(Read 1 Samuel 25:14-46)
This morning we continue our series “Grace that is Simply Amazing.” Yesterday we saw David’s anger was kindled because Nabal did not show him kindness. Basically, David got offended, he stepped out of the will of God, and he was ready to kill Nabal and every man in his household. But Nabal’s wife, Abigail, sensed what was going to happen and she sprang into action when her servants told her that David had been nothing but kind to them in the wilderness, even going to the extent of protecting Nabal’s flocks with his own armed guards. 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 sent the gifts with her servants and didn’t tell her husband what she was doing.
Abigail caught up to her men just before they encountered David. When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before him. Abigail accepted all the blame, acknowledged that her husband was a wicked and ill-tempered man, and asked for mercy. She then quickly moved from asking for mercy to operating in faith. Abigail started speaking what she desired to happen, as if it was already done. She said, “Now, my lord, as surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, since the LORD has kept you from murdering and taking vengeance into your own hands, let all your enemies and those who try to harm you be as cursed as Nabal is.” Notice that Abigail did not wait to hear David’s decision before ‘leading’ him with her words. She said that the Lord had kept David from taking vengeance in his own hands, before David said it. She said it by faith. Guess what? It worked.
Abigail then offered David the gifts and pronounced a blessing over David, saying, “The LORD will surely reward you with a lasting dynasty, for you are fighting the LORD’s battles. And you have not done wrong throughout your entire life. Even when you are chased by those who seek to kill you, your life is safe in the care of the LORD your God, secure in his treasure pouch! But the lives of your enemies will disappear like stones shot from a sling!” Whether she knew it or not, Abigail was speaking prophetically. God was using her to minister a Word to David. David went on to say, “Praise the LORD, the God of Israel, who has sent you to meet me today! Thank God for your good sense! Bless you for keeping me from murder and from carrying out vengeance with my own hands.” David accepted her gifts and told her, “Return home in peace. I have heard what you said. We will not kill your husband.” When Abigail arrived home, Nabal was throwing a big party. He was celebrating like a king, completely drunk, and oblivious to what had just happened. He had no idea that he his wife had just saved his life.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. Thank God for a praying spouse. While Abigail did not fall on her face before the Lord, I believe she was led of God to discern the gravity of the situation and she quickly sprang into action to save her husband. Husbands and wives are graced to intercede for each other. The Father will use you to be a blessing to your spouse, and vice-versa. So never stop praying, interceding, and intervening for your spouse. God has graced you to do it. And when you are the recipient of your spouse’s intercession and intervention, praise God. Never cease to give God praise for your spouse.
2. Every answer is not spiritual. I am not lessening the importance of hearing from God in any way, but I am making the point that God, who speaks to use in spiritual ways, often leads us to do natural things in the earth in order to bring about His will in the earth. Abigail did not hold a prayer service, she got natural things together and brought them to David as a gift. If she had not done so, her husband would have been killed. Don’t think that our Spiritual God will not lead you to do natural things. You live in a natural world, so while our God is a Spirit and He speaks to your spirit, He will lead you to do natural, practical and pragmatic things, in the earth, in order to experience His best.
3. You don’t even know. Nabal had no idea that his wife had just saved his life and you have no idea how many times the Lord has done something similar for you. You won’t know, until you get to heaven, how many time the Lord stepped in for you, sending someone to do something for you that saved you, without you even knowing about it. Do you know what that’s called? It’s called GRACE!
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for my spouse. You have graced my spouse to intercede and intervene for me in ways I am aware of and in ways I am not. You have blessed me to live my life with a covenant-partner and I am thankful for it. I intercede and intervene for spouse and they do so for me. I am a blessing to my spouse and my spouse is a blessing to me, because You have graced us to be a blessing to one another. You have saved me more times than I know. When I get to heaven I will find out about all the times You sent someone to intercede and stand in the gap for me, even when I had no clue of what was going on. Thank You Father for being so good to me. And Father, I thank You Father for leading me, by Your Spirit, to do natural, practical and pragmatic things in the earth. I hear from You in Spiritual ways and You lead me to do both Spiritual and natural things that bring about Your will. I thank You for blessing me to hear from You, and I thank You for giving me the insight I need to be successful in every meeting, conversation and activity I engage in today. Your Spiritual insight gives me a natural advantage as I do business and for that I am extremely thankful. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
