Read: 1 Samuel 25:23-31
The LORD has restrained you from bloodguilt and from saving with your own hand. (v. 26)
When I visited the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, I was impressed with the huge marble columns and the 19-foot seated statue of Abraham Lincoln. Magnificent! But it was Lincoln’s own words, inscribed on the walls, that pulled at my heart. In the end, there’s no better memorial to Lincoln’s wisdom and greatness than his own words.
In today’s passage, we read Abigail’s own words to David, and they’re a memorial to her graciousness, her insight, and her faith. She told David he could blame her for the grievance, and that Nabal was a foolish man, unworthy of his consideration. She spoke of David’s victories in battle, and even referenced the death of Goliath, saying that God would hurl his enemies “out as from the hollow of a sling” (v. 29). Abigail also told David that she believed God was using her to restrain his hand; one day David would be king, and this act of unnecessary violence would not trouble him if he relented from killing Nabal. Throughout the speech Abigail was respectful, and conciliatory. Her gifts were generous. She was everything Nabal was not.
Abigail knew she was appealing to a godly man—a man who was not given to unnecessary bloodshed. Her faith in God and in his anointed leader gave her the courage to be a peacemaker in a precarious situation, and her words saved many lives that day.
As you pray, ask God to give you words that are gracious and conciliatory.
About the Author
Laura N. Sweet is a wife, mother, grandmother, and former Christian schoolteacher from Midland, Michigan. She writes devotional material for both adults and children, and her work has appeared in more than a dozen publications.
