How To Enjoy God's Goodness

The news that trickles out of North Korea just keeps getting worse. Kim Jong-un, the young dictator, has not only executed his uncle, but has also and is still in the process of killing every known blood relative of the man, including women and children. This…in the 21st century. 

And there are those who say evil does not exist.

Contrast that with the story of David and Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel 9. If you have been reading with the plan that I put out (it’s in booklet form available at the church, and I also put it up on FaceBook and Tweet it every morning), you would have read this story this morning…or maybe later in the day.

But what a story!

Mephibosheth was the grandson of Saul, the man who did everything he could to kill David because of David’s popularity, and Saul’s perceived threat to his power. Sounds a lot like Kim Jong-un, doesn’t it.

After Saul dies and David becomes King, instead of killing blood relatives of the previous king (that was what all the other nations around them would have done), David sought to show kindness to Saul’s family, and particularly to his friend Jonathan’s family. He learned that Saul had a grandson (Jonathan’s son) who had been disabled due to an injury when his family was fleeing in the last major conflict. David brought the young man into his home, had him eat at his table at meal time, and considered him part of his own household. 

How do you enjoy that kind of grace? Because after all, that’s just what God has done for us. It was our sin that killed his son. But he has invited us to become a part of his household, to eat at his table, to enjoy everything that is his. What grace!

Here’s what to do with it...

• Appreciate it. Let God know how grateful you are…but let others know as well. How much more do you pay attention to words of appreciation for you when they are spoken to others about you. Do the same! Let others know how you appreciate God’s grace.
• Enjoy it. God is blessing you because he wants you to enjoy his blessings. Some want to feel guilty about their lives being blessed. God wants you to appreciate it, but he also wants you to enjoy it.
• Pass it on. After all, that’s what David was doing. God was kind to David, so he wanted to pass it along. If you truly are grateful for what you are blessed with, not only will you express that gratitude, you will share the blessing with others. And that, in turn, enables you to enjoy your blessings all the more.

How has God been kind to you? Are you regularly expressing gratitude to him and to others? Are you enjoying it or looking for things to bemoan? Are you passing that blessing on to others?