My son’s Senior Recognition has come and gone and the Seniors (Ozark Adventist Academy) pulled off an enjoyable weekend! At church, Pastor David Craig, our beloved camp’s director (Camp Yorktown Bay), had the sermon. It was great! It was an Old Testament story I didn’t remember.
King Saul had died and seemingly all his sons and direct descendants had died as well. David becomes King of Israel and wants to find anyone left in Saul’s bloodline. It turns out that when a new regime would take over power, they would just kill off all the past leader’s family. But this was not David’s intent. He wanted to find any living relative, not to kill him, but to show him kindness. And not just David’s kindness, but the KINDNESS OF GOD! As Pastor Craig said – “the kindness of God is next level!”
So a servant is found to spill the beans to David and admit there is a grandson. He is crippled. David brings him out and into the palace and tells Saul’s crippled grandson he will always have a seat at David’s table. The man is shocked! He thought he was going to be killed. His response is wrenching. “What am I, that you should look upon a dead dog like me?!”
Not even just a dog. But a dead dog.
The thing is we are all dead dogs! In need of kindness. And not just feeble, human kindness. Not just coddling kindness. But in need of the kindness of God. Like David we must extend it. We must show it. God’s kindness! That is next level!
(2 Samuel 9)