“Mephibosheth bowed respectfully and exclaimed, ‘Who is your servant, that you should show such kindness to a dead dog like me?’” (2 Samuel 9:8 NLT)

It would be an understatement to say David had a complicated relationship with King Saul and his family. David was the anointed successor to Saul. As far as Saul was concerned, that made David his enemy. In fact, he tried to kill David several times.

Yet David married Saul’s daughter Michal. And Saul’s son Jonathan was David’s best friend. Jonathan tried to intervene on David’s behalf with his father. But when he realized how deeply Saul hated David, Jonathan urged his friend to flee.

But before the two friends parted, Jonathan asked David to show kindness to his descendants when David became king. Some time later, Jonathan died with his father on a battlefield.

History teaches us that the first thing many people do when they rise to power is eliminate any potential rivals. But David chose a different approach. It’s not that he was unaware of the political landscape. Saul and Jonathan may have been dead, but Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth was still alive. He might have challenged David for the throne of Israel.

Keep in mind, too, that Mephibosheth was Saul’s grandson. David could have gotten a little payback by making him run for his life the way Saul made David run for his life. Instead, he invited Mephibosheth to his palace.

“Don’t be afraid!” David said. “I intend to show kindness to you because of my promise to your father, Jonathan. 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!” (2 Samuel 9:7 NLT).

This wasn’t an empty promise. Four verses later, we find these words: “And from that time on, Mephibosheth ate regularly at David’s table, like one of the king’s own sons” (nlt).

David was part of the most exclusive genealogy in human history—the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Yet his attitude was inclusive. He showed loving generosity to someone who had done nothing to earn it. He showed grace to someone who might otherwise have been his enemy.

And in this story, we find a beautiful picture of God and His mercy. Mephibosheth had nothing. He deserved nothing. He could repay nothing. In fact, he was hiding from the king. That’s us. We have nothing to offer God. We’ve done nothing to deserve His favor or forgiveness. Sometimes we even try to hide from Him.

And what does He do? He seeks us out. He adopts us and invites us to eat at His table. He makes us part of His royal family. This is the relationship God wants with you.

That’s why it’s essential that you get to know Him for yourself. He loves you. He has a plan for your life that’s better than your plan for yourself. But you need to come to Him. Mephibosheth could have refused David’s offer. He might have said, “I’m not going to that palace. I’m not going to sit at his table. I don’t want any of it. I want to stay here in Lo-Debar and watch the tumbleweeds blow by.” Instead, he made a wise decision that changed his life. You can do the same, right now, simply by embracing what the Lord is offering you. Your life will never be the same.

Reflection question: How has God shown mercy to you?

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