The Lessons of Lo Debar 6/5/22

The Lessons of Lo Debar - 2 Samuel 9
Lo Debar is not a person but a place. The name means, “not having”, “no pasture” or the “land of nothing.” It was a town of misfits and forgotten people. Lo Debar is first mentioned in connection with Mephibosheth, the only surviving son of Jonathan, son of King Saul (2 Samuel 9:4).
A Lesson of Perception - Mephibosheth’s injury and difficult circumstance were no fault of his own. He was dropped by someone entrusted with his care (2 Samuel 4:4).
Do you give people the benefit of the doubt? When you have the opportunity do you choose to believe something good about someone quicker than you choose to believe something bad?
1 Corinthians 13:7 - “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
A Lesson of Commitment - David remembered the covenant he made with his close friend Jonathan. They both had vowed to take care of each other's family if something happened to one of them (1 Samuel 18:1-4).
God always keeps His promises. Do you keep your promises? Do you keep your word?
Ecclesiastes 5:2 - “Don’t make rash promises, and don’t be hasty in bringing matters before God. After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So let your words be few.”
A Lesson of Kindness - In 2 Samuel 9:1, David wanted to show kindness in Jonathan’s honor. He inquired if there was still anyone left alive in Saul's family.
Kindness is not an emotion or feeling but a choice. When have you experienced the kindness of another person?
“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy” (Titus 3:4-5).
A Lesson of Grace - David found Mephibosheth and showed him great kindness and the highest of honors when he gave him his grandfather’s land and a place at the king’s table. The story ends with 2 Samuel 9:13: “And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table.”
What do you think of when you hear the expression “God’s grace”? Do you think of God’s “unmerited favor” toward us? Does, “for by grace are you saved,” come to mind? How can we show grace to others?
“But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4-5).