​An old legend is told of a group of travelers who were preparing to retire for the night when they were visited by a celestial being. The travelers were told to gather as many pebbles as they could and put them into their saddlebags. "Travel a day's journey, and tomorrow night will find you GLAD, and it will find you SAD."

Although this simple task made little sense, the travelers picked up a few pebbles and put them in their bags. The next evening, they discovered every pebble had turned into a diamond. They were GLAD they had diamonds, but SAD they had picked up so few pebbles.

Every time we come to the house of worship, there is "much treasure." Yet, in the moment, it may only look like a "pebble"—small, insignificant, common, and worth little. Pebbles can be in the form of a song, message, testimony, or verse of Scripture. They are words of truth, advice, direction, and encouragement that might seem unimportant at the time. Like the pebbles in the story, effort must be put forth to pick up these truths and store them in our hearts and minds.
​
There will be days when trials and temptations come our way. Depression tries to work, or doubts plague our minds. That is when God brings to our remembrance a testimony, song, message, or godly counsel (a "pebble") from a recent worship service to encourage and strengthen us. It is then, we realize our "pebble" has turned into a "diamond!"

Mephibosheth was only five years old when word came that his father (Jonathan) and grandfather (King Saul) had died in battle. As Mephibosheth's nurse fled with him, "he fell, and became lame."
​
After David became king of Israel, he asked if there were any "left of the house of Saul." David and Jonathan had been close friends, and David promised to show kindness to Jonathan and his family (1 Samuel 20:15). King David was told of Mephibosheth, who lived in Lodebar.

The word Lodebar means "no word or thing, no pasture, no communication, a parched dry place, no shepherd." This was where Mephibosheth was living. King David sent for him, brought him to the king's palace, set him at the king's table, and restored the family lands to him.

Isaiah 53:6 says, "All we like sheep have gone astray." For one reason or another, we all left the King's house and ended up in a spiritual Lodebar—a place of no Word and no Shepherd. Like King David, God is seeking for ones to show kindness to. He is sending His servants to the dry, parched places, the places where there is no Word of God and no Shepherd (Jesus), so they can bring people back to Father's house.

When we arrive at Father's house, we find He restores that which was lost and gives us a place at His table where we can "eat bread alway." What a beautiful picture of God's love reaching to the farthest, most desolate places, desiring to bring the lost home to a good place where they are well-fed and have a good Shepherd!