[Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Life lessons from women in the Bible 1: “Abigail: the wise wife”

Read: 1 Samuel 25:1-44

Meditation verse:

“Then David said to Abigail: “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me!” (1 Samuel 25:32).

The bible describes Abigail as an intelligent, beautiful humble woman. Her husband Nabal was wealthy, but he was harsh, insensitive, and unwise. When king David sent his men to him to give them some of his supply, he treated the men with disdain. David was furious and he determined to kill every male connected to Nabal. His men had provided security for Nabal’s shearers and sheep in Carmel, and he had expected him to be more gracious.

When the matter was reported to Abigail, she made haste and took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five sheep already dressed, five seahs of roasted grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, loaded them on donkeys and set off to meet David. “She fell at his feet and pleaded on behalf of her husband. Through her wisdom, discernment, and ability to act quickly, she prevented the wiping out of every male linked to her husband. She could have said “that’s his business”, when the matter was reported to her, but she knew her husband’s weakness and how to make up for it. She was also not willing to let his shortcomings undermine her entire household. She also knew her own strength and how to deploy them to her advantage. Through her persuasive words, she won King David over. Sadly, her wisdom did not rub off on her husband.

Whilst Abigail was making up for her husband’s errors, he was busy making merry and getting drunk, oblivious of what was going on. In the morning, when the wine had gone from him, she told him all that happened. His heart died within him, and he became like a stone; and died after about ten days. At the end of the day, we are all responsible for our own actions; and life does not always spare us the consequences of our acts of indiscretion. “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19- 20).

IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

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