Jim Gallagher

2 Samuel 9:8

“Then he bowed himself, and said,’What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I.”

Years ago I heard the phrase, “There are three of you: the you you think you are, the you others think you are, and the you God knows you are.” I think this is fitting as it relates to Mephibosheth. He was a young man who had a difficult life that caused him to devalue himself greatly.

Mephibosheth was the son of Prince Jonathan, and had Saul’s dynasty continued, he would have been in line to be king.   Sadly, because of his grandfather’s disobedience, and the rebellion of his uncle, Ishbosheth, Mephibosheth became a fugitive. He was a child when Ishbosheth took the throne, and was forced to flee in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, under the cloak of darkness, he fell and injured himself. From that point on, he was crippled in his feet. Living as the handicapped grandson of a fallen king, caused Mephibosheth to put a pretty low price tag on his life. By his own admission, he considered himself to be like a “dead dog.” David had another view of Mephibosheth. David looked at him, not as a cripple, but as the son of Johnathan, and treated him as the prince he believed him to be. Mephibosheth was adopted into King David’s family, ate at the king’s table, and was given the wealth and property that once belonged to Saul.

Often, we look at ourselves through the lens of weakness or personal failure. We consider ourselves to be of little worth because of our bad decisions, or the way others have treated us. It is important that our value system be based, not upon accomplishment or the expression of others, but that we see ourselves as God does. To Him, we are of infinite value. He bought us with the blood of His only Son, adopted us into His family, and has given us the riches of Christ.

The kindness of David would forever change the way Mephibosheth viewed himself. The kindness of God should cause us to no longer sell ourselves cheaply. We matter to God and we should seek to live like it.

Pastor Jim