Wednesday, July 12th
Devotional written by Pastor Curtis Johnson, Adult Ministries Pastor
AN EFFECTIVE COUNSELOR
To read today: 1 Samuel 25:1-34
David said to Abigail, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. May you be blessed for your good judgement and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands.”
1 Samuel 25:32, 33
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In Chapter 25, we encounter Nabal and his wife, Abigail. Within this narrative, my Study Bible suggests that certain men may not fully appreciate the value of their wives. Abigail, it proposes, may have been the best woman Nabal could have hoped to secure, and he received far more than he had anticipated with this arranged marriage. She was beautiful and more suited than he was to manage his wealth. But Nabal took his wife for granted.
Despite Nabal’s shortcomings, his household did what they could to keep him out of trouble. Abigail must have inspirited this loyalty and although her culture and husband did not value her highly, she made the most of her skills and opportunities. David was impressed with her abilities and when Nabal died, he married her.
Abigail was an effective counselor to both men in her life, working hard to prevent them from making rash decisions. Her swift action and skillful negotiation kept David from taking vengeance upon Nabal. She saw the big picture and left plenty of room for God to intervene.
Final thought: Do you, like Abigail, look beyond the present crisis to see the big picture? Do you use your skills to promote peace? Are you loyal without being blind? What challenge or responsibility do you face today that needs a person under God’s control?
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