Live a Life of Difference

Every person who is a follower of Christ is called to live a life of contrast because normal isn't working for them. When God has so much more for us, who wants to be normal when there is so much more? Only when our lives are worth something will anyone be interested in what we have to say about Jesus Each of us has a unique job and a unique life to live. The throne of God is filled with grace, and so is God's presence, which is filled with grace.

Everybody hides their flaws in this world. There is a lot of competition in the world we live in, and it's very competitive. We do whatever it takes to move forward. We walk over anyone who stands in our way so we can get the job. In order to defeat our political enemies, we write articles and make memes. As a group, we show no compassion for one another at all.

But God's kingdom is all about grace and forgiving other people. When you look at David's life, you see how God's grace can change a person's way of living. David was still in the beginning stages of being King. And just like many modern kings and presidents, he was taking care of some of the things he had to do when he took over. You should go into the King or president's office and change everything you didn't like about him or her. That was not David's way. He used a lot of grace. He had brought back the most important piece of national history, the ark of the covenant, to Jerusalem. Afterward, he killed the giant, but he didn't kill their King. In every way, he was better than Saul. When Saul did what he did, he did it right. Grace comes from David's throne room.

David asked one day, "Is anyone in Saul's family still alive? Is there anyone I can show kindness to for Jonathan's sake?" Ziba, who had been one of Saul's servants, came to meet him.

"Are you Ziba? Is that you?"

'Yes, sir, I am,' Ziba said. Then the King asked him, "Is anyone still alive from Saul's family? If so, I want to show God's kindness to them.'" Ziba said that.

One of Jonathan's children is still alive, but he can't walk on both feet. Ziba told the King: "Yes, one of Jonathan's sons is still alive. He can't walk on both feet" (From 2 Samuel 9:1-4)

People in the Story of David

The first person is Saul. He was chosen to be the first King of Israel, and he was very happy about it. Great things were going to happen for him. There were two big flaws in Saul, both of which were pride and jealousy. Over time, his pride and jealousy took over, and he started going to fortune-tellers instead of going to God for help. God's spirit left Saul at this time, and God chose the teenage shepherd boy David to be the next King.

In the end, Saul tried to kill David because he was jealous of how much David liked him. In the end, Saul died on the battlefield, which was a sad end for someone who started out with so much promise.

It's time to learn about Jonathan. Johnathan was the firstborn son of Saul, so he was in line to become the next King. When David did this, they became best friends. Johnathan found out about his father's plan to kill David so that he could become King. He went to tell David, even though he knew that would mean he would never be King.

"At the end, Jonathan told David, "Go in peace, for we have vowed to be loyal to each other in the name of the Lord. The Lord is the witness of a bond between us and our children that will never be broken" (1 Samuel 20:24)

They would never see each other alive again. Saul and Johnathan would both die in battle soon after.

Mephibosheth is our third and last character. When you start off with a bad name like Mephibosheth, things don't get any better. Son of Johnathan and great-grandson of King Saul. He became King when King Saul and Prince Johnathan died. Mephibosheth was the next person in line to be King after them. Neither Mephibosheth, nor anyone else, was interested in it. This is how it worked: He had an issue with his spine and couldn't move his body. People didn't like him as King back then, so he ran away and hid. In the Bible, Mephibosheth went to the town of Lo-debar, which means "Nothing." He was in hiding because people would see him as a threat to David's new throne as long as he lived. One day, the King's guards came over to Mephibosheth and found him.

David brought Mephibosheth into his throne room, where a large crowd of people stood on either side of him. Mephibosheth was killed in front of them.

Mephibosheth came to David, and he bowed to the ground in deep respect. David said, "Greetings, Mephibosheth.' Mephibosheth replied, "I am your servant." 'Don't be afraid!' David said. 'I will give you all the property that once belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will eat here with me at the King's table!'

Mephibosheth bowed and said, "Who is your servant that you should show such kindness to a dead dog like me? Who are you?"

It was at this point that the King called Saul's servant Ziba. He told Ziba, "Your master's grandson has all the things that belonged to Saul's family." Ziba and his family should work the land for him to grow food for his master's family.

If you want, your master's grandson, Mephibosheth, can come and eat at my table (Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

Ziba said, "Yes, my lord the king; I am your servant, and I will do all that you have asked me to do." Mephibosheth ate at David's table every day, "like one of the King's own sons" (2 Samuel 9:6-11)

Unlike the rest of society, David didn't want to kill Mephibosheth because he thought he was a threat to the throne. Instead, he made him an honorary member of the family and let him eat at his table. This story is full of grace in a time when grace was hard to come by.

We can learn from this story.

In this story, there are two groups of people and two apps. Which group are you in? Which app has your name on?

Group 1: People who run from God.

Mephibosheth ran from God because he was afraid and ashamed because of his family and disability. You can run, but you can't hide forever. Check out how Jesus says he will chase us down:

"I came to find and save those who were lost" (Luke 19:10)

Because of our sin, we are separated from God. But Jesus gave his life for us so that we could be made whole and eat at the King's table. We can say YES to Jesus today. Jesus wants you to come to HIM and eat with him.

Those in the second group look for people who are running from God.

David was a man who looked for God. He looked for Mephibosheth, a man who was running and trying to hide from God, and tried to get him.

We share good news when we have it. This group of people has already received the grace of King Jesus. They want to help people find their way back to God because they have found their way back to God. So, when we have good news, we share it.

All of us need to receive God's grace. All of us need to share God's grace with other people. This world needs all of God's grace it can find!

This is a good day to be a runner. Which group are you in?

Neither group is true for me. I have run away from God and tried to hide from God, but he found me and covered my life with grace. Now I try to find those who are hiding from God and help them.