CONNECTED BY GRACE!

2 Samuel 9:1-13 NASB

Then David said, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul, so that I could show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” [2] Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they summoned him to David; and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.” [3] Then the king said, “Is there no one remaining of the house of Saul to whom I could show the kindness of God?” And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan, one who is disabled in both feet.” [4] So the king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar.” [5] Then King David sent messengers who brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo-debar. [6] Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and prostrated himself. And David said, “Mephibosheth.” And he said, “Here is your servant!” [7] Then David said to him, “Do not be afraid, for I will assuredly show kindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul; and you yourself shall eat at my table regularly.” [8] Again he prostrated himself, and said, “What is your servant, that you should be concerned about a dead dog like me?” [9] Then the king summoned Saul’s servant Ziba and said to him, “Everything that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. [10] You and your sons and your servants shall cultivate the land for him, and you shall bring in the produce so that your master’s grandson will have food to eat; nevertheless Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, shall eat at my table regularly.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. [11] Then Ziba said to the king, “In accordance with everything that my lord the king commands his servant, so your servant will do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table as one of the king’s sons. [12] Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. And all who lived in the house of Ziba were servants to Mephibosheth. [13] So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he ate at the king’s table regularly. And he was disabled in his two feet.

 

There are graces and graces! There are graces that everyone wishes they had, but such graces come by connection. Grace is the gift of God to everyone, by which He extends mercy, loving-kindness, and salvation to people. "Connect by grace" isn't a direct quote from the Bible, but it reflects a common theme in Christian theology. Grace, in the biblical context, refers to the unmerited favour and love that God extends to humanity. It's through grace that believers are able to establish a relationship with God.

When people talk about "connecting by grace," they often mean that their relationship with God and with others is founded on this divine grace. It emphasizes that this connection isn't based on human effort or merit, but on God's or man's generous and unconditional love.

Even the world, unbelievers, and people of other faiths all look for and need connections. We look for people or circumstances that will connect us to the right people, place, or group. From a worldly perspective, "connecting by grace" can be the fostering of relationships based on kindness, compassion, profession, status, understanding, and network rather than judgment or merit. Principles that can enhance personal and professional relationships in society mostly come from connections.

There are people all over the world who are living the kind of life described in Joshua 24:13-14 all because of having the right connections. Maybe because of what their parents had done for someone in the past, their family name and standing, or their clout. But whatever the reason, they are positioned in places they couldn’t have earned without connection. David was that connection for Mephibosheth, showing him grace because of his father, Jonathan. From many of David’s characteristics, we can say he was a man with a compassionate heart, but he didn’t know Mephibosheth, yet his compassion led him to seek him out.

David’s show of kindness in the Hebrew connotation speaks of covenant loyalty and faithfulness, which also describes God’s commitment to His people and can be used to describe devotion and loyalty between people.

Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathan and grandson of Saul, as mentioned in 2 Samuel 4:4. He was but five years old when his father and grandfather fell on Mount Gilboa. His nurse, hearing of this calamity, fled with him from Gibeah, the royal residence, and stumbling in her haste, he was thrown to the ground and maimed in both his feet, and ever after was unable to walk. He was carried to the land of Gilead, where he found refuge in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar, where he was brought up.

Even though he was the grandson of a king, his life was not much to write about. Maimed, disabled, and unable to fend for himself, but David, because of the covenant of friendship between him and Jonathan in 1 Samuel 20:12-17, sought out Jonathan’s descendant “for Jonathan’s sake.” For whose sake can we too be connected by grace?

All believers are certainly connected by grace for the Lord’s sake according to Psalm 23:3, 25:11, and 31:3.

The Shunammite woman of 2 Kings 4:8-17 is a woman that was well connected by grace. Connection by grace always gets a word spoken on our behalf, as Elisha was willing to do for this woman in verse 13 because she had done something that was recognized and the prophet thought was rewardable.

How about you? What have you done that is recognizable and rewardable enough for someone to want to connect you by grace to higher power, for promotion, recommendations, and approval?

PRAYER: Lord the divine connector, position me with the right people that may connect me by grace to divine environment and people in Jesus’ name, amen.

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SHALOM