Gabriel Agbo | Mephibosheth in Lo-debar

“The king then asked, ‘Is anyone still alive from Saul’s family? If so, I want to show God’s kindness to them in any way I can.’

Ziba replied, ‘Yes, one of Jonathan’s sons is still alive, but he is crippled.’”

— 2 Samuel 9:3

You are walking into a new beginning.

You may have been pushed down, wounded, forgotten, or isolated. Or perhaps your life, business, relationship, vision, or destiny has been crippled. If this describes you, this message is for you. God is pulling you up and raising you again, in Jesus’ name!

Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathan and the grandson of King Saul. At the age of five, he fell from the arms of a maid who was trying to escape with him to safety. From that unfortunate accident, both of his feet were crippled. As if that were not enough, the now-crippled prince was taken to the house of a man named Makir – whose name means uncertainty – the son of Ammiel, an unknown man living in the town of Lo-debar. Lo-debar means desolation, barrenness, and isolation.

My God! Are you following this chain of unfortunate events?

First, he lost his father, grandfather, and uncles in battle. Then, while escaping, he fell and permanently lost his mobility. Worse still, he found himself living in a house of uncertainty, with the son of a nobody, isolated in a land of barrenness.

Does any of this relate to your present situation?

Every time I read this portion of Scripture, I become deeply emotional, because I can relate to some of these situations and have also ministered to many people experiencing the same. This young man was named Mephibosheth at birth, a name that means destroyer, remover of shame. But instead of removing shame, he ate shame, wore shame, and lived in shame, disappointment, and disgrace.

Tragically, he had no contribution to what happened to him. He had no control over the chain of events that ultimately isolated him from the throne, from royalty, from the love of his parents, good health, a good life, and loving relationships. Remember, he was a prince – a potential king of Israel.

What has happened to you?

Are you another Mephibosheth? What have you lost that now seems irreplaceable in your life? What part of your life has been crippled–your health, finances, relationships, family, marriage, business, spiritual life, ministry, or destiny?

Do you feel hopeless, helpless, abandoned, overwhelmed, confused, and permanently stuck? Have you resigned yourself to fate?

That was exactly where Mephibosheth found himself. He knew he was a prince, that he was not where he belonged, but he was overwhelmed by events and situations he could not control.

Before we continue, it is important to note that the foundation of this chain of events was the divine judgment that came upon his grandfather, Saul. Saul – a handsome but careless, proud, and disobedient king – fell out of favour with God, and this triggered the calamities that befell him, his family, and the kingdom.

Yes, if Saul had remained faithful and continued as king of Israel, he would not have lost his life or his sons – especially Jonathan, Mephibosheth’s father – in battle. There would have been no reason for the maid to flee with the young prince, and the accident that crippled him would not have occurred.

Things do not just happen. There are always causes and effects, even when we do not see or understand them. Where you are right now may be the result of others’ actions – or your own. (You can explore this further in my books and audiobooks Breaking Generational Curses: Claiming Your Freedom, Power of Midnight Prayer, Uncommon Success, and others.)

Thank God the story did not end there.

When King David was settling fully into the throne, he asked if anyone remained from the house of Saul to whom he could show kindness, for Jonathan’s sake. Wow! David remembered his dear, committed, faithful friend. The Bible tells us their love was deeper and stronger than that of a man and a woman.

Do you remember your friends? Do you remember covenants, relationships, and past bonds? Sadly, many people disappear after the death of a partner, friend, or colleague, abandoning their families to pain, sorrow, and tears. This is wrong. David did not forget.

Though Jonathan was gone, the covenant continued to speak. That is godliness. That is real spirituality.

Through Ziba, a servant in Saul’s household, David discovered that Mephibosheth was still alive – though crippled, hidden, and isolated. David ordered Ziba to go and fetch him.

Hear this: God is sending a Ziba – an angel – to fetch you out of that situation, in the mighty name of Jesus!

There are angels whose assignment is to seek out those who have been wounded, forgotten, isolated, traumatized, abandoned, betrayed, deprived, and crippled–emotionally, physically, financially, or spiritually. They are coming to fetch you back to the king’s table, where you were always destined to be.

God bless you.

Until next week.

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