2 Samuel 9:13 "And Mephibosheth, who was crippled in both feet, lived in Jerusalem and ate regularly at the king's table."
I come across many stories of members in my church who heard about all that God was doing at Praise Chapel and wanted to come visit. They heard about a family moving from across the country to start a new church in their home and how God was bringing the growth. As they come into the house of worship they are introduced to many people find themselves scoping out the place and trying to figure out who is the Pastor.
Usually before a person is brought to the church I've heard about them from their friend or family who would be praying for them. Since I already heard of who they are I go and greet them as if I already knew them and I thank them for coming. While I'm greeting I rarely give my name or title, after all they just got introduced to many other people I doubt they want to try to figure out another name. I have heard many times that upon their first visit they will come and see me and think oh that must be the Pastors son, hearing that the Pastor and his wife came with a son to start a church, until I reach the pulpit. Once they see that I start preaching they're shocked that I am the Pastor!
I look fairly young for my age and have so throughout all my years. I say its a result of getting saved at 14years old and staying in the joy of the Lord. Sin did not add ages to me as it would have done in the world. I'm currently 29 years old and my response when people say I'm young is that you're never too young to care for people. I started pioneering our church at 27 years of age, but it was worse when I was back in California teaching Junior High class when I as 17 years old. I had many obstacles, insults, and leeriness to overcome because of my youthfulness everyone would mistake me for one of the kids I was leading.
Many times what we can consider our "cripples" will cause us to run from the callings that God would have for us. I knew that at a young age and looking young I would have to deal with many doubts. Doubting if I would be capable enough to lead, to be responsible, and to protect the flock. I felt many times like restraining from doing what God called me to do because I didn't feel as if I would be capable of doing it due to my being young.
Mephibosheth felt the same way. He felt that his crippled feet did not deserve him a place in the palace amongst the king. I could imagine he felt like he needed to prove himself worthy of royalty to all the other onlookers. Why does he get to eat at the kings table being crippled? Even earlier in this same chapter of 2 Samuel, verse 8, Mephibosheth tells the King "who is your servant that you should show such kindness to a dead dog like me?" In reality our cripples make us dead dogs. Dead because of sin and dogs because we keep going back to them.
When the king calls us it doesn't matter what anybody else in the kingdom may say. Yes we don't serve to be eating at the kings table. We don't deserve to be treated as royalty. How can we do something for God, the King, as a crippled? Why would he choose me?
Honestly it doesn't matter how or why, but what matters is that we respond and join him at THE KINGS TABLE!
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