Knowing and Loving

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. I'm Tom Felton and I titled our reading, Knowing and Loving. In the powerful article, Does My Son Know You?, sports writer Jonathan Charkes wrote of his battle with terminal cancer and his desire for others to care well for his wife and his young son.

The 34 year old wrote the piece just six months prior to his death. Charkes, a believer in Jesus, whose father had died when he was a young adult, shared scriptures that speak of care for widows and orphans. And in words directed to his friends, he wrote, When I see you in heaven, there's only one thing I'm going to ask. Were you good to my son and my wife?

Does my son know you? King David wondered in the book of 2 Samuel if there was anyone still left in the house of Saul to whom he could show kindness for his dear friend Jonathan's sake. A son of Jonathan, Lefebucheth, who was lame in both feet due to an accident, was brought to the king. David said to him, David showed loving care to Lefebucheth and it's likely that in time the king truly got to know him. Jesus has called us to love others just as he loves us. As he works in and through us, let's truly get to know and love them well.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from 2 Samuel chapter 9 verses 1 through 10. David asked, 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. The king asked, Is there no one still alive from 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. Where is he? The king asked.

Ziba answered, He is at the house of Makir son of Amiel and Lodibar. So King David had him brought from Lodibar from the house of Makir son of Amiel. When Lefebucheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor. David said, Lefebucheth, at your service, he replied.

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. Lefebucheth bowed down and said, What is your servant that you should notice a dead dog like me? 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. 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 Lefebucheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table.

Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, help us to honor you by striving to truly know and love others. May our compassion for them reflect your heart. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.