God’s heart is to seek out and show kindness to those who have been wounded, overlooked, or left behind, just as David sought Mephibosheth. No matter how broken or forgotten you may feel, God is actively working behind the scenes to restore what was lost and to bring you into a place of honor and belonging. Even when you feel unworthy or crippled by your past, God’s grace is not based on your merit but on His covenant love. He calls you to His table, covers your shame, and provides for you in ways you never imagined. [32:05]
2 Samuel 9:1-7 (NIV)
David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba. They summoned him to appear before David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” “At your service,” he replied. The king asked, “Is there no one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?” Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is lame in both feet.” “Where is he?” the king asked. Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.” So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel. When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor. David said, “Mephibosheth!” “At your service,” he replied. “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”
Reflection: Where in your life do you feel crippled or unworthy, and how might God be inviting you to receive His kindness and restoration today?
When life feels out of control and you are caught in cycles you cannot break, Jesus steps into your situation with authority and compassion. Just as He delivered the boy tormented by destructive forces, Jesus is able to call out and remove the things that have held you captive for years. No matter how long you have struggled or how many times you have failed, Jesus’ power is greater than your bondage, and He desires to set you free and restore you to wholeness. [34:27]
Mark 9:17-27 (NIV)
A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.” “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you feel stuck in a cycle or powerless—will you bring it honestly to Jesus and ask Him to break its hold today?
Too often, we allow the words and judgments of others—or even our own inner voices—to define our worth and our future. Like Mephibosheth, we may come to believe we are “a dead dog,” unworthy of love or blessing, but God’s truth is that we are chosen, beloved, and destined for honor because of who our Father is. God cancels every word spoken against you and invites you to reject the labels of shame, failure, or limitation, and instead embrace your true identity in Him. [47:42]
Deuteronomy 28:13 (NIV)
The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.
Reflection: What negative label or lie have you believed about yourself, and how can you replace it with God’s truth about your identity today?
When you feel too weak, broken, or incapable to fulfill the dreams or responsibilities before you, God promises to be your strength. He does not expect you to do it all on your own; instead, He surrounds you with the right people and resources, and He carries you when you cannot walk. Your limitations do not disqualify you from God’s calling—in fact, they are the very places where His power and provision are most clearly seen. [52:21]
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV)
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Reflection: Where do you feel most inadequate or overwhelmed, and how can you invite God’s strength and the help of others into that area today?
No matter how long you have suffered, how deep your wounds, or how hopeless your situation seems, Jesus offers you freedom and restoration. He calls you to name and confront the things that have held you captive, to stop running or hiding, and to believe that He has a plan and a purpose for your life. In Christ, your shame is covered, your place at the table is secure, and you are seated among royalty—not because of what you have done, but because of who your Father is. [01:02:48]
Ephesians 2:4-7 (NIV)
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
Reflection: What is one area of bondage, shame, or hopelessness you need to name before God today, trusting Him to bring freedom and restore you to your place at His table?
Today, we gathered around the stories of Mephibosheth and the afflicted boy in Mark 9, two lives marked by brokenness, cycles of pain, and the feeling of being trapped by circumstances beyond their control. Many of us can relate to these stories—wrestling with wounds from our past, burdens we did not choose, or labels others have placed on us. Sometimes, we find ourselves in a place like Lodabah—a place of no communication, where it feels as though God is silent and our cries go unheard. Yet, even in these silent seasons, God is at work behind the scenes, orchestrating conversations and plans for our restoration.
Mephibosheth’s story is a powerful reminder that our identity is not defined by our brokenness or by what others say about us. Though he was crippled and living in obscurity, the king sought him out, not because of anything he had done, but because of a covenant made with his father. In the same way, God’s grace pursues us—not because we are worthy, but because of who our Father is. The world may remember our failures, but God remembers His promises.
We also reflected on the pain of being dropped—by people who should have cared for us, by circumstances that left us wounded. Many walk through life appearing whole, but are crippled inside, carrying shame, regret, or the weight of generational struggles. Yet, the invitation remains: come to Jesus, not with pretense, but with honesty about our need. He is not repelled by our weakness; rather, He meets us in it, lifts us up, and seats us at His table.
