Come Out of Lo-debar

Come Out of Lo-debar

It's easy to go through life feeling like we don't measure up.

We focus on our flaws and weaknesses, and how we should be further along.

We let guilt and condemnation weigh us down.

Or we've been through disappointments, dreams haven't worked out, people have done us wrong, it's open the door to insecurity and low self-esteem.

The enemy uses these things to try to steal our sense of value.

He'll whisper, "You don't deserve to be blessed, look at the mistakes you've made.

You're not valuable, look at the family you come from.

You're not loved, nobody cares".

He love for you to believe the lie that you're not worthy. But here's the key: your worth is not based on what you have, what family you come from, or how perfectly you live. Your worth is based on the fact that you're a child of the Most High God. You are worthy not because of what you did, but because of what Jesus did: he made you worthy. God created you in his own image, you have royal blood flowing through your veins. He crowns you with favor, he calls you a masterpiece. Now, don't let how people treat you determine your worth. Don't let what someone said or how they make you feel cause you to live inferior. They don't determine your value. They didn't breathe life into you. They didn't choose you before you were formed in your mother's womb. They can't make you feel inferior, unless you give them permission. Quit giving it to them. You have the fingerprints of God all over you. He calls you his prized possession, one of a kind, fearfully and wonderfully made. But sometimes we let our weaknesses and areas we need to improve in cause us to feel unworthy. We go around down on ourselves, thinking once we get it all together then we can feel good about who we are. But your worth is not based on your performance. There's nothing you can do to make you more valuable. "If I work harder, be more disciplined, pray longer, spend more time with my children, then I'll deserve to be blessed". Well, that's all good, that's developing character, but that's not affecting your worth, it's not making you more valuable. Your value comes from your Creator. Don't go go through life living performance-based, trying to earn your worth, and earn your value. The problem is: you'll never measure up. We all make mistakes, we all have shortcomings. Take the pressure off: you don't have to work for it, just receive it, "I am worthy, I am valuable, I've been approved by Almighty God". Every time you say that something powerful happens, you're getting stronger, more confident. You're self-esteem is increasing. Forces of darkness cannot stay when you know you are worthy. Not you're going to be, "Joel, when I control my temper better, when I quit saying things I shouldn't, when I get in shape, when my boss starts respecting me, then I'll feel good about myself". Now, how about right now believing that you're worthy, that you're forgiven, redeemed, restored, one of a kind? Those are the thoughts that need to be playing in your mind throughout the day. Not guilt, shame, "I'm not up to par. If I can I perform better. These people at work look down on me". You can't stop all that, but you can decide what you're going to dwell on. Tune all that out, and get an agreement with God: you are worthy, you are valuable, you deserve to be blessed, you deserve to live an abundant, victorious, healthy, productive, favor-filled life. A friend of mine was raised in a very dysfunctional home. His father was in alcoholic, and he would become violent. They lived in government housing, his mother was on drugs. There was always fighting and conflict in the house. He was told that he would never amount to anything. He didn't know any better, he believed it. He grew up with this sense of shame and unworthiness, thinking "I'm not good enough, I don't deserve anything". He thought it was his fault, that he was to blame. The enemy loves to twist things: he'll use other people's dysfunction to try to convince you that you're the problem, you're not up the par. "If you were better, this wouldn't have happened". Don't believe those lies. You are not responsible for their dysfunction. Don't start taking the blame for something that doesn't have anything to do with you. They have issues they haven't dealt with, there's struggling with things to overcome. You can't let that shame and unworthiness get off on you. Now there's shame, guilt, inferiority. You don't feel like you deserve to be blessed, you have negative baggage in your family line: none of that has changed your value. No matter what people have done, you are still a masterpiece. No matter who walked away, you are still a prized possession. No matter how far off course you've gotten, you still have the fingerprints of God all over you. Don't go through life with the wrong recording playing in your mind, "I'm damaged, I'm not good enough, I'm lacking". No, change that recording: you are worthy, you are valuable, God handpicked you, he breathed his life into you. Now it's up to you to receive your worth, receive your value. You don't have to work for it, you don't have to earn it, just receive it. This is what faith is all about. Ephesians 2:10 says, "You are God's masterpiece".

You didn't come off an assembly line, you weren't mass-produced. When God made you, he threw away the mold. Eight billion people on the planet, and no one has your fingerprints. You are one of a kind, a designer's original. People may not see your value, they may try to discount you, make you feel less than. The only way that will stop you is if you let them convince you that you're not valuable. Tune all that out, here's what God says about you: you are wonderfully made, you are talented, you are attractive, you are confident, you are blessed, you are victorious. Now, that's good for me to speak it over you, because it builds your faith, but something more powerful happens when you speak it.

When you say it long enough, it will get down in your spirit and become a reality. All through the day, even if it's under your breath, "I am worthy, I am valuable, I am a masterpiece, I'm a child of the Most High God". There's a young man in the the scripture named Mephibosheth, he was the grandson of king Saul. His father was Jonathan, David's best friend.

