Thankful For The Table
- fccreative
- Nov 27
- 10 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Embracing God’s Unmerited Grace, New Identity, and Lifelong Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving makes me think about the table—belonging, family, and an invitation to something I didn’t pay for. But beyond turkey and pies, there’s a greater table: the King’s table. Psalm 23 says, “You prepare a table before me.” David wasn’t impressed with himself; he was overwhelmed by God’s goodness. That’s why in 2 Samuel 9 he goes searching for anyone to bless for Jonathan’s sake—and he finds Mephibosheth, a forgotten, broken man hidden in a barren place called Lo-Debar. He’d been “dropped” in someone else’s crisis and lost almost everything. Grace doesn’t ignore those places. Grace goes looking for us there.
Mephibosheth could never repay David. He was lame in both feet. That’s the point: grace seats us where we cannot seat ourselves and covers what we cannot fix in ourselves. Everything we have we received. People who know this live with open hands; we don’t try to pay God back, we pass his goodness on. At that table, identity changes. Mephibosheth called himself a “dead dog,” but David called him “as one of the king’s sons.” God always speaks to what you’re becoming—Abraham, Peter, Gideon—naming you by grace before your circumstances catch up.
There’s a mystery here: God changes our position before he changes our condition. Mephibosheth still had lame feet, yet he ate continually at the king’s table. That isn’t sloppy love; it’s holy love. Grace seats you while it fixes you. It’s not license to sin; it’s power to change. You don’t behave to earn a seat; you live holy because you already belong.
Gratitude is the right response to that kind of love—not once, but continually. “He ate continually at the king’s table.” Thanksgiving is not filler in prayer; it’s fuel. It guards the heart with peace. I’ve watched God flip anxiety to peace with a simple walk through my home, naming gifts I didn’t buy and blessings I didn’t deserve. This week, as we eat and laugh and watch some football, let’s remember the table that changed everything—the one prepared by a King who came looking for us.
Key Takeaways
1. Grace finds the forgotten and dropped.
Grace doesn’t wait for you to climb out of Lo-Debar; it comes and carries you out. Some wounds came from people who even meant well, but grace still remembers your name. When life forgets you, God goes searching. Your story doesn’t end where you were dropped.
2. You can’t repay; pass it on.
Mephibosheth brought nothing to the table, and neither do we. Everything we have we received, so generosity becomes humility in motion. Open hands reveal a heart that knows grace can’t be paid back—but it can be paid forward.
3. God names you before you feel it.
Mephibosheth said “dead dog”; David said “son.” God speaks to your future self until you own it, calling kings out of shepherds and rocks out of deniers. Don’t echo your labels—answer to your new name.
4. Position changes before condition does.
Mephibosheth was still lame, yet seated. Grace seats you while it heals you, and belonging fuels becoming. Holiness flows from adoption, not anxiety. This is not permission to stay stuck; it’s power to walk free.
5. Thanksgiving is fuel, not filler.
Gratitude is not a moment; it’s a rhythm—“continually at the king’s table.” Thanksgiving reframes your prayers and releases peace that makes no natural sense. Practice it on purpose: name what you didn’t buy and what you could never earn.
Bible Study Guide
Bible Reading
2 Samuel 9 — 1 Then David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?” 2 Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba. And they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “At your service.” 3 And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, to whom I may show the kindness of God?” And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who is lame in his feet.” 4 Now the son of Jonathan was a man named Mephibosheth. He was lame in both his feet. And they told David, “Behold, there is a son of Jonathan, son of Saul, who is lame in his feet.” 5 So David sent and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, of Lo‑debar. 6 When Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David, he fell on his face and did obeisance. And David said, “Mephibosheth?” And he said, “Behold, your servant.” 7 And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather, and you shall eat at my table always.” 8 And he bowed with his face to the earth and did obeisance, and said, “What is your servant, that you should look upon a dead dog such as I?” 9 Then the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “I give you all the land of Saul and of his house; you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him, and you shall bring in the produce, that Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan may eat bread at my table.” 10 And Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king appoints your servant will do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table, and he was lame in both his feet. 11 And Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. And all who lived in the house of Mephibosheth were servants to Ziba. 12 And Mica lived in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king’s table. Now he was lame in both his feet. 13 And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king’s table, and he was lame in both his feet.
Observation Questions
What question does David ask at the start of the chapter, and what does that question reveal about his intent toward Saul’s family?
How is Mephibosheth described in the story (his physical state and life situation), and what detail explains how he came to be in that condition?
What specific promises and provisions does David make for Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel 9 (list the concrete things David gives)?
The text repeats that Mephibosheth “ate continually” at the king’s table. What observable differences in status and daily life would that phrase imply for him compared with his life in Lo‑debar?
Interpretation Questions
What does David’s motivation “for Jonathan’s sake” indicate about the role of covenant loyalty and memory in his decision to bless Mephibosheth?
How does the king’s refusal to echo Mephibosheth’s self‑description (“dead dog”) and instead treat him “like one of the king’s sons” function theologically as a declaration of new identity?
