Let it Go

603 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Sa 19:25-30, “So it was, when he had come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said to him, "Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?" 26 And he answered, "My lord, O king, my servant deceived me. For your servant said, 'I will saddle a donkey for myself, that I may ride on it and go to the king,' because your servant is lame. 27 "And he has slandered your servant to my lord the king, but my lord the king is like the angel of God. Therefore do what is good in your eyes. 28 "For all my father's house were but dead men before my lord the king. Yet you set your servant among those who eat at your own table. Therefore what right have I still to cry out anymore to the king?" 29 So the king said to him, "Why do you speak anymore of your matters? I have said, 'You and Ziba divide the land.'" 30 Then Mephibosheth said to the king, "Rather, let him take it all, inasmuch as my lord the king has come back in peace to his own house." Now we get the story as to why Mephibosheth did not join with David when he left the city the first time. He had ordered Ziba to saddle a donkey for him, but Ziba took that donkey and gave it to David as a present. Then he slandered Mephibosheth, claiming that he had thrown in with Absalom. Taking the donkey of a lame man, and then making a pretension of benevolence to the king, and then slandering his master! How despicable is this Ziba. I don't know about you, but this stirs up anger in me, and I want this Ziba character to be punished. But He isn't! David simply restores the land and the relationship between Ziba and Mephibosheth to what it was before! We never hear about Ziba in Scripture again. What can we learn from this? First lesson is to understand and believe that God says in Ro 9:15, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion." This was good enough for Mephibosheth, and it ought to be good enough for you and me! Mephibosheth was thrilled just with the fact that the Lord had returned and welcomed HIM into His kingdom. He was willing to forgive all the wrongs done to him, and to let all his goods go, content to just be with his Lord when he returned. How about you? Are you ready to let go of material goods and unforgiveness, content just to be a part of His kingdom? I am reminded of stanza 4 from Luther's A Mighty Fortress: “Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also. The body they may kill: God's truth abideth still. His kingdom is forever.” A forever kingdom is far better than anything we could hang onto on this earth. Father, help me to seek first Your kingdom.