Mephibosheth had been born into royalty, destined to one day take the throne, but when he was 5 years old, his father and grandfather were killed in a battle on the same day. The opposing army headed into town to try to finish off all of Saul's family.

When Mephibosheth maid grabbed him and took off running as fast as she could to try to hide him, as she's going down the stairs, she Tripped and fell, Mephibosheth hit the ground so hard that he broke both of his legs and became crippled, he never walked again. Sometimes well meaning people can drop us. This maid was trying to do the right thing, she had good intentions, but her mistake cost him his mobility. Like Mephibosheth, someone may have dropped you, put you at a disadvantage.

They didn't mean to, they would take it back if they could, but they Tripped, and now you struggled with an addiction. They Tripped, they didn't protect you, nurture you and keep their word, and now you struggle with low self-esteem, or with your sense of worth. Well, Mephibosheth ended up living in a place called Lo-debar. It was one of the poorest, most rundown cities of that day. Here he was the grands son of the king, he had grown up in the palace, now he was living in the slums, barely surviving. Here's a key: your location doesn't change your value. He was living in Lo-debar, but he was still royalty.

You may feel like you're in Lo-debar, things have come against you, circumstances you don't understand, but nothing has lessened your value. No person that did you wrong, no bad break, no mistake you made. You are still a child of the Most High, you are still worthy, you still have a purpose to fulfill. Yes, they dropped you, but they didn't stop your destiny. You may be in Lo-debar, but don't let Lo-debar get in you. That's where you are, it is not who you are. God sees these times where you were put at a disadvantage, times you were left out, the times people manipulated things at work to get their way. The enemy loves to use those things to make you feel unworthy, like you don't deserve to be blessed. This is when you have to take control of your thought life. You can't be passive and let the negative play. You have to remind yourself who you are. If you don't tell yourself who you are, the enemy will tell you who you are. All through the day, "I am worthy, I am valuable, I have royal blood in my veins. My location didn't change my identity, I'm still a child of the Most High. His plans for me are still good to give me a future, to prosper me". Well, years went by, and I'm sure Mephibosheth thought that God had forgotten about him. He was satisfied living in Lo-debar, thought that was his destiny. But God wasn't satisfied. God loves you too much to let you live below who you were created to be. One day out of the blue king David said to his men (2 Samuel 9:1), "Is there anyone from the house of Saul still alive so I can show kindness to them"? This is how amazing God is: Saul spent years trying to kill David, he made David's life miserable, where he had to live on the run. You would think the last person David would think about doing good for would be Saul's family. But God is not going to leave you in Lo-debar. Lo-debar is temporary, the injustice, the sickness, the trouble is not how your story ends. You're coming out of Lo-debar. You don't belong there, you have royal blood, you have a crown of favor, you are worthy, you are valuable, and you are destined to overcome. Well, David's men told him that Jonathan had a son that was still alive, but he was crippled, living in the slums of Lo-debar. David didn't think twice. He said, "Go, find him, and bring him to the palace". When the king's men came into the slums, everyone was talking. There was this buzz, "What's going on? What are they doing here"? The fibf heard the knock on his little makeshift hut, he scooted to the door to open it. They asked, "Are you Mephibosheth"? He said in a weak voice, "I am". They said, "The king is looking for you, you're coming to the palace with us". Here this crippled man, feeling unworthy, washed up, been dropped, but now he's headed to the palace. You may have been through things that weren't fair, thoughts whisper, "You're not worthy either, nobody even cares about you". Can I tell you? The king is looking for you. God sent me to knock on your door, to let you know: he's not going to leave you there. That environment did not change your value, you are still royalty. They dropped you, but it didn't lessen your worth. You are still a masterpiece, you are still destined to do great things. They carried Mephibosheth to the palace. He was afraid, thinking maybe David was going to pay him back for how his grandfather treated him. The big moment finally came, David walked in the room, Mephibosheth fell to the ground. He looked up and said to David, "What do you want with a dead dog do like me"? Notice how he saw himself. Not valuable, "I don't deserve anything good. I'm crippled, I live in the slums, my grandfather mistreated you". Right when he thought David was going to let him have it, pay him back for all the wrongs, David said, "No, no, Mephibosheth, I didn't bring you here to harm you, I brought you here to bless you. I didn't have my men search you out so I could get revenge, I had them carry you to the palace, because I know something about you that others may not know. You are royalty. You are the grandson of the king. You belong here". He went on to say, "From now on you will live here with me. Every night you will eat dinner at my table. Not at the staff's table, but with me. And all the land that belong to your grandfather, I'm giving it back to you". But how many of us feel like Mephibosheth? We're not worthy, we don't deserve to be blessed, we got dropped, people put us at a disadvantage. Or we've made mistakes, now we're in Lo-debar. None of that lessens your value. Mephibosheth felt like a dead dog, you can't get much lower than that. What did God do? Put him in the palace, gave him a seat at the king's table, restored all that belong to his family. God is going to do the same thing for you. He is not going to