Seated at the table...

Some mornings the Lord meets us profoundly in our quiet times. This was one such morning for me. I picked up Jerry Bridges' book "Transforming Grace" as he was just here teaching at the Pastors College. I was so affected by his example this week, that I wanted to follow up on what God has been stirring in my heart by reading this book. As I neared the end of the second chapter, suddenly it was as if the words jumped off the page, and as they did so, my heart was arrested. I was filled with emotion. Now I am not typically one that becomes overly emotional when affected by truth, but in this moment, I felt as if my breath was catching in my throat, and my eyes were beginning to fill with tears. For Mr. Bridges was defining grace, and in doing so referred back to the story of Mephibosheth...crippled and destitute, unable to care for himself and living in someone else's home, he was brought into David's house and "ate at David's table like one of the king's sons." (II Sam 9:11). In II Sam., it referred to him always eating at the king's table.  "He never got over his crippled condition. He never got to the place where he could leave the king's table and make it on his own. And neither do we." Just as Mephibosheth was seated at the table, "you and I are elevated to the status of God's children for Christ's sake." 

This analogy of a crippled man being carried to a lavish table and seated with royalty...it affected my soul! I think in light of my own recent physical crippling of sorts, my heart is touched more deeply by this image. Unable to do anything on his own. Fully dependent on being carried and then seated at the table. No merit of his own brought him there. It was the merit of another. 

Thank you, my Savior, that you have seated me at your table! And I am able to partake of the lavish grace that you've secured for me through your death on the cross. Oh to be aware of my crippled state apart from this atoning work. I am silenced. I am in awe. Such grace. Such lavish grace. In light of this table, all else fades away...my desire for marriage, my questions regarding the future, my worries...."He who did not spare his own son, will he not therefore give us all things." I am sitting at a banquet table enjoying undeserved blessings!! Grace upon grace has brought me to this table...and my heart is full. Here I will stay. Seated.