Christian Devotional – September 4, 2020

Always Second – #18

Remembering Jonathan. David has been king now for a little while and yet he still remembers the amazing commitment that Jonathan had to him. He wants to honor that. Read 2 Samuel 9:1-13.

Then David said, “Is there yet anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David; and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, ” I am your servant.” The king said, “Is there not yet anyone of the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?” And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who is crippled in both feet.” So the king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel in Lo-debar.” Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar. Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and prostrated himself. And David said, “Mephibosheth.” And he said, “Here is your servant!” David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show kindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul; and you shall eat at my table regularly.” Again he prostrated himself and said, “What is your servant, that you should regard a dead dog like me?” Then the king called Saul’s servant Ziba and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. You and your sons and your servants shall cultivate the land for him, and you shall bring in the produce so that your master’s grandson may have food; nevertheless Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall eat at my table regularly.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my Lord the king commands his servant so your servant will do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table as one of the king’s sons. Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. And all who lived in the house of Ziba were servants to Mephibosheth. So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate at the king’s table regularly. Now he was lame in both feet.
2 Samuel 9:1‭-‬13 NASB
https://bible.com/bible/100/2sa.9.1-13.NASB

Jonathan had made such an impact on the life of David that David wanted to continue that impact in some way. As a result, he found that Jonathan had a son who was still living. David took Jonathan’s son and basically made him part of his family. He honored Jonathan’s memory by honoring a member of Jonathan’s family.

When we are following God and are committed to him and obeying him, even if we’re not number one, God recognizes what we have done and often chooses to honor us. Plus, the lives of the people that we have impacted are never the same. David was never the same because of the way Jonathan treated him and as a result David wanted to honor Jonathan.

We may never find ourselves in a position that we expected to. We may never find ourselves being the number one. But that doesn’t change the impact that we can have on the people around us. Will we become caught up in levels and recognition like the world or will we be like Jonathan and seek to be obedient to Christ even while being always second.