Scripture:
“Meanwhile, one of Nabal’s servants went to Abigail and told her, ‘David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master, but he screamed insults at them. These men have been very good to us, and we never suffered any harm from them. Nothing was stolen from us the whole time they were with us. In fact, day and night they were like a wall of protection to us and the sheep. You need to know this and figure out what to do, for there is going to be trouble for our master and his whole family. He’s so ill-tempered that no one can even talk to him!’
Abigail wasted no time. She quickly gathered 200 loaves of bread, two wineskins full of wine, five sheep that had been slaughtered, nearly a bushel of roasted grain, 100 clusters of raisins, and 200 fig cakes. She packed them on donkeys and said to her servants, ‘Go on ahead. I will follow you shortly.’ But she didn’t tell her husband Nabal what she was doing.
As she was riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, she saw David and his men coming toward her. David had just been saying, ‘A lot of good it did to help this fellow. We protected his flocks in the wilderness, and nothing he owned was lost or stolen. But he has repaid me evil for good. May God strike me and kill me if even one man of his household is still alive tomorrow morning’!” 1 Samuel 25:14-22 (NLT)
Perspective:
David had been on the run from Saul with his men. He had sent a message to Nabal asking for provisions for the people in his camp. This request would seem out of place if it hadn’t been for David already helping Nabal by protecting his shepherds in the fields. Nabal was a wealthy man, and the request was sent at a time of celebration when the sheep were being sheared. David’s request was reasonable, and Nabal had the resources to give. However, David was a warrior, so when Nabal refused to honor his request or even acknowledge David’s contribution, David gathered his men to fight. While the situation could have ended with David fighting with swords and winning the battle, an unexpected person stepped into the situation. Abigail, Nabal’s wife, heard how her husband treated these men and flew into action. Instead of fighting with swords, she equipped herself with something even more powerful. She didn’t prepare something small, but lavishly gave these men food. She was wise, resourceful, and courageous. Abigail set out to try to dissuade an armed group of angry men from killing her family. She put her life on the line without knowing how her gifts would be received. These tired, hungry men had a complete change of heart when they experienced Abigail’s kindness. Abigail could not win using the same weapons, but she had something much more powerful than a sword at her disposal to turn this situation around.
The conflicts that we experience in life may initially look like they can be solved through manpower. However, Abigail demonstrates that we need to have wisdom to navigate life’s daily battles. You may be facing a situation where you have tried to rectify the situation using a conventional approach. You have been praying and asking God for a turn around in that situation. Have you considered the resources at your disposal and how God can help you creatively provide a new solution? A negotiation between business professionals may require a different solution than initially seems appropriate. A conflict with a family member may require rethinking how you have been engaging them in relationship. In every situation that needs to be turned around, we need God’s wisdom on how to move forward. When we daily ask God for wisdom, we can face our life with confidence that He will give us the knowledge and wisdom to honor Him in every circumstance. It will take courage, but wisdom can be a stronger sword than angst. Wisdom may require us to use different resources, kindness, or other means to bring about a reversal. Our wisdom displayed through kindness to others has the power to turn situations around for God’s glory and our good.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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About Hona Amer
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