After a stormy night, winter has paid a return visit. The temperature is only 39, and not supposed to rise above the low 40s today. It is cloudy this morning, dampish, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see a few snowflakes. Maybe this is the last little excursion winter will take into spring. Let’s hope so.
Hope–that small word that keeps us going when times are rough. Yesterday’s Sunday School lesson was based on the premise that we are never beyond hope. Scripture was from 2 Samuel 9, the story of David and Mephibosheth. Because of David’s kindness to this crippled grandson of King Saul, Mephibosheth had hope, perhaps for the first time in his life. Mephibosheth probably saw himself as a useless person, below the notice of King David, but David saw someone else. He remembered his dear friend Jonathan, Mephibosheth’s father. Jonathan was dead; David could no longer help Jonathan in any way, but he could help Jonathan’s son. So, Mephibosheth, who may have lived a hopeless life, now suddenly had a reason to hope and rejoice and try to see himself as David saw him. He sat at the king’s table, his grandfather’s lands were restored to him, and he became a part of David’s family.
At times, we have all felt somewhat as Mephibosheth must have felt before he was rescued by a king. Mephibosheth was crippled and suffered because his nurse dropped him while fleeing for their lives. I’m sure she didn’t mean to drop him, but she did and the result left him maimed. We suffer too, perhaps because of an accident, or the actions of others, or our own actions and decisions. But we, like Mephibosheth, are restored to hope and a new life because of the great love and compassion of Jesus.
Whatever the weather is where you are, whatever the problems or challenges you face today, take hope along with you. God knows all our mistakes, heartaches, regrets, and worries, but for the sake of His Son Jesus, He restores us to the position of an heir at the table of a king. With Jesus, no day is ever too dark or too cold or too empty. He gives us hope.
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