Is there anyone still here?

It seems like a simple question, doesn’t it? You and I might ask it when we’re leaving a building, and it’s our job to turn out the lights, so we turn back at the door and shout out, “Anyone still here?” Then, when no answer comes, we shut it down, lock the door, and head home. We’ve done our duty, stayed until the end, and now we want to be done. 

But when David asked the question in 2 Samuel 9, he did so with an entirely different attitude. Here was the once-neglected shepherd boy who, against all rational thought, had risen to power through a series of amazing relationships and military conquests. 

It wasn’t easy for David – he had fought and fought hard. He had battled military enemies as well as those who were supposed to be his allies but had turned on him in fits of jealous rage. In fact, when he did finally rise to power as a general, he had spent years in exile from the very homeland God had chosen for him to rule, chased day and night by a madman bent on his destruction. Then, before his throne was secure, he had to keep fighting to bring order from the chaos left in the wake of the previous regime.

It was an incredibly long road. But now David had the throne. Now he had the power. Now all the promises that had been only words before were actually becoming reality. 

And that’s what makes David’s question so surprising:

“Is there anyone remaining from Saul’s family I can show kindness to because of Jonathan?” (2 Samuel 9:1).

Tough to imagine what the reaction in the room might have been when those words came out of the new king’s mouth. Seriously? From the family of Saul? Saul – the guy that’s been chasing you? That’s been trying to kill you? Maybe you don’t remember that “pin you to the wall with a spear” incident?

I’m sure he remembered, but David’s question came from a heart of love and generosity. He was actively looking, searching, imploring. Surely there must be someone left to whom he could show kindness.

Sounds a lot like grace, doesn’t it?

When you are given grace, you should ask, “Is there anyone else who needs grace?” Because there’s got to be someone still there, and you know grace must be shared. 

Is there anyone still out there? You bet there is. 

We will meet a lot of them today.

Written by Michael Kelley, Guest Contributor

To read more of Michael’s writing, check out his daily blog, Forward Progress http://michaelkelley.co/