ReignSample

Some people live up to their name. Nabal certainly did—but that wasn’t a good thing because his name means “fool.” When David sent messengers to ask Nabal for provisions, Nabal sent them away empty-handed. And when David found out, he was mad. He was so mad he was ready to kill Nabal and all his men. David and his men had been living in the wilderness, and they had protected Nabal’s property and made sure no harm came to his shepherds. So, David naturally assumed Nabal would be grateful and share his abundance with David’s men. But Nabal turned David’s men away, and David was seeing red.

If Nabal had an ounce of wisdom, he would have known that David was a mighty warrior, a hero of Israel, and the man God had chosen to be the next king. It would have been a privilege and honor to have David and his men at his table! But in his foolishness, all Nabal could think about was his wealth. His stinginess almost cost him his life. Thankfully, his wife, Abigail, was wise! She set out to make things right. She brought David and his men a feast and humbled herself before the future king. Seeing the beauty of such a gesture, David turned back from his anger. Though God still dealt with Nabal—and he died just ten days later—Abigail’s wisdom kept David from resorting to violence and saved the lives of all the innocent servants on Nabal’s estate. Lord, when situations are tough, please give us insight to see what’s wise, like Abigail.