May 27

Morning

So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table, and he was lame in both feet. — 2 Sam 9:13 BSB

Mephibosheth wasn’t exactly a showpiece for a royal banquet, yet he always had a seat at David’s table. Why? Because the king saw the features of his beloved friend Jonathan in Mephibosheth’s face. Similarly, we might cry out to the King of Glory, “What am I, that You should care for someone as worthless as me?” Yet, the Lord brings us into close fellowship with Himself because He sees in us the likeness of His dearly beloved Son, Jesus.

We, God’s people, are precious to Him because of another—because of Jesus. The Father’s love for His only Son is so great that, for His sake, He lifts us up from our lowly state and brings us into His royal court, giving us the highest privileges and blessings. Our flaws and failings do not exclude us from this honor. Being “lame,” spiritually speaking, does not disqualify us from being heirs. Our status as children of God doesn’t limp, even though our strength may falter.

A king’s table is a wonderful place to hide those weaknesses! In the gospel feast, we can boast in our weaknesses because Christ’s power rests on us. But it’s true that deformities, spiritual or otherwise, can sometimes keep even the most beloved saints from experiencing all they could. Mephibosheth, though he feasted with David, was too lame to flee with the king when trouble came, and as a result, he was slandered and mistreated by his servant. Weak faith and limited knowledge can cause believers to miss out on blessings and leave them vulnerable to enemies.

Often, these weaknesses come from spiritual “falls.” Poor care during their early spiritual life can cause new believers to sink into discouragement that’s hard to recover from, and sometimes sin leaves deep scars. Lord, help the lame to leap like a deer, and may all Your people be satisfied with the bread from Your table!

Evening

Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog like me?” — 2 Sam 9:8 BSB

If Mephibosheth was so humbled by David’s kindness, how much more should we be in the presence of our gracious Lord? The more grace we receive, the less we think of ourselves, because grace, like light, reveals our impurities. The greatest saints have struggled to describe how lowly they feel, their sense of unworthiness is so intense. The holy Rutherford once said, “I am a dry, withered branch, a dead carcass, dry bones, unable to step over a straw.” In another place, he wrote, “Except for outward sins, I am no different from Judas or Cain.”

Humbled Christians often feel lower than even the most worthless things in nature, for at least those things have never sinned. A dog may be greedy, fierce, or filthy, but it has no conscience to violate, no Holy Spirit to resist. A dog, though a lowly creature, can be easily won over with a bit of kindness and will remain loyal to its master until death. But we, even after experiencing the goodness of the Lord, are prone to forget Him and fail to follow His call.

The term “dead dog” is one of the most contemptuous expressions, yet it’s not too strong to convey the genuine self-abasement of believers who have been instructed in their sinfulness. They don’t engage in false humility—they mean every word. They have weighed themselves in God’s balance and found their hearts to be vain. At best, we are merely clay—animated dust. But as sinners, we are truly wretched!

Let it be a marvel in heaven that Jesus would set His heart on such unworthy creatures as us. Even though we are dust and ashes, we will glorify His exceeding grace. Could His heart find no rest in heaven? Did He really choose to come to this world and make a bride out of someone so unlovely? O heaven and earth, break forth in song, and give all glory to our sweet Lord Jesus!