There is a call to reject the lies spoken over us—the “dead dog” mentality that says we are unworthy, incapable, or destined to repeat the failures of those before us. In Christ, we are given a new inheritance, a new seat at the table, and the promise that our past does not dictate our future. Even when we feel unable to walk, God carries us. Even when we feel alone, He is working for our good. Restoration is possible, not because of our strength, but because of His faithfulness.
2 Samuel 9:1-13 (NIV) — David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” ... (Read the full passage: 2 Samuel 9:1-13)
Mark 9:14-27 (NIV) — When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them... (Read the full passage: Mark 9:14-27)
But it's time today that you encountered Jesus for yourself because when he walks into the situation the testimony of the father is this I went to others and they couldn't help maybe it's time you try Jesus for yourself maybe it's time you come to him with humility and openness and say Lord I'm broken I don't know what to do I don't know where to go all I know is I need you. [00:43:40] (31 seconds) #AliveButDeadInside
``But the most distressing part of the story is not that it happened, that he was dropped and that he was crippled, is not that other people were speaking badly about him, but the tragedy is, he believed it. Because when the opportunity comes, when the salvation comes, when the mercy and the grace comes, his response is, a dead dog like me? Who told you you were a dead dog? Now I'm challenging something here today. I know we're talking about Mephibosheth, and I'm not going to say your name, because it's not my place to stand here and tell your stories, but I'm challenging something today. Who told you you were a dead dog? Who told you you were a good for nothing? I'm asking you a question here today, church. Who told you you couldn't? Who told you you would be the bottom and not the top? Who told you you would be the tail and not the head? Because in Jesus' name, I cancel every word that was spoken against you, because his word says you will be the head and not the tail, the top and not the bottom. [00:47:45] (68 seconds) #ComeAsYouAreGrace
It's the scheme of Satan to make you think that it is beyond your control to make you think that life is happening and there's nothing you can do about it to make you think I've got the cancer and there's nothing I can do about it to make you think I've got this poverty and there's nothing I can do about it to make you think my father was a drunk my grandfather was a drunk there's nothing I can do about it and divorce runs in my family and everybody says this situation is as good as dead but God is resurrection and life and he walks in and he says I don't want you to believe the lie that there is situation that there is a problem that there is a circumstance that is beyond your control there is something you can do come to Jesus come to Jesus. [00:50:18] (50 seconds) #NewSeasonOfHope
What an encouragement that even when we can't walk even when we are not able even when we don't have the strength God still says I will carry you I don't think God God help me God help me for every person who came crawling to church today for every person who had to struggle and grit your teeth just to get out of bed today for every person who sat here and raised your hands but felt unworthy on the inside God says in your weakness I'll be your strength and when you can't do it I'll carry you on my own if I have to. [00:51:18] (40 seconds) #BreakTheChainsOfDestiny
And I know because of the pain that sometimes we just have to make ourselves numb otherwise how else would we function we just have to lock it away because if I really think about it and if I really want to face it I'd fall on the floor crying and never wake up I'd never leave my house Jesus looks at this boy and he doesn't speak abstractly about this he identifies the spirit behind what is going on and boldly I know there's a fire I know there's a water but I call you you spirit of dumbness and deafness and in the name of Jesus I call you to go. [00:57:19] (56 seconds) #DivineSupportNetwork
And what a wonderful story. That for this boy and for Mephibosheth. Can you picture Mephibosheth? I know your eyes are closed, so it might be easier to imagine this. Yesterday, he was that cripple in Lodaba. Tonight he's having supper with the king. And can you imagine his chair being pushed up against the table? Just yesterday, I was that no good cripple. But now when I look to my right, there's Absalom. And when I look to my left, there's Solomon. And I'm seated with royalty here today. And when I'm tempted to feel like I don't belong here, what if they see my weaknesses? I look down and I see that my legs are pushed up against the table. My sins have been covered. Amen. My shame has been covered. Amen. [00:59:49] (67 seconds) #CallOutTheDarkness
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