Bible Character Study: Mephibosheth
A weakness is defined as the state or condition of lacking strength or a quality or feature regarded as a disadvantage or fault. There were many characters in the Bible who had a weakness. Samson’s weakness was Delilah or his love for her. He gave into his weakness and lost his power as a result. King David’s weakness was lust. He killed his own friend because he gave into his weakness and as a result one of his children was killed. But today I’m not going to talk about weaknesses in a negative manner, but in a positive one.
Today’s Bible character study focuses on Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan. In 2 Samuel 4:4 it says “(Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet… he fell and became disabled. His name was Mephibosheth.)” Before we continue I would like you to read his story which resides in 2 Samuel 9. Mephibosheth let his weakness become his identity. He thought of himself less than what he actually was. But David wanted to “show the kindness of God to Him” (2 Samuel 9:3) because of his relationship with Mephibosheth’s father, Jonathan.
King David didn’t care about Mephibosheth’s weakness. He took him in his care without paying mind to Mephibosheth’s lame feet and treated him like royalty because of the covenant he made with his father, Jonathan. Mephibosheth sat and ate at the royal table. God invites us into His kingdom, because although we have weaknesses, we made a covenant with Jesus. So instead of God seeing us as our weaknesses, He sees us as the bond we made with the blood of His son.
In 2 Corinthians 12:9 it says, “But [Jesus] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” If you did not have a weakness or something to give away, God won’t look at or use you the same way He would use someone who has a weakness. God loves your weakness, because the weaker you are, the more things He can pull you out of, the more ways He can use you, and the more glory He will get. Think of it this way, if you didn’t have a weakness and you were perfect, God wouldn’t have a reason to use you.
Accept your weakness. Don’t give in to it, but embrace it. Don’t put yourself down because of it, because God wants to uplift you with your weakness. He looks past our sin, guilt and shame. He looks beyond just our weaknesses. You too can sit and eat at the King’s table. You too can receive favor and a higher standing that will triumph the way you think about yourself. As Mephibosheth was lame and David reached his hand out to him, so will God reach His hand out to us and provide all that we need through His Son, Jesus Christ. Stay blessed and rest assured that your weakness will become a stepping stool for greater things in your life. Be blessed. Amen.
