Focus: Loving Is Rewarding

Text: 2Sam.9:1

"And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him KINDNESS for Jonathan's sake?"

David has just settled down as the king of Israel. His throne is now established, and then he remembers his late friend Jonathan. He begins making inquiries regarding Saul's house. In his mind, anyone who hails from Saul's family automatically qualifies for favor for Jonathan's sake. Then David finds Ziba, Saul's chief servant, who brought the good news of a survivor, in the person of Mephibosheth, Jonathan's own son. Immediately, David sends for Mephibosheth to bring him to the palace.

Now let's notice something. At the beginning of the search for any survivors in the house of Saul, David said, "That I may shew him KINDNESS for Jonathan's sake." When he finds Ziba, David said, "That I may shew him the KINDNESS OF GOD unto him." And then as soon as Mephibosheth arrives, David says, "For I will surely shew thee KINDNESS for Jonathan thy father's sake."

The word 'kindness' is 'chesed' in Hebrew. It speaks of mercy, of favor, of tender kindness, and of covenant love. It's a unique word.

Jonathan sowed seeds of love into David's heart and life. Jonathan condemned himself to loving David. He concerned himself with, and committed himself to loving David. It was a sacrificial and selfless love. He loved David without seeing anything there was to gain from it. Saul was against the love, but Jonathan would not be stopped. He knew he would lose the throne to David, but he loved him, regardless. And he didn't mind that the love was seemingly one sided. Finally, Jonathan dies and David reigns in Israel as king. The jungle shepherd boy is now the shepherd-king of Israel. The youngest son of his father is now the highest personality in the whole land of Israel. As they say, no condition is permanent. Life changes. Things don't for ever remain the same. Destiny keeps unfolding.

Now David remembers Jonathan. Love always remembers. It has memories of past kindnesses, and it will always return favor, no matter how long it takes. Love begets love. Love is a seed. Harvest is sure to come once it is sown. Sow the seeds of love, and you will stand a chance of a great harvest.

It is rewarding to love. You lose nothing by loving people. Rather, you gain peace, joy and personal fulfillment. In the business of loving you have nothing to lose. Indeed everything that looks like loses will turn to gain sooner or later. Quoting Isaiah the prophet, Paul says, "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that LOVE him" (1Cor.2:9; Isa.64:4). Loads of benefits await all God-lovers. Paul used the word 'love' in its verbal form, but Isaiah used the Hebrew word, 'chakah,' a word that speaks of intense longing that results in one being confidently hopeful, and patiently waiting for God. Those who love God patiently wait for Him. He never fails to show up, and He never disappoints.

Mephibosheth suffered a fall at the age of five that left him unable to walk for the rest of his life. He lost the use of his legs, and it happened in connection with David ascending the throne of Israel. Thinking that David was going to kill everyone in Saul's household, Mephibosheth's nurse hurriedly ran away with him, but along the way he fell and injured his feet, and as a result he was maimed in his feet. But his lameness did not hinder the flow of mercy from David's heart. His lameness did not disqualify him from partaking of covenant love. David adopted Mephibosheth as his own son and restored all the assets of his father and grandfather, including all the servants of his family. Love restored Mephibosheth to honor, wealth, and royalty. He lived in the palace as one of David's sons. David succeeded in showing him the kindness of God. David saw himself as a steward of God's manifold kindness and a dispenser of heavenly love.

Love is so sweet and rewarding. I believe in love. I live a life of love. I choose nothing above love. And God is love. Loving is being godlike. The highest level of life is living to love. I assure you that the rewards of loving are coming to you.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter