Faithfulness

2 Samuel 9:1-13

A Story of Unusual Faithfulness

1 David asked, "Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan's sake?" 2 Now there was a servant of Saul's household named Ziba. They summoned him to appear before David, and the king said to him, "Are you Ziba?" "At your service," he replied. 3 The king asked, "Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God's kindness?" Ziba answered the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan; he is lame in both feet." 4 "Where is he?" the king asked. Ziba answered, "He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar." 5 So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel. 6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor. David said, "Mephibosheth!" "At your service," he replied. 7 "Don't be afraid," David said to him, "for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table." 8 Mephibosheth bowed down and said, "What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?" 9 Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul's steward, and said to him, "I have given your master's grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. 10 You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master's grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table." (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.) 11 Then Ziba said to the king, "Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do." So Mephibosheth ate at David's table like one of the king's sons. 12 Mephibosheth had a young son named Mika, and all the members of Ziba's household were servants of Mephibosheth. 13 And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king's table; he was lame in both feet.

As you reflect on this story,

How do you see the quality of faithfulness emerging here?

Despite the more obvious flaws that we observe in the life of David, how do you see God's Spirit at work here?

What parts of this story do you find yourself drawn to the most?  Why do you think that is?

Promise of God's Faithfulness in the Future

   1 Then I saw "a new heaven and a new earth," [a] for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 'He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death' [b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

    5 He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."  (Revelation 21 TNIV)

You can count on it!  You can count on me!  I'll be there!  How many things or people can you connect with those phrases? Isn't that what we look for, indeed long for?  Faithfulness.

Of course, part of what complicates our searching and our longing is the realization that we don't always experience or express this as we would wish - we are flawed people who don't always get it right - which can leave us a little gun shy at times when it comes to trusting this in others or even in ourselves.

The good news is that God's faithfulness toward us is indeed something we can both trust and rest in.  Even when our circumstances are difficult and our ability to understand what is happening incomplete, we can be certain that God's faithfulness to us remains unchanged.  No matter how much we may seem to lose at times, God never, at any time, loses us!  He never leaves us.  He assures us that the final eternal word is still His.  God is faithful.

But not only is faithfulness characteristic of God and the way He is along side of us, Galatians reminds us that this same characteristic is one that we will find emerging in the lives of those we are responsive to the work of the Spirit in their lives.  As we rest in the assurance of God's faithfulness to us, the Spirit is at work cultivating the same quality in our own lives.

In the sermon this week, Pastor Jon explores both God's faithfulness to us, and this aspect of God's life that the Spirit is at work to reproduce in our own.  Click here if you would like to listen to the sermon once again (or perhaps hear it for the first time).

Some Thoughts to Ponder:

Where are the places in your own life where you struggle with faithfulness?

What makes living in the awareness of faithfulness easier or harder for you?

Where do you sense God's Spirit at work in your life, inviting you to embrace faithfulness more fully?

19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

    22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.