October 16 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

2 Samuel 9:6–13

Devotional

Mephibosheth was no great ornament to a royal table, yet he had a continual place at David’s board because the king could see in his face the features of the beloved Jonathan. Like Mephibosheth, we may cry to the King of Glory, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?” (2 Sam. 9:8), but still the Lord indulges us with most familiar fellowship with himself because he sees in us the remembrance of his dearly beloved, Jesus.

The Lord’s people are dear to him for Another’s sake. Such is the love that the Father bears to his only begotten, that for his sake he raises his lowly brethren from poverty and banishment, to courtly companionship, noble rank, and royal provision. Their deformity will not rob them of their privileges. Lameness is no bar to sonship; the cripple is just as much the heir as if he could run like Asahel. Our right does not limp even though our might may. A king’s table is a noble hiding-place for lame legs, and at the gospel feast we learn to glory in our infirmities because the power of Christ rests on us.

Yet serious disability may mar the persons of the best-loved saints. Here is one feasted by David, and yet he was so lame in both his feet that he could not go up with the king when he fled from the city and was therefore maligned and injured by his servant Ziba. Saints whose faith is weak, and whose knowledge is slender, are great losers; they are exposed to many enemies, and cannot follow the king wherever he goes. This disease frequently arises from falls. Bad nursing in their spiritual infancy often causes converts to fall into a despondency from which they never recover, and in other cases sin brings broken bones. Lord, help the lame to leap like a hart, and satisfy all your people with the bread of your table!

[May 27, morning]

Extracted from C. H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening (public domain), language modernized by Larry E. Wilson.