Daily Devotional
Abuse Of Kindness
Text: 2 Samuel 9:1
“Now David said, “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
Message
In Biblical Names Ziba means Army; fight; strength.
Ziba a chief servant of Saul and later of Mephiboset was a false servant in fact, an opportunist; always looking for every opportunity to profit himself and his family. He had no qualms about lying in order to make himself appear to be a loyal subject worthy of David’s benevolence. For instance Ziba made David believe that his master Mephibosheth willingly remained in the city in the hope that the throne would be restored to him ( 2 Sam.16:3). Consequently David transferred all of Mephibosheth’s possessions to Ziba on the spot, as it was customary for kings to do with a rebel’s property.
Back to the center of today’s message. I ask are you found of abusing kindness from your benefactor’s? To do that is to abuse God who sent the benefactors your way.
While many view kindness as a reciprocal act, the truth is, no one is ever shown or entitled to kindness except by the mercy of God; For it is God’s to have mercy on whom He will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom He will have compassion.
If kindness is not of God I ask you how many people have treated or reciprocated you the same way that you have been kind to them?
In 2 Samuel 9:2-13 the gate of mercy propelled by God made David to remember Jonathan’s kindness. “There was a servant named Ziba from Saul’s family. King David said to Ziba, “Are you Ziba?” Ziba said, “Yes, I am your servant Ziba.” The king said, “Is there anyone left in Saul’s family?”
You will today have the reward of your ancestors kindness to others and you will thereby be greatly remembered in Jesus Name. Amen.
But wide as the gate of mercy ‘aka’ kindness for this topic is, and is inspired by God’s immeasurable love for us, this gate of mercy can be shut suddenly, in a way that no one can explain. The gate can snap shut within the twinkling of an eye. Proverbs 29:1 says, “He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy”.
Many at times when the gate makes an attempt to snap shut, God’s love will push it open again, but a time would come when it will snap shut and nothing can open it again.
True the Lord said He does not want the destruction of a sinner and His mercy endures forever; but the door of kindness gets shut when abused and warned several times, but we wouldn’t listen. It is then our benefactor’s turn to refuse us.
Remember the story of the fruitless tree in Luke 13:6-9? God said, “For three years I have examined this tree and done everything I could for it, yet it bore no fruit; I will cut it down”. Mercy said, “Give it another chance, another year, to see what happens; if it still doesn’t bring forth fruit, You can then cut it”.
You don’t know when your last chance will be. You don’t know if the last time you abused kindness (mercy) was your last chance before the gate of kindness (mercy) shuts against you. Surrender completely to Jesus Christ now before it is too late.
