Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

I'm Tom Felton and I titled our reading, Knowing and Loving.

In the powerful article, does my son know you?

Sports writer Jonathan Charks wrote of his battle with terminal cancer

and his desire for others to care well for his wife and his young son.

The 34-year-old wrote the piece just six months prior to his death.

Charks, a believer in Jesus, whose father had died when he was a young adult, shared scriptures

that speak of care for widows and orphans. And in words directed to his friends, he wrote,

When I see you in heaven, there's only one thing I'm going to ask. Were you good to my son and my

wife? Does my son know you? King David wondered in the book of

Second Samuel if there was anyone still left in the house of Saul to whom he could show kindness

for his dear friend Jonathan's sake. A son of Jonathan, Lefibisheath, who was lame in both feet

due to an accident, was brought to the king.

David said to him, 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.

David showed loving care to Maphishath, and it's likely that in time the king truly

got to know him.

Jesus has called us to love others, just as he loves us.

As he works in and through us, let's truly get to know and love them well.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from 2 Samuel chapter 9, verses 1 through 10.

David asked, is there anyone still left of the House of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan's sake?

Now there was a servant of Saul's household named Ziba.

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