leave you at a deficit, at a disadvantage, at a broken place. You're coming out of Lo-debar. Now, get rid of that dead dog mentality, the shame, the guilt. Voices whispering, "You're not good enough, you don't measure up, you don't deserve to be blessed". That's the enemy trying to keep you in Lo-debar. God sent me with a message: you don't belong there, you are royalty. What's happened in your past has not stopped your future. What God promised you early on, he's still going to do. You may have gotten dropped, but he knows how to pick you up and carry you to the palace. You got stuck in Lo-debar, he's looking for you right now. Restoration is coming, promotion is coming, healing is coming, breakthroughs are coming. There's about to be a knock on your door, a shift, a divine connection, a supernatural turnaround. Now, get your fire back: no more a dead dog mentality, you belong to the king. You are worthy, you are valuable, you deserve to be blessed, to live a happy, victorious, fulfilled life. "I don't know, Joel, I don't think I deserve anything, I'm just a poor old sinner saved by grace". No, we used to be sinners, but when we gave our life to Christ we became a new creation. We are no longer sinners, we are sons and daughters of the Most High God. That's why we deserve to be blessed, because of what Jesus did. If you want to make God proud, don't go around with an unworthy, "I don't deserve it", dead dog mentality. No, step up to the table, come into the palace, believe that you're worthy, believe that you're valuable, believe that your father is a good God, that he takes pleasure in prospering you. But sometimes we think our mistakes have made us unworthy. We made poor choices, we don't deserve anything good. We can't expect God's blessings. But those mistakes didn't change your value. That's what you did, that's not who you are. You are still a child of the Most High, you are still created in his image. But this is when the accuser will work overtime to remind you of everything you've done wrong, how you don't measure up, and you should have been more disciplined. Don't fall into that trap. Shake off the unworthiness, shake off that guilt, and step up to the table. The scripture (Hebrew 4:16) says, "Come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy". You can't go as a weak worm of the dust, "I don't deserve it, I'm so unworthy, I can't do anything right". No, go to God with boldness, "God, I know you have made me worthy. I believe you love me. I believe you for me, that you have good things in store". Don't go as a beggar, go as a believer, with confidence, with boldness. Not because of who you are, but because of whose you are: a child of Almighty God. Jesus told a parable about a young man that God his inheritance early, and he left home. And his father knew it wasn't a good choice, but the young man wanted his own way. He went out and wasted all of his money partying, making bad choices. He ended up working in a hog pen, got so desperate he had to eat the hog food to survive. He finally decided to go back home, but he felt so unworthy and so undeserving. He said, "I'm not going to go back as a son, and try to live at the house like I used to, I'm just going to go ask my father if I can be a servant, an employee, and work like the rest of the staff". He was basing his value on his performance. He performed poorly, he didn't think he was valuable. He headed home. "When the father saw him a long way off", the scripture (Luke 15:20) says, "The father took off running toward him". That means the father was looking for him. Every day, "Where's my son? Maybe today he'll come home? Maybe today he'll change his mind"? Whole time the son was thinking, "He's going to be be so upset, he's not going to want to see me, he's going to let me have it". Those are the two voices that come to us all, "God's not going to forgive you, look what you've done, you better stay away". That's the accuser doing what he does best, trying to make you feel unworthy. You have to listen to that still small voice, "Come home. You're forgiven. I'm looking for you". This son was dirty, smelled like the hogs, hair knut comb, but the father ran and embraced him, gave him a big hug, wouldn't let go, kissed him. The son had his big speech lined up about how undeserving he was, he said in verse 21, "Father, I'm no longer worthy to be called your son". The father acted like he didn't hear him, didn't pay any attention. He said to his staff, "Quick, go get the best robe and put it on my son. Get some new shoes for his feet. Get the family ring to make sure everyone knows he's my son, and by the way, kill the fatted calf, we're going to have a party for my son has returned home". I wonder how many of us are not coming home because we feel unworthy? How many blessings are we missing because we're letting our mistakes hold us back, when in fact God is looking for us? He's not basing your value on your performance, he knows who you are. But if you don't think you deserve to be blessed, then you'll push blessings away. If you don't think you deserve to be loved, you'll push love away. God is longing to be good to you, his mercy's bigger than any mistakes, but you have to come home. Put your shoulders back, come boldly to the throne. No more a dead dog mentality, "I've had bad breaks, they put me at a disadvantage". They they may have dropped you, but they didn't change your value, you are still royalty. Now, do your part and receive your worth. Don't try to earn it, don't live performance-based, take the pressure off and just receive it. Every day, "I am worthy, I am valuable, I am a child of the Most High". If you'll do this, I believe and declare: like Mephibosheth, you're coming out of Lo-debar, out of dysfunction into favor, promotion, victory. God is going to make up for who dropped you, and give you back everything that should have been yours. Like the prodal, despite your mistakes, God has the best robe waiting for you. He's killing the fatted calf right now, there's about to be a party. Mercy is coming, abundance, restoration, the fullness of your destiny, in Jesus name.