As I began my study of God...looking and gazing intently at the glory, majesty, power and the glorious way HE is portrayed throughout scripture and throughout HIS creation I realized that gazing upon HIM has the transforming effect on my heart to allow me to say, "let Ziba take it all." My hope for myself, my family and my church is that as we continue in our pursuit of God we will be a people that are able to say with great love, conviction and passion "let Ziba take it all." I believe that I made this post last year as we read through 2 Samuel.
Any time you believe that you have been offended, that you deserve better, you deserve more...let your battle cry be..."let Ziba take it all." My prayer is that as we continually gaze upon the beauty of our Almighty God this year that "let Ziba take it all" will become our natural (in the Spirit) response, reaction to being poked, prodded or wounded. "Let Ziba take it all."
I confess I have a tendency to oversimplify; I am always looking for the root issue, the lowest common denominator, the “one thing” that really matters. My flesh would like to say it is a fruit of my keen intellect, or my creativity; you and I know where all true wisdom comes from…GOD!
In Psalm 27, King David asked for “one thing.” He desired to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord, to seek His face. In Luke10:41-42, Jesus told Martha that only “one thing” is necessary and that Mary had chosen the “better part.” The great Apostle Paul said, in Phil. 3:13, “one thing I do.” What do these three have in common? They were oblivious of themselves and they went hard after God, they had caught a glimpse of the Almighty and they would never be the same.
There is another who has a similar heart, less known, somewhat obscure, but worth the effort. Throughout 2 Samuel we learn of Jonathan’s crippled son Mephibosheth. David learned of Mephibosheth as he sought heirs of the household of Saul so that he could “show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake.” Mephibosheth came before David bowed down and said, “What is your servant that you take an interest in a dead dog like me?” David restored Saul’s land to Mephibosheth and was invited to eat at the King’s table, as did the King’s sons.
Fast forward to 2 Samuel 19, the kingdom is being restored to David after the rebellion of Absalom. In verses, 24-30, through Mephibosheth God reveals the heart HE desires. As David returns he asks Mephibosheth why he did not go with him, Mephibosheth explains that he was deceived and then slandered by his servant Ziba. In 2 Samuel 16:1-4, Ziba meets David with supplies for his family. Ziba tells David the reason Mephibosheth stayed behind was because he thought he would receive control of the Kingdom, in response David gives Mephibosheth’s land to Ziba. David, faced with two conflicting reports, decides to divide the land between Mephibosheth and Ziba. I don’t know about you, but my first thought was…that’s not fair! The amazing thing is Mephibosheth’s heart toward David is revealed. His response is amazing and convicting! “Oh, let him take it all, since my lord the king has come safely home.” Mephibosheth cares nothing for his material possessions, he gladly parts with them, let Ziba “take it all.”
Here is a man who lost his father and grandfather at the age of five, at the same time he was crippled. He lives in fear for his life until he is found by David and invited to eat with the King. Now he is falsely accused and of betraying the one he loves. His life is filled with tragedy and yet you detect no bitterness, no thought of himself, only delighted to see the King safely home.
I had to ask myself, would I be so quick to let Ziba take it all? When I hesitated in my heart…I wanted to see from God’s word how Mephibosheth came to love King David so deeply? There are five powerful truths in this passage that God the Holy Spirit used and uses to enable me to say, “let him take it all.” I confess that I was cowering in my spirit as I said it…I’m not there yet… “but one thing I do.” So what are those 5 truths?
Here they are:
- Great awe, wonder and amazement for the King… “my lord the king is like the angel of God” v. 27
- Total and absolute surrender to the will and wisdom of the King… “do whatever you think best” v. 27b
- Amazed at the King’s grace… our “entire family deserves death…but you set your servant among those who eat at your table” v. 28
- Knowing that we have no rights or claims… “what further rights do I have…?” v. 28
- Knowing that apart from Christ I am worse than a dead dog… “What is your servant, that you should regard a dead dog like me?” (2 Sam. 9:8)
We are worse than dead dogs before a Holy God. There are many causes of becoming useless in the ministry, of spiritual weakness; one of the root causes of both is a lack of deep brokenness and humility. While I was rereading The Calvary Road (Hession) and Brokenness (Nancy Leigh DeMoss) I was reminded that when I feel that I deserve something better, better car, home, ministry or maybe I feel like I deserve to be treated better the effect is spiritual weakness and an erosion for my love of Jesus.
It is amazing to me that this is demonstrated most powerfully to me while I am running! Yes running! I have been in the middle of a 6 or 8 mile run...feeling good, doing well, having a sweet prayer time while I run and then all of a sudden a thought will slip into my mind of how someone insulted me or how I did not receive proper recognition for some great thing that I had done:) Do you hear all the "I's" I am using? When I allow this thought process to take place and I give it a toe hold...my physical energy is totally sapped and I have to stop running and walk. It was then I realized that if it is sucking the physical energy out of me what must this do to my spiritual energy? It does the same thing, you have no spiritual power when you are filled with thoughts of self!
We are all dead dogs, we have been loved, we have been placed at the King’s table, received HIS grace and HIS tender mercies. The way to avoid spiritual weakness and the loss of love is by following Mephibosheth, fixing our eyes on Jesus in admiration, yielding to His wisdom and will, constantly amazed at His grace, having no rights and saying “Oh, let him take it all, since my lord the king has come safely home.”
Your fellow dead dog,
Mark
Let Ziba take it all