Pastor's Corner: The abundant life: Feasting at the King's table

Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10b) Yet many Christians have lives that are anything but blessed, flourishing and abundant. They live below the level of blessing Jesus promised. They live with lack, sometimes financial lack, but more often a spiritual and emotional lack of love, joy and hope.

There is a story in Samuel 9 of a young prince, who in spite of his royal blood, lived with lack. He was the grandson of Israel's first king, Saul. Unfortunately, after his father and grandfather died in battle, his nanny was so afraid that his life was in danger that as she panicked and ran with the small prince, she dropped him (2 Samuel 4:4). He sustained injuries that left him unable to walk. As he grew, that same fear that his life was in danger, left him living in a place called Lo-debar, whose very name means isolation and lack.

The new king, King David, had sworn to his best friend Jonathan, the prince's father, that he would protect and bless Jonathan's descendants (1 Samuel 20:14-15). So he began to search for Jonathan's children so he could keep his promise. When he found the prince, he immediately restored all his lands and wealth, and then invited him to eat at the royal table for the rest of his life.

The interesting thing is that the prince no longer thought of himself as a prince. His response to King David's generosity was to ask, "Why would you bother with a dead dog like me?" He didn't feel worthy of being blessed. His hard life had left him feeling like nothing and nobody.

Sadly, the same thing happens to some of God's children. Sometimes the hard knocks of life have hurt them deeply, and the damage leaves them feeling helpless and hopeless. The fear of being hurt again has made them isolate themselves and live a life of lack, not abundance.

Fortunately, the King always comes looking for them, ready to restore what has been taken from them and to invite them to feast at His table where He can provide for their every need, and they can enjoy His presence. He is eager to see them live in abundance, but sometimes they, like the young prince, feel unworthy and distrustful of His generosity.

The young prince struggled to trust too, but the Bible tells us that he ended up feasting at the king's table for the rest of his life. What is more, when someone tried to cheat him out of his wealth, his response was, "Let him have it all." The prince had discovered that the best blessing of his life was spending time with the king and trusting him to meet his needs each day. Let's learn from his example.