DCLM Daily Manna 8 April 2023 Devotional By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — Kindness Returned
TOPIC: Kindness Returned (DCLM Daily Manna 8 April 2023)
KEY VERSE: “And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually” (2 Samuel 9:7).
TEXT: 2 Samuel 9:1-13 (KJV)
1 And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?
2 And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he.
3 And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet.
4 And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar.
5 Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar.
6 Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant!
7 And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.
8 And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?
9 Then the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master’s son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house.
10 Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master’s son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master’s son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
11 Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king’s sons.
12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth.
13 So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king’s table; and was lame on both his feet.
MESSAGE:
As the American Civil War concluded, General Grant, the victorious Union Commander, showed great kindness and respect toward the chief general of the Confederates. He allowed General Robert E. Lee to ride freely in and out of the area. Grant gave them food because they were hungry and let them all go home undisturbed. Lee was permanently touched by Grant’s kindness. After the war, Lee became the president of Washington College in Virginia.
On one occasion, one of his fellow instructors began to speak poorly of Grant to Lee (assuming he would receive a sympathetic audience). Lee turned, looked the man straight in the eye, and said, “Sir, if you ever again presume to speak disrespectfully of General Grant in my presence, either you or I will sever his connection with this university”. Because General Lee had received such kindness from Grant, he treasured and protected his good name.
In this story, King David remembered the kindness of his late friend, Jonathan, Saul’s son. Jonathan once gave David his own armor, and protected him against the madness of his father who sought to kill him (1 Samuel 18:4). Now it was time to return that favor. David sent for Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son (who was lame), and made him eat with him at the king’s table. He also restored Saul’s estate to him.
One good turn deserves another.
The good we do for our fellow men today is an investment that we or our children will reap tomorrow. That is why we must be careful how we treat people who are weak and powerless today. If we treat them well, they will never forget our deeds. But whether they repay us or not the Scripture enjoins us to do good to all men, especially those of the household of faith.
The change we bring about in other people’s lives through our kindness will help convince others to come to Christ and be saved.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Our Master went about doing good and expects nothing less from us.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Acts 1-2
Deeper Life Daily Manna was written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.