“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand” ( Zechariah 4:10)

After overcoming Saul and succeeding him as king of Israel, one of David’s first acts was, curiously, to look out for the son of an old friend. One day David asked, “Is anyone in Saul’s family still alive—anyone to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” (2 Samuel 9:1). Jonathan had assisted David during the time when his father pursued him. David didn’t forget. After Jonathan perished in war, David took it upon himself to keep the memory of Jonathan alive.

But why would he? Many people, after achieving what they struggled for and finally settling into success, quickly forget the hands that helped them and move on. David was different. Once Mephibosheth was ushered before him, David said, “Don’t be afraid… 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” (2 Samuel 9:7).

People do not just become kind. David had endured the pain of being rejected by King Saul, made an outcast, forced into exile, and abandoned by almost everyone except Jonathan. It was that bitter experience that made him so empathetic toward his late friend’s son.

There are situations God lets us go through whose meaning we cannot understand or appreciate at the time. In fact, we are often so focused on our pain that we are easily blinded to the work God is doing in our lives. David’s abandonment and bitter experience in the cold as an outcast touched his heart and formed him into the kind of man who would not forget a late friend’s son. The pain he had endured did not turn his heart into a cold stone; rather a vessel God could work through to show His love!

Reflection: Are you going through some hard experience that is difficult to understand or appreciate—wondering why you are enduring so much? Maybe there is a greater work God is doing in you.

Prayer: Lord Almighty God, I thank You for the seasons in my life, including the bitter ones, for they are working a new heart in me to serve You more and better. May all glory go to You! This I pray in Jesus’ name!