What theological point is made by David changing Mephibosheth’s position (seat at the table, land, servants) before Mephibosheth’s condition (his lameness) changed?
How does the preacher connect David’s generosity to the idea that we cannot ultimately repay God for His kindness—what implication does that have for how Christians should give?
Application Questions
Who in your circle (neighbor, coworker, family member) feels forgotten or “hidden in Lo‑debar”? What is one concrete step you will take this week to look for and bless that person because of the grace you’ve received?
Identify one blessing in your life that you could never repay (example: salvation, a second chance, a mentor). How will that recognition change one financial, time, or relationship decision you make in the next 30 days?
What negative label or self‑description do you still carry (e.g., “broken,” “failure,” “dead dog”)? Name that label aloud and then write a short, opposite statement based on God’s word you will declare each morning this week.
In what area do you need to accept that God has “seated” you before your condition is fixed (for example: forgiven but still struggling with anger, saved but still battling an addiction, commissioned but feeling inadequate)? What is one practical habit (accountability, counseling, course, prayer time) you will start to allow grace to change your condition?
The sermon says “thanksgiving is fuel, not filler.” Choose a specific daily time (morning, lunch, bedtime) and a short list of three concrete things you will thank God for during that time each day for the next two weeks. Report back next group meeting on what changed in your peace and perspective.
If fear of not having enough has ever kept you from giving, what is one specific act of generosity (money, a meal, an hour of time, a skill) you will commit to this month as an expression of trust in God’s goodness? Make it measurable: amount, date, and recipient.
The sermon urged seeing “the person behind the problem.” Name one person you currently judge by their behavior. What practical, immediate step will you take to see the soul behind their scar (invite them for coffee, listen without fixing, pray for them, offer a practical help) this week?
Devotional
Day 1: Grace finds the forgotten and seats them at table
When life drops you and hides you in your own Lodabar, God does not forget; He comes searching, calls you by name, and brings you near to His table, not as a threat to be eliminated but as a guest to be cherished, so you can eat “continually” in the place of belonging you did not and could not earn.
2 Samuel 9:1-13 (NKJV) 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?” 2 And there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba. So when they had called him to David, the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” He said, “At your service!”
3 Then the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, to whom I may show the kindness of God?” And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who is lame in his feet.”
4 So the king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “Indeed he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo Debar.”
5 Then King David sent and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo Debar. 6 Now when Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he fell on his face and prostrated himself. Then David said, “Mephibosheth?” And he answered, “Here is your servant!”
7 So David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.”
8 Then he bowed himself, and said, “What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?” 9 And the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “I have given to your master’s son all that belonged to Saul and to all his house.
10 You therefore, and your sons and your servants, shall work the land for him, and you shall bring in the harvest, that your master’s son may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s son shall eat bread at my table always.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
11 Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant, so will your servant do.” “As for Mephibosheth,” said the king, “he shall eat at my table like one of the king’s sons.” 12 Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Micha. And all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants of Mephibosheth. 13 So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king’s table. And he was lame in both his feet.
Reflection: Who is one overlooked person you can invite to your “table” (home, lunch, or coffee) this week to embody God’s welcome? Pick the day and send the invite before tonight.
Day 2: God prepares abundance; goodness and mercy pursue you
God’s table is prepared in the presence of enemies, not the absence of them; He anoints your head and overflows your cup, and His goodness doesn’t just trail behind—it chases you down and finds you, reminding you that your place at the table is about His faithfulness, not your impressiveness.
Psalm 23:5-6 (NKJV) 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
Reflection: List three concrete ways God’s goodness “chased you down” in the past year (things you didn’t orchestrate), and then pray Psalm 23:5–6 aloud, thanking Him for each line by name.
Day 3: Everything received; we can never repay grace
Like Mephibosheth, we bring nothing to the table and can’t pay God back; every ability, opportunity, and resource is received, so the only fitting response is open-handed living—passing on what we could never earn and never repay because grace always moves us from boasting to blessing
1 Corinthians 4:7 (NKJV) For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
Reflection: Identify one gift (skill, resource, or connection) you tend to credit yourself for, and choose a concrete way to use it today to bless someone—give a specific amount, lend the skill, or serve—purely because you received it from God.
Day 4: Position changes instantly; condition transforms progressively
Grace seats you while it fixes you: God gives you a son’s place instantly even while He is still healing your limp, so you don’t behave to get a seat—you live holy because you already belong, receiving power to change rather than permission to stay the same.
Romans 5:6 (NKJV) For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Reflection: Where are you waiting to “get better” before drawing near to God? Take fifteen minutes today to sit with Him exactly as you are, name your weakness, and receive your seat at the table before taking one small step of obedience that aligns with belonging.
Day 5: Gratitude becomes lifestyle and unlocks God's peace
Those who have a seat eat “continually,” and thanksgiving becomes the first instinct of prayer; when requests are made with gratitude, God releases peace that guards the heart, turning worry into worship and teaching us to live every day saying, “Thank You”
Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV) 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Reflection: Take a 10-minute gratitude walk through your home: touch ten specific items and thank God for each; then rate your anxiety before and after on a scale of 1–10 and note the change in your journal.
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