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What Abigail Won’t Do
People often are afraid of an abusive person. They are ready to cover for the abuser and will lie and pretend in order to appease the abuser.
Read 1 Samuel 25:25, 26. What does it say about Abigail that she was so open about her husband’s faults? How does this make her intercession in his behalf that much more remarkable? If someone were interceding for you right now (which there is), what might be said about you?
Although Abigail is ready to risk her life to save her household, she also has personal integrity. She does not lie for Nabal. She knows that he is the one with the problem, and she is not afraid to say so even in public.
Someone in an abusive relationship often begins to feel responsible for the abuser’s actions and feels guilty. Abigail does not do this. She has a strong sense of self-worth. This sense of worth is grounded in her sense of mission. She does not give herself credit for intercepting David and bringing the gift but sees herself simply as God’s instrument in changing David’s mind. Because Abigail knows who she is, she is able to encourage David to be all he can be. She reminds him that he is to fight the Lord’s battles and not waste his time and energy in seeking revenge for personal insults. Abigail’s observation that “evil [has] not been found” in David (1 Sam. 25:28, NKJV) is both a statement and a warning that David has not (yet) disqualified himself from the great office that he has been anointed for—to be king.
Abigail also reminds David that with his life firmly bound up in God, he has no need to “save face” or defend his honor. God would do it for him.
Remember, too, that in Abigail’s world divorce and even separation were not options for a woman. From an earthly point of view, she would “belong” to her husband until the day of her death. However, Abigail does not see her life as useless or as a permanent prison. She believes that God will deal with her husband in His own good time.
Abigail’s speech shows that wisdom can be found in any life situation where we surrender ourselves to God. Wisdom is not a theory but a practical way of living and reacting to the people around us.
What does it mean to surrender ourselves completely to God? How does one do it? If someone were to say to you, “I want to give myself completely to the Lord, but I don’t know how,” how would you respond?
| WEDNESDAY | October 27 |
People often are afraid of an abusive person. They are ready to cover for the abuser and will lie and pretend in order to appease the abuser.
Read 1 Samuel 25:25, 26. What does it say about Abigail that she was so open about her husband’s faults? How does this make her intercession in his behalf that much more remarkable? If someone were interceding for you right now (which there is), what might be said about you?
Although Abigail is ready to risk her life to save her household, she also has personal integrity. She does not lie for Nabal. She knows that he is the one with the problem, and she is not afraid to say so even in public.
Someone in an abusive relationship often begins to feel responsible for the abuser’s actions and feels guilty. Abigail does not do this. She has a strong sense of self-worth. This sense of worth is grounded in her sense of mission. She does not give herself credit for intercepting David and bringing the gift but sees herself simply as God’s instrument in changing David’s mind. Because Abigail knows who she is, she is able to encourage David to be all he can be. She reminds him that he is to fight the Lord’s battles and not waste his time and energy in seeking revenge for personal insults. Abigail’s observation that “evil [has] not been found” in David (1 Sam. 25:28, NKJV) is both a statement and a warning that David has not (yet) disqualified himself from the great office that he has been anointed for—to be king.
Abigail also reminds David that with his life firmly bound up in God, he has no need to “save face” or defend his honor. God would do it for him.
Remember, too, that in Abigail’s world divorce and even separation were not options for a woman. From an earthly point of view, she would “belong” to her husband until the day of her death. However, Abigail does not see her life as useless or as a permanent prison. She believes that God will deal with her husband in His own good time.
Abigail’s speech shows that wisdom can be found in any life situation where we surrender ourselves to God. Wisdom is not a theory but a practical way of living and reacting to the people around us.
What does it mean to surrender ourselves completely to God? How does one do it? If someone were to say to you, “I want to give myself completely to the Lord, but I don’t know how,” how would you respond?
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