Then Abigail went to Nabal, and there he was in his house, holding a feast fit for a king. Nabal was in a good mood and very drunk, so she didn’t say anything to him until morning light. In the morning when Nabal sobered up, his wife told him about these events. Then he had a seizure and became paralyzed. About 10 days later, the Lord struck Nabal dead. 1 Samuel 25:36-37 HCSB
Occasionally I have become angry about a situation and quickly written an email expressing my feelings. I have learned from experience that it is wise to stop and wait until the next day before sending an emotion-filled email or making a phone call to someone in reaction to something the person has said or done. Many times the next day I have modified the email and periodically I have deleted the email altogether and not even sent it.
Abigail knew that because Nabal was drunk he was not in a condition to understand what she was saying and could have reacted in a unreasonable way. The Holman Christian Standard Bible says he had a seizure while the New International Version says his heart failed him. David left Nabal’s fate in God’s hand. God protected David from evil actions and protected Abigail and Nabal’s men, but He allowed an evil fate to come upon Nabal and he died.
Challenge: Pick the right time to discuss important issues. Be careful that you wait until the right time to express your thoughts and feelings to make sure you are not reacting out of anger and saying something that might cause more conflict rather than bringing peace. God protects those who love Him and punishes those who turn from Him and do evil.