Brokenness 1

2 Samuel 4:4

My family and I are not from the area where we currently live and do ministry. Where we are is a great place for our children – a safe place and a place where they can excel at their talents. But before we left our home town we had to consider what effect our move would have. The actions we were planning to take would have an impact on our children.

Today’s passage is a brief aside in the story presented in 2 Samuel. What do we know about Jonathan’s son? When was he injured? How was he injured? What was his name?

The saga of Saul and his family continues in 2 Samuel. There is still conflict between David and those who are of the household of Saul. And the actions of Baanah and Recab, two men working under Saul’s son, read like something out of “The Godfather” (see 2 Samuel 4:5-12).

In the midst of this account of turmoil and bloodshed we have a very short statement about Jonathan’s son, grandson of Saul. The five-year-old boy, Mephibosheth, is in the care of a nurse. When news of the deaths of his father and grandfather reaches the household the nurse gathers up the boy to flee. But in the haste and panic Mephibosheth is dropped.

We might assume that the fall fractured his ankles or lowers legs causing permanent damage. He is described as being lame in both feet, but there is no indication that the injury prevents him from walking at all.

What has caused this permanent injury to Mephibosheth? He was injured because his caretaker felt the need to escape as quickly as possible. There was panic and haste, and ultimately a careless action caused a lifetime of damage.

We can cast blame on the nurse for Mephibosheth’s injury, but we can also look to Saul. If it weren’t for the actions Saul had taken, if it weren’t for the conflict between the household of Saul and the household of David, the nurse would not have seen the need to flee.

We also can get caught up in our own dramas, our own desires, our own stories. When we do we can overlook the fact that others are impacted by our actions. The decisions we make can sometimes cause pain and suffering for others.

We need to prayerfully consider our decisions and our behaviors so as not to cause pain in the lives of those whom we love.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What decisions are you faced with? Who will be affected by them?

David 5

1 Samuel 24:8-12

I have had my share of adversaries in my life. Just like everyone else, there is always someone who, for some reason or another, doesn’t like me or seems to “have it in for me.” And, I must confess, some of these conflicts have stirred a fait amount of anger in me.

But, I have found that when I encounter the other person in the presence of their own family – children, siblings, parents – I come to realize that they are not entities which exist in a void, but they are people like me. That makes it a little easier to forgive and forget.

Saul has been pursuing David. While searching for him, Saul enters a cave where David is hiding but does not see him. David has the opportunity to kill this adversary, but instead cuts away a piece of cloth from Saul’s robe.

How does David greet Saul? What does David want to know from Saul? How does David prove he is not out to harm Saul? What is David’s final vow?

If any man had the right and plenty of reasons to kill another, David did. Close reading of the many chapters detailing Saul’s relationship with David indicates that this king is mentally and emotionally unbalanced, excessively jealous, and apparently unable to see reason.

David has had a great deal of torment from King Saul. Beginning in 1 Samuel 18 Saul has sought ways to kill David, and twice tried to “pin him to the wall” with a spear. Because of this animosity and jealousy David has had to live in exile and in hiding. Yet, when an opportunity to end the conflict comes, David refuses to do harm to Saul. (David spares him again in 1 Samuel 26:9.)

David has every reason to kill Saul but he will not because he respects the man, even though Saul does not deserve respect. David recognizes that, although Saul has been rejected by God, there was a time when Saul was chosen by God (see 1 Samuel 10:1).

We may be in conflict with others. We may be angry with other people, and there may in fact be those who intend us harm. But we must remember that even our enemies are children of God. Even those who will do us harm or torment us with words are loved by God.

As difficult as it may be to love our enemies, it might be easier when we remember that they are part of the family of God. If God can love them, perhaps we can too.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Pray for your enemies.

David 3

1 Samuel 18:1-4

While working at a local newspaper, each editor was assigned a certain number of pages that were that editor’s responsibility. Yet, no page ever went to press until at least two editors had signed off on the sheet. It was common for us to say, “I need another pair of eyes.”

Having a companion in the work, a different perspective, was very beneficial in avoiding mistakes and establishing confidence that we were doing a good job.

In today’s passage we see the beginning of a relationship between King Saul’s son, Jonathan, and David – a relationship which will last a long time. How does Jonathan feel toward David? According to verse 3 what does Jonathan do? What does Jonathan give to David?

David, champion against Goliath and the one who was anointed to be the future king, is taken in by the royal family. But David is not alone. The king’s son has established a bond with this young hero and pledges to be faithful to him.

As a sign of this pledge, Jonathan offers his robe, tunic, sword, bow, even his belt. He gives all of these devices, items of protection, to his friend. It is a sign of trust that there will be no barrier between the two.

David now has a loyal friend who will help him in all the ordeals that he will face. (You can read about all of these in 1 Samuel 19 and 20.) And we see similar pledges in 1 Samuel 20:14-15 and 1 Samuel 20:42.

As we go through life it is important to find someone you can trust, someone you can turn to for good advice, someone you can count on for a fresh perspective on certain situations. Most people can find another person to be a companion, one who can be relied upon. These friends can be a true help in times of trouble or doubt.

But if you feel there is no one you can truly trust enough with your problems, you need to remember that you have a friend who can be counted on. Jesus loves you as himself. I believe that each of us can turn to Christ in times of doubt or uncertainty and that Jesus will respond. We may not be able to see his face or touch his hand as we can with mortals, but he is just as real as any person in your life.

It is good to value relationships, to tend them and have them grow. But we must never overlook the companion and friend who is also our Savior. Go to Jesus in prayer whenever troubles confront you and he will be your companion though it all.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Is there something in your life that requires the presence of Jesus for your comfort and confidence?

David 2

1 Samuel 17:45-49

Young David had been brought into the service of King Saul (1 Samuel 16:18-23) and the Israelites are at war with the Philistines. The Philistines have a champion, Goliath, a giant among men who mocks the Israelites daily and challenges them to fight. Only David, a shepherd skilled at defending the sheep from lions and bears, is willing to face the giant. And David has only a sling and some stones.

Why is David confident? What will be the result of David’s victory? What does David do?

Most people are familiar with this conflict between the giant and the little shepherd boy. The story is not only an inspiration for those facing insurmountable odds, but it also is a reminder of the faith and confidence we should all have in life.

David relied on the skills he had learned and honed while tending sheep. There were times when wild animals – lions and bears – would try to steal the sheep, but David would kill the animal and save the flock.

Each of us faces challenges in our lives at one time or another. We may feel that tasks in our job require an effort beyond our capabilities. We may struggle with relationships with other people, relationships that make us feel insignificant or threatened. We may feel that our faith is under attack, that events and situations bring up questions and doubts in our hearts.

Whenever we feel that we are not up to the task at hand – whether at work, in dealing with others, or in holding firm in our faith – we must remember David. He took the simple skills he knew and put them to use for a greater good. He armed himself with faith in God, with an unshakable confidence in the Lord’s power. This gave him the ability to overcome his enemy and do the impossible.

Each of us has skills in something. We may look at those skills as something powerful or as something weak. But that skill can be made into something wonderful if it is employed for God.

And we must add faith in God as part of our attitude when facing challenges. We are given confidence of overcoming all obstacles if we can completely believe that God is with us and that He will assist us in what we do. With the Lord on our side we can overcome any giant that stands against us.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What is your biggest challenge? What skills can you hand over to God so that He might help you overcome the challenge?