What do these Bible words "Cheʹsedh" and "Lo-debar" have to do with you?

[Beggar for the Spirit]

(This post was made especially for those who feel low, depressed, worthless or suffering due to a trial, or you have a chronic illness or disability)

 

Mephibosheth (we will nickname him Mephib (for short)

•  The son of Jonʹa·than, from King Saul (Grandpa)
• We remember the account, when he only was 5 years old, his nurse picked him up fleeing from danger, she was fleeing in panic, and he fell and was crippled." (2 Samuel 4:4) 

But then when we hear next about Mephib,

he is living in some town called, "Lo-debar" 

 

So where is Lo-debar?

• After the tragedy when he was 5, Mephib thereafter lived in the house of Machir, at Lo-debar.
• This was far north of another town, Gibeah, which evidently was the first capital under King Saul. 
• So likely Saul's family, including first son Jonathan, were living in Gibeah with their father the King, and therefore possibly this is where Mephib was born/raised
• So how would young, crippled Mephib ever be able to return home from far away Lo-debar?

In Lo-debar

Mephib may felt this his life was basically over before it really began!
- Mephib's grandpa, Saul, was wounded in battle and then killed himself!

- His father, Jonathan, was murdered in the same battle!

- And Mephib was now permanently lame, crippled!

- All these tragedies happen at a very young age. How traumatizing!

- There were no hospitals, no Disability Services, No Disability Income

- No help for depression and PTSD

 

But when Mephib prayed for help, his life finally got better right?
- Well his feet never miraculously healed
- He was still stuck in a far away town in Lo-debar with no family

- No family or relatives came to bring him home

- The great "family business"(Dynasty) was destroyed, so no money or resources from the family business
- His overall family situation was very tragic and super-complicated

- Mephib likely developed very low self-esteem, deep "depression", childhood PTSD (before these words even existed)

 

But then something that must have seemed like a miracle happened to him!!!!

 "Cheʹsedh" arrived!

• Cheʹsedh took the initiative to find and bring Mephib all the way back home!
• Cheʹsedh did not wait for Mephib to clean himself up, get "UN-depressed", and get more rehabilitated from his handicap
• Cheʹsedh did not wait for Mephib to somehow prove his loyalty to the new king
• Cheʹsedh did not wait for Mephib to do certain acts that "earned" favor
• Cheʹsedh sent for Mephib as he was, accepted him as he was

Wow!

So who is this awesome "Cheʹsedh"?

Cheʹsedh is not a person

Cheʹsedh is a multi-faceted GEM of a quality that is inside our loving Father Jehovah and was inside King David!

Cheʹsedh is the Hebrew word for a humble quality, an exquisite blend of loyal love, loving kindness, mercy, which means then...

• that it was really Jehovah and His Cheʹsedh through King David's Cheʹsedh who then took the initiative to find and bring back Mephibosheth!
• Today it is Jehovah and His Cheʹsedh that does not wait for you to get your life fully together first before He comes to your side to help you
• It is Jehovah who does not wait for you to "earn favor" first before He will show loyal love to you
• It is your dear Father Jehovah who takes the initiative and seeks you out and finds you when you are in your lowly "Lo-debar"
• That town should have been called "LOW-debar" right? 
• And it is your loving Father and His beautiful Cheʹsedh that will find you in your LOW-debar where you feel like nothing, worthless, and He will save you just like He did with little Mephiby! 

Do you feel lately...

• like you are in LOW-debar?
• that you have little to no future?
• do you sometimes wonder, "Why would the King care about a weak person like me?  "I cannot do much for Jehovah, I can't pioneer, I can't attend all the meetings due to my sickness/weakness/disability?  I can't donate very much!  So why should Jehovah care so much about me?"

Well the cheʹsedh inside Jehovah proves you so very wrong!

Spoiler

"For Jehovah is good;
His (cheʹsedh) loyal love endures forever,
And his faithfulness through all generations."  (Psalm 100:5)

 

Jehovah's love is not like other humans who have failed us.

Our deeply caring Father does not show cheʹsedh or loyal love to you ONLY because...

• He is in a good mood
• or when you finally have done something so good and deserving of His love
• or when you have finally "earned" His favor 

 

Jehovah and His cheʹsedh does not waiver...

• So He does not leave you when things fall apart in your life
• He does not leave you or abandon you when you have little or nothing for Him!
• He does not quit on you when the relationship gets difficult like some spouses and family members have done!
• He gives loyalty to you and I, even when it is undeserved
• He shows you cheʹsedh which is a kindness beyond expectation! Because it is rooted in a devoted relationship
• Cheʹsedh is what happens when someone goes far beyond what duty requires, beyond just being obligated to you. 
• Jehovah shows you loyal love, loving kindness, not because He is obligated in any way, but because of who Jehovah is inside! 

 

No, because of Jehovah's cheʹsedh, He instead...

• takes the initiative to seek you out, to find you if you are "hiding", isolating yourself, scared, withdrawn, sick, weak, etc
• He invites you and helps bring you to His "family table"
• He loves you even if you feel you do not deserve it! 

 

Edited April 22 by Beggar for the Spirit

[Miss Bea]

Lodebar. I listened to a talk and apparently Lodebar was a bit of a slum. The speaker reminded us we are all from Lodebar, so don’t get too high and mighty. We are all disabled from the get-go. 

[Traycie]

Thank you for this post! It was exactly what I needed to hear, and when I shared it with another sister, she wept too.   It was very heart warming for both of us.  Thank you.