“My advice to other disabled people would be, concentrate on things your disability doesn’t prevent you doing well, and don’t regret the things it interferes with. Don’t be disabled in spirit as well as physically.” – Stephen Hawking
“Disability is a matter of perception. If you can do just one thing well, you’re needed by someone.” – Martina Navratilova
Forward Thinkers, the bible tells us the Lord will prepare a table before us in the presence of our enemies. This season will not focus on our enemies (adversary, foe, opposition, rival) but we will focus on getting ahead and taking your seat at the table.
Forward Thinkers, our enemies actually play a role in our journey to the King’s table because the Lord will use them as the audience to our success story as he leads us in their presence. Forward Thinkers, we can rejoice on the fact that our enemies will have to call us blessed and God will use them as a footstool to elevate us higher.
Forward Thinkers, no matter what others think about you, your relationship with God has earned you a seat at the King’s table.
Psalm 139:13-16The Message (MSG)
13-16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.
Forward Thinkers, God has not changed His mind about you. When God made you, He made you well. We must learn to celebrate ourselves just as God made us and quit being stressed out on who God did not make us. We must also start celebrating the God who made us because God does not make junk.
Forward Thinkers, everything we go through is already in the book of life written by God (Yes, everything). Forward Thinkers, our faith carries us from chapter to chapter and as we journey through it all, we remember the Lord has prepared a table for us even in the presence of our enemies.
Forward Thinkers, the enemy desires to place labels on us to box us in and place limitations on us. Today I’ve decided to empower those who have been placed under a label such as Disabled. Forward Thinkers, as we move forward, we remove the label and declare people are not disabled but they operate with Different Abilities.
Forward Thinkers, we must change the way we talk about ourselves.
Forward Thinkers, we must take control of the label—I’m not a victim; I’m victorious! As a matter of fact, the only label I’ll wear is Christian; meaning I’m Christ-like and being Christ-like empowers me to be more than a conqueror. Forward Thinkers, you are not disabled; you are overcomers in Jesus’ Name.
2 Samuel 9 (NIV)
David and Mephibosheth
9 David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is lame in both feet.”
4 “Where is he?” the king asked. Ziba answered, “He is in Lo Debar.”
5 So King David had him brought from Lo Debar
6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor. David said, “Mephibosheth!” “At your service,” he replied.
7 “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul and you will always eat at my table.”
8 Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”
9 Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s steward, and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. 10 You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master’s grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)
11 Then Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s[a] table like one of the king’s sons.
12 Mephibosheth had a young son named Mika, and all the members of Ziba’s household were servants of Mephibosheth. 13 And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table; he was lame in both feet.
Forward Thinkers, Mephibosheth is a perfect example that you belong at the King’s table also. Mephibosheth was dropped by his caregiver and left crippled in both legs. Forward Thinkers, we can’t control what happens to us in life but we can control how we respond and overcome what happens to us. Unfortunately, we may get dropped in life but we must get up and get to the King’s table.
Mephibosheth ended up in Lo Debar, a place no one desires to end up in. Forward Thinkers, think about the game of dominos where you pick your dominos with no idea of what’s on the other side of each domino; but you have to play it out and you play to win, no matter what’s on the other side. Forward Thinkers, no matter what domino you pull, remember, each domino has the potential to end up being the winning domino; so we must just keep playing what’s in our hand.
Forward Thinkers, go back and reread Psalm 139 and remember God has a covenant in place with us and God has not changed His mind about who we are. Mephibosheth benefited from the covenant and today, we remember no matter what, things around us look like we are in covenant with an amazing God.
Forward Thinkers, King David restored Mephibosheth and today we must have full confidence that God has restored us. The good news is, nothing can separate us from the love of God.
Forward Thinkers, notice King David declares Mephibosheth has a permanent seat at the King’s table and we must believe there is also a permanent seat placement at the King’s table with our name on it also. Forward Thinkers, don’t allow your current situation to rob you of your place at the King’s table.
In conclusion, I pray you realized that when Mephibosheth got to the King’s table he was still crippled but he was also covered by promises of God. Forward Thinkers, no matter the condition, God’s grace and mercy covers us and Jesus paid the price for our place at the King’s table.
Pastor E. A. Deckard is the Senior Pastor/Founder of the Green House International Church located, in both Houston, Texas, and the Woodlands, Texas. Pastor Deckard is also the Co-Founder of the No More Bloodshed Movement. To contact Pastor Deckard for speaking engagements contact him at pr.ghic@gmail.com, follow him on Facebook, Instagram and Periscope @ Pastor E A Deckard or the church website www.ghic.net