LIVING IN AND LEAVING YOUR LO DEBAR

PART 1  LIVING IN LO DEBAR

If you are even somewhat familure with desert life, then I am sure that like many others, you equate it with being, a hostile environment that conspires against all human life. When you think about the desert, more than likely, the first thing that comes to mind is usually that of enormous heat, a lack of water and desolation. I would like to share with you a story out of the second book of Samuel,  about a young man that was rescued from such a place. This young man was the grandson of a great King, his name was Mephibosheth, the son of Prince Jonathan, and grandson of King Saul. He was five years old when his father and grandfather fell in the Battle of Mount Gilboa. Upon the hearing of this calamity, the child's nurse fled with the boy from Gibeah, the royal residence, and stumbled as she hurried to flee, dropping him on the ground. His falling to the ground left Mephibosheth permanently paralyzed from his waist down. From Gibeah, he was carried to the land of Gilead, where he and his nurse found refuge for many years in the house of Machir at Lo-Debar. The name, Lo Debar meant, place of no pasture, no hope, total desolation, so you can imagine the kind of place it was. Surely, Mephibosheth’s nurse thought that no one would ever look for him there and for a while, no one did. 

Years before Jonathan’s death, David had covenanted with him, that after he had become king, David would always show kindness to his household and that Jonathan's family would never be cut off. Years later, after King David had subdued all the adversaries of Israel, he began to think about the family of Jonathan, and the covenant that he had made with his dear friend. He asked some of his advisers one day if there may be anyone left of the house of Saul, for Jonathan’s sake, that He could show kindness to. The only relative left that his advisors found out about, was one of Jonathan’s son, who was crippled and hiding out in the desolate place of Lo Debar. David told them to find Mephibosheth and bring him to him immediately. When the King's men came to Mephibosheth door and told him that King David was summoning him, one can only imagine the fear that struck his heart. Was it not enough that he was exiled in one of the most remote desolate places on earth, but even there he now, was no longer safe. He was afraid and unsure of what was about to happen to his very life. However, what choice did he have, surrounded by armed men, representatives of the King himself, he had no choice but to go back with them and face whatever was waiting for him, upon the Kings spoken command. Little was he aware and did he know, that the thing that would bring him out of hiding was grace, not harm. Absolute grace from the very thing that he had feared the most, the King’s own hand. Instead of death, he had received a new life, in a way that he had not known since childhood. At last he would be able to sit at the King’s table once again and enjoy the benefits of being an heir to a King. No more would he have to live in Lo De Bar. King David even restored to Mephibosheth the land that belonged to his fathers. What a great picture of grace. David did for Mephibosheth what Mephibosheth could not do for himself. What a beautiful picture of what Christ has done for us, if we will simply  come to Him as He summons us out, of our Lo Debar. Because of a promise to his friend Jonathan, Mephibosheth was restored to what the sin of his grandfather had taken from him. He was the son of a King’s son, yet through his own making Saul brought much grief to his household.

PART 2  LEAVING YOUR LO DEBAR

The name, Lo Debar meant, place of no pasture, no hope, total desolation. You may have experienced living in a place like Lo Debar. Like Mephibosheth, in last week’s devotion, you too may be hiding out, living in a spiritual desolate place. Maybe you are there because of a failing relationship, the shame of a divorce, or abuse, maybe some type of financial problem, or maybe just some wrong choices that you have made. But, one thing for sure is, that everyone at some point and time has been or will be, forced to make a visit to a place like Lo Debar. And there, each person will be allowed to experience the great benevolence and grace of a King who cares for them and is calling them out of hiding. So many times we suffer more from what the devil would have us to believe than the actual truth in a matter. When we fail to forgive others or ourselves for something that was done to us or that we have done, we become trapped in our own minds, not by the wrong that others have done to us, but by the unwillingness to let it go and allow the grace of God to do in us what it is meant to do. Our fear over shadows what we know down deep inside us to be truth and we exchange truth for a lie. Not only does Christ offer redemption for those that are wanting to leave their Lo Debar, He also offers hope for the one who keeps returning there because they are unstable in their walk with Christ refusing to cut the cord that binds them to that desert place, even though Jesus Himself, shows up at the door to retrieve them by His own hand. Yet in order to leave that desolate place of fear and hiding, we must always be willing to let go, to leave that which we are holding on to, behind. It cannot come with us to the green pastures of peace and refuge at the King’s table. For at the King’s table, there is only room for those that are forgiven and those that have forgiven. If we dare try and bring unforgiveness with us, we will not be allowed to stay.  

Sometimes, those who claim to know Christ as Redeemer and Savior can experience a psychological Lo Debar through their own making. How long and how desolate their experience is, depends on how intimately they will choose to know God deeper and move quickly through their desert experience. A woman or man betrays a relationship and everything they had believed about that relationship all of a sudden is gone; because of one incident, one mistake. Was their whole relationship just a lie, just a big put on? Where do they go now? Every place they shared together is now an uncomfortable place. Every friend can seem almost like an enemy. Once where laughs had filled the room now are distant memories, uncomfortable, and suspect. Stuck in Lo Debar, they cry out to God, “Is this how a child of Yours is meant to live?”  and often times they play the blame game by degrading and pointing fingers. They forget that hurting people tend to hurt each other. They degrade the other to make themselves look and feel better. Yet God holds them just as accountable, for their sin of unforgiveness. Friend, may I tell you that God is so serious about our unwillingness to forgive. As a matter of fact His word tells us that unless we forgive, we ourselves will not be forgiven.  As they seek forgiveness from one another and with God, then the peace that they are searching for in their desert will come quickly. In fact, forgiving is the only way to get peace. To keep peace we must embrace it and hold it tight, always being mindful of what happens to our joy when we fail to pursue that peace. If one of them refuses to forgive or get the proper help needed to work through their pain and do whatever it takes to get out of Lo Debar… they will continue to revisit that desert place, that will only bring more pain.

May I tell you the truth sweet friend, if you are feeling like this today, you have but one choice to make in order to get help, to get out of your spiritual desert place! That choice is up to you! In order to get to the other side though I must warn you… you must be willing to let go of what you are holding on to, because “that thing” is keeping you longer than you want or need to stay. Do you think for a minute that your sin holds any less weight before God than someone else’s sin. Maybe you are beating yourself up because you were the one who made the mistake. Still, either way, you must be willing to see your situation from God’s perspective. Once you do that, and are willing to let go, you can then take hold of the promise of freedom to once again love and be restored not only to another, but to God Himself.  I know personally what it is like to feel both trapped and lost. It has happened in my life enough times that I am learning to be quick in my letting go, so that I can take hold of the grace that God has extended to me in many unusual and unexpected ways. I also suspect that I will feel the pull toward Lo Debar again and again before my journey has ended here. But until then I will run every time as I see on the horizon the outskirts of Lo Debar in my life and will do my best to turn and run the other way.  You see the thing that makes the difference for me now is that I know that He knows the way out of Lo Debar and I know the way to Him. Run to Him friend, He is calling you out now!

Hold Fast,

Bren