2 Samuel 9:7 (NKJV) 7 So David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.”
I have been using this space to talk about what I believe is the will of God for the year 2020. In Joel 2:25 God tells Israel that he will restore the years that have been stolen. I believe that God wants to restore things to both the church and individuals in the church that we may have lost.
We spent a great deal of time in Psalm 23 where God says he will restore our soul. Today I want to look at another thing God speaks of in terms of restoration. In this scripture, David tells Saul’s grandson Mephibosheth that he is going to restore to him all that was Saul’s. Saul had been the king of Israel. His wealth was very great. Saul had lost it all to David because he was a disobedient king from whom God removed his hand of anointing. The story of restoration found in the life of Mephibosheth is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful in the Bible. However, it also contains some principles of restoration that can be key to our faith that God will do for us what David did for Mephibosheth.
First, let me say something about wealth. It would be good if you could read my book, Divine Prosperity in Challenging Economic Times. It can be found by clicking on this link, searching Amazon for the book title or by searching my name. (If you do not find it, send me a personal message by commenting.) This book contains a balanced look at what God calls prosperity and its real purpose in the life of a believer.
One of the things the devil is always after is our resources. If the devil can stop the flow of resources to and through the church, there is much that becomes very difficult in preaching the Kingdom of God. Poverty is not a virtue from God. Matthew 5:3 says blessed are the poor in spirit not the poor in resources. That is because he who is poor in spirit understands his overriding need of God. He can and will walk in the power of the kingdom of Heaven. Physical poverty has always been a plague on man. I have seen slums in many parts of the world where people live in conditions that most of us could not imagine. People in poverty live in squalor, hunger and disease. Poverty breeds crime, prostitution, substance abuse and so much more. None of it is good. It is not God’s will for us to in poverty. It is also not God’s will for us to make the pursuit of riches our goal (1 Timothy 6:9-10.)
Maybe you find yourself in a time of lack due to bad choices. God can restore that. Maybe you did some things that were sinful. Repent! God can restore that. Maybe you have lost a job or endured some other set back over which you had no control. God can restore that! Put wealth and money in its proper place and believe that the Father loves you, knows your need and is willing to provide for you (Matthew 6:31-34.)
That brings us to the story of David and Mephibosheth. Saul lost all that he had because he went to war with David, God’s chosen king. He disobeyed the Lord and the prophet Samuel. God anointed David king while Saul was still on the throne, but David never tried to take it from him. Given two separate chances to kill Saul while Saul was pursuing him to take his life, David refused to act. He knew it was not his place to remove Saul. If David was going to be King, God was going to have to do it. Eventually Saul’s fear and hatred of David led to his complete destruction. David did not rejoice in that. He mourned the Saul that God had anointed even as he became the rightful King of Israel.
An important element of this story is the relationship between David and Saul’s son Jonathan. They so loved one another that they chose to become brothers by blood covenant. Covenant is one of the most powerful truths of the Bible. When David and Jonathan shed their blood by cutting covenant together, all that was David’s became Jonathon’s and all that was Jonathan’s became David’s. At the time this seemed to be very favorable to David, but Jonathan knew that David would be king. After the death of both Saul and Jonathan, David becomes king. When his rule is stabilized, he goes to his staff and asks an interesting question. “Isn’t there anyone in Jonathan’s family alive so that I may honor my covenant with him. The answer is yes. There is a son of Jonathan and grandson of Saul named Mephibosheth. David sends emissaries to find this young boy.
Mephibosheth was a child when Saul’s family had to flee. The person carrying him fell and as a result Mephibosheth was crippled. So, let me paint a picture of this boy and his condition. He was living in a place called Lo Debar. This name means no pasture. Mephibosheth was living in a place of no resources. He had nothing and the reason was that he was of a family who had tried to killed David. Very often all the family of the previous king would be destroyed so that his line could not rise and take back the throne. David’s actions are completely the opposite.
Keep in mind that Mephibosheth was crippled. He was living in hiding. David owed him nothing by natural standards. Mephibosheth was told that if David ever found him, he would be killed. Can you imagine what he thought when he saw Davids men coming? He assumed his life was over. However, he did not know about his father’s covenant with David. Instead of death, he finds that David has given him back all that his grandfather lost. He is taken to the king’s home and lives his life eating from the kings table. God restored what bad choices, sin and things out of his control had taken. With the restoration of his wealth, he also lived in the love of David.
What does this have to do with us. Our restoration, whether of wealth or anything else, is not based on our worthiness. It is not based on what we did in the past. We have a covenant with God. Our mistakes are none of the devil’s business. God, our Father, will deal with us in his love. His restoration is based on the fact that we have a covenant with him in Christ Jesus.
There is a balance to be understood where wealth is concerned, however, it is God’s will that we walk in blessing and, yes, prosperity. Godly prosperity must begin with prosperity of our soul (3 John.) It extends to our resources because of two truths. God is a loving Father who will give his best to his children and God has instructed us to preach the gospel. Money and wealth are not the most important things when it comes to extending God’s kingdom, but I can tell you by experience they are often necessary.
Have you lost wealth due to foolishness? Have you lost wealth because of sin? Have you lost wealth because of things you could not control? Has the devil stolen from you what God intended you to have? Do you feel like a cripple when it comes to the lack of resources in your life? None of that matters. Poverty is not a blessing; it is a curse. You can find that throughout the Bible beginning in Genesis chapters 1 and 2. At the very beginning of man’s history, God gave him dominion over the earth and said everything he had created was there to meet the needs of his family.
You have a covenant far more powerful than Mephibosheth’s. Your covenant is based in the blood of Jesus. If you have seen your resources taken away, I believe you can rise up in faith with no shame and declare, “God will restore to me all that has been eaten away by life and the devil. I receive the restoration of my wealth in the name of Jesus.” The next thing I would do is give. That sets something in motion that the devil cannot stop.
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