Dear Daily Message Readers,
READ: 2 Samuel 9
2 Samuel 9:3 (NIV) "The king asked, 'Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God's kindness?'"
I am a video game addict. Ask around and you will quickly learn that I am enthralled by the latest strategy game, sports game, or adventure game. The one part about video games I do dislike, however, is the amount of violence portrayed. Nowadays, it is not uncommon for the player to be thrown into a firefight complete with all the bodily organs, blood, and parts you would see in an intense R-rated movie. Violence has become an acceptable norm in our world today.
Surprisingly, the Bible is full of violence too. On its pages we read graphic accounts of the worst carnage the human race has committed. But the violent imagery in the Bible isnt for entertainment like today's video game market. Rather, it is the tragic portrait of the sinful human condition opposed to a holy, perfect God.
In Second Samuel 9, we read that King David lived at the center of the violence and power struggles common to our world. The two books of Samuel contain a number of bloody stories. As King Saul turned his back on God in the later stages of his life, David killed his share of enemies on his ascent to Saul's throne.
Then, in the midst of the violence, the story of Mephibosheth drifts into our reading (2 Samuel 9). You see, David had driven Israels enemies out of the land. But he didnt slaughter the potential heirs to the throne, as was the custom in his day. Instead, David asked around to see if there was a member of Sauls household to whom he could show kindness (9:3).
Upon further searching, David discovered that Sauls grandson, Mephibosheth, who had been injured in early childhood, was now lame but still alive. Israels king set him up for life, making Mephibosheth a member of his own royal and exclusive household. David did this despite all the evil that Saul had perpetrated on him while he was in service an anointed king by Samuel. His kind deed was a perfect foreshadowing of the better things to come through Christ's death.
As followers of Jesus, we don't need to give into those ways. Through our simple acts of kindness, we can turn our self-centered, greedy culture on its upside. And we must remember that it isnt the spectacular things that make a lasting impression on our world. Rather, in a world of violence, we must show kindness wherever and whenever we can, even in simple things such as opening a door, taking time to chat, or taking out someones trash. In doing so, we will open up routes to share the Gospel of Christ. Faith Lesson: 1 John 3:18: "Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."
In Christ,
Darin Smith
READ: 2 Samuel 9
2 Samuel 9:3 (NIV) "The king asked, 'Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God's kindness?'"
I am a video game addict. Ask around and you will quickly learn that I am enthralled by the latest strategy game, sports game, or adventure game. The one part about video games I do dislike, however, is the amount of violence portrayed. Nowadays, it is not uncommon for the player to be thrown into a firefight complete with all the bodily organs, blood, and parts you would see in an intense R-rated movie. Violence has become an acceptable norm in our world today.
Surprisingly, the Bible is full of violence too. On its pages we read graphic accounts of the worst carnage the human race has committed. But the violent imagery in the Bible isnt for entertainment like today's video game market. Rather, it is the tragic portrait of the sinful human condition opposed to a holy, perfect God.
In Second Samuel 9, we read that King David lived at the center of the violence and power struggles common to our world. The two books of Samuel contain a number of bloody stories. As King Saul turned his back on God in the later stages of his life, David killed his share of enemies on his ascent to Saul's throne.
Then, in the midst of the violence, the story of Mephibosheth drifts into our reading (2 Samuel 9). You see, David had driven Israels enemies out of the land. But he didnt slaughter the potential heirs to the throne, as was the custom in his day. Instead, David asked around to see if there was a member of Sauls household to whom he could show kindness (9:3).
Upon further searching, David discovered that Sauls grandson, Mephibosheth, who had been injured in early childhood, was now lame but still alive. Israels king set him up for life, making Mephibosheth a member of his own royal and exclusive household. David did this despite all the evil that Saul had perpetrated on him while he was in service an anointed king by Samuel. His kind deed was a perfect foreshadowing of the better things to come through Christ's death.
As followers of Jesus, we don't need to give into those ways. Through our simple acts of kindness, we can turn our self-centered, greedy culture on its upside. And we must remember that it isnt the spectacular things that make a lasting impression on our world. Rather, in a world of violence, we must show kindness wherever and whenever we can, even in simple things such as opening a door, taking time to chat, or taking out someones trash. In doing so, we will open up routes to share the Gospel of Christ. Faith Lesson: 1 John 3:18: "Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."
In Christ,
Darin Smith
