will never be successful.
Sometimes those enemies are physical enemies such as illness, debt, abusive relationships or critics. Enemies can be consequences of poor decisions in the past. We know we are forgiven. We know God loves us, but we can’t shake the guilt. We can’t get past the realization of hindered and destroyed dreams. We are so imprisoned by ‘what could have been’ that we are fail to see ‘what could be’.
The Psalmist paints a beautiful picture for those of us hounded by emotional and physical enemies in our lives. In the midst of the battlefield, our Heavenly Father places a great feast and you are the guest of honor! The only way you can eat a feast in the midst of your enemies is if the person putting on the feast is stronger than all the enemies that surround you. It’s as if you are able to eat and celebrate in complete safety while your enemies sit just outside the door rendered completely helpless and unable to attack.
This is no small meal that God has prepared for you. This is a feast! Everything at a feast is for your pleasure and comfort. You have servants to wait on you and bring you what your heart desires. The atmosphere is festive and safe. Although there are problems just outside the door, they have no affect on you.
As guest of honor, the master himself anoints you with oil. Anointing of oil was done in the Psalmists day to honored guests. It was aromatic oil that smelled good and refreshed your soul after a hot dusty day.
During those times when the enemies lurking at your door seem ready to break the walls down; in those quiet moments when fear and worry are relentless in their pursuit of you, remember that even in the mist of trial and turmoil your Heavenly Father has the power and desire to provide for you.
Draw close to God during the fearful times. He is passionate in His desire for you as a passionate lover desires the one he loves. When you rely on Him for protection and wisdom the enemies lurking at the door will have no power over you.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father. I thank you for the picture I have in my mind right now. A picture of a table, a great feast where I sit in the midst of a huge celebration. Although there are enemies at my door I sit in peace and comfort knowing that you will protect me. The fragrant oil of your love relaxes me in your presence. Help me today to live as the guest of honor. No enemy can attack when you are near. I praise you for your love and protection. Amen.
One day David asked, “Is anyone in Saul’s family still alive—anyone to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 2 Samuel 9:1 (NLT)
The story of David and Mephibosheth is a beautiful picture of God’s grace to us. There was nothing the Mephibosheth did to draw David to himself. David probably didn’t even know Jonathan had a son, which is why he asked if anyone from Saul’s household was still alive. Had he known Jonathan had children he would have asked about Jonathan’s family.
There was nothing noble about his gesture to a ‘cripple’ either. Today we applaud people who reach out to those who are handicapped but in David’s day those people were often ignored completely or left to beg on the side of the road. David reached out to a helpless person just as God in His grace has reached out to us.
David’s action was based on a covenant he made with Jonathan. Mephibosheth had nothing to do with the transaction. In the same way, our relationship with God is based solely on what Jesus did on the cross. We are weak, helpless, stubborn people who live in sin. Yet Jesus reached out to us on the cross based on the covenant God made with Abraham and we can approach God because of Jesus. We did nothing to deserve a relationship with God and we can do nothing to maintain it.
It was by grace that Mephibosheth was given the highest place in David’s kingdom. In the same way, those of us who are Christ-followers are given the highest place of honor in God’s kingdom. We don’t deserve the many blessings we receive from Him. Yet, in spite of our unworthiness, He has elevated us to the position of sonship.
Mephibosheth saw himself as nothing more than a cripple, a dead dog, even though he was a member of royalty. His self-image kept him in a mindset of worthlessness even though he continued to live in comfort. Even though he had given up on life, God reached out to him by sending David to him and bless him far beyond what he could have imagined.
God wants to do the same for you. Even though you may have made many poor decisions or ignored God all together He seeks you to have a meaningful relationship with you. Don’t allow your weaknesses to keep you from living a life of power and love. Never give up. Mephibosheth lived for years thinking that what he had was the best that could be. God showed him differently and he ended up living in a palace and treated like a king.
PRAYER: Father God, I thank you for the grace you have given to me. Grace I don’t deserve. Grace I didn’t seek out. I acknowledge to you that the blessings I have received have nothing to do with who I am or what I have done. Everything I am; everything I have is a result of your grace. Help me to leave the negative thoughts of who I am behind. Empower me to see me as you see me, a son/daughter worthy of all your riches. In Jesus name, Amen.
Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?” 2 Samuel 9:8
For years David ran from King Saul, fearing for his life and waiting for God to make good on His promise to place David on the throne as Israel’s king. Finally, God’s promise came true and David was made King. Scripture gives accounts of David’s great victories over all of Israel’s enemies until there was peace throughout the land.
One day David sat with his advisors. Life was good. God was good. He no doubt was looking back over the years and thinking of how he’d finally gotten to where he was. Then a thought came to David. He missed his very best friend in the world, Jonathan, the son of Saul. Jonathan had been the bright spot in David’s years of running. He’d protected David, advised David and become his most trusted friend. But Jonathan had been killed in battle alongside his father, Saul.
David asked if there was anyone left from the house of Saul that he could show kindness to for the sake of his dear friend Jonathan. This wasn’t an odd question. Traditionally, when someone became King, the previous king’s family was wiped out to prevent any dissention. David was told of a son of Jonathan’s named Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth had been tragically hurt when Saul’s family fled after Saul’s death. As a result of his injuries, he was crippled for life. He lived for years in hiding from David in an obscure town.
You can imagine the fear that came over Mephibosheth when he saw David’s entourage coming down the road! All his hiding was for naught. Most likely, death was imminent. Hoping for mercy, he bowed down before David, referring to himself as a dead dog. He was, in his eyes, just a worthless cripple and of no value to anyone.
But David wasn’t there for revenge. He was there to show grace. He took Mephibosheth to the palace where he lived in luxury for the rest of his life!
Mephibosheth wasn’t taken to the palace because of anything he had done. He didn’t live in luxury because he deserved anything. David certainly wasn’t obligated, but societies standards, to show any kindness at all. It was only because of David’s friendship and covenant with Jonathan that Mephibosheth was shown any kindness at all.
There are times in each of our lives when we may feel like Mephibosheth. We see how we look in the mirror and see fat and ugly. We reflect on our past and see failure as a result of one poor decision after another. We doubt we are of any use of any value to anyone. But God sees us differently.
Because of Jesus we are welcomed into God’s family. We have the right, because of His forgiveness to live as kings. It doesn’t matter what physical or emotional deformities we have. Our past is of no concern to Him because He washed all those failures away at the cross.
Don’t look at yourself as a dead dog; as one that is of no value or worth to anyone. Because of Jesus you are a child of the King.
PRAYER: Father God, I thank you for the story of Mephibosheth and for the reminder that in your eyes I am not a failure but a beloved son. There are so many times when I find myself wishing I was better at this thing or that; so many times when my past mistakes come back to haunt me. Empower me by your Spirit to see myself the way you do and to live with the assurance of your love and acceptance even when others see me as a failure. Amen.
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19
The Bible tells us in many different places that if we come to God with our requests that He will hear us and answer our prayers. Jesus says that ‘if you have the faith of a mustard seed you can move mountains.’ We are taught that prayer is the most effective weapon we have in combating the issues of life that surround us.
The reality is that even for those of us that believe in Jesus Christ and strive to follow him throughout our entire lives, sometimes it seems like our prayers go unanswered. We pray for health issues and people die. We pray for safety and injuries happen. We pray for financial success and debt results.
Sometimes God withholds what we think we need because He has something better in store for us. We ask for things, even good things but don’t know the future. Our Heavenly Father loves us dearly and wants only the best for us. But He knows better than any father what is best for us. When we look back on our past we’ll be able to see that His way is truly best.
We may ask for physical things. Good things that will help us be comfortable and healthy; things that will help others or even bring others to Christ. But those things may keep us from relying on God for His provision.
God knows what things will make us stronger and wiser. He knows what lays ahead of us tomorrow. He has promised never ever to leave us. It’s a matter of faith. If God is who we say He is then we need to learn to rely on Him with the same faith and confidence whether the answer is yes or no to our prayers.
We are also promised that we will receive our needs dependent on His strength and His riches. Not on our own ability to provide. It’s easy when we are in distressing situations to think that our deliverance will somehow depend on our own strength or our own worthiness. But God’s word tells us that His promises to meet our needs are based on Jesus, not us.
As we grow closer to Him through reading the Bible and daily prayer He will meet our every need physically, spiritually and emotionally. We serve a God of grace, not one of vengeance and hate.
PRAYER; Father God, I confess to you that I am sometimes filled with doubt when I pray. I pray expecting that the answer will be ‘no’ or that you won’t answer at all. I get discouraged and start to doubt you when things I ask for don’t happen. Please forgive me for my lack of faith. Help me to grow closer to you each day and to believe will all my heart that you will meet my needs, not always my wants, because of who Jesus is. Thank you for your promise to help me through the most difficult times of life. Amen
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 