Month: August 2016

But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him, for who can lift a hand against the Lord’s anointed and be blameless?” 1 Samuel 26:9 HCSB

There are political leaders with whom I do not agree and do not support. Some have abused their positions and power; others have made very poor decisions that have hurt people more than they have helped. Some have been dishonest and even taken advantage of others. I do not respect their leadership abilities, but the Lord has allowed them to be in positions of power and authority, so I must respect the positions they hold.

Saul was king and the anointed one of the Lord. David respected the position he held and even though he had the opportunity, he would not lift a finger to harm him. He would leave Saul’s fate in God’s hands. David knew that he would someday be the king because Samuel had anointed him, but it would be God who would remove Saul and make David the king.

Challenge: Even if you do not agree with elected officials, respect the positions they hold. Pray for them and ask God to give them wisdom as they make decisions that impact many people. Believers are instructed to submit to authority (see Romans 13:1-5 and 1 Timothy 2:1-4).

That night, David and Abishai came to the troops, and Saul was lying there asleep in the inner circle of the camp with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. Abner and the troops were lying around him. Then Abishai said to David, “Today God has handed your enemy over to you. Let me thrust the spear through him into the ground just once. I won’t have to strike him twice!” 1 Samuel 26:7-8 HCSB

It was a cool fall night at a football game as a friend of mine and I walked behind the steel stands. He was smoking a cigarette that he had gotten from an older brother. As we walked along he asked me, “Could you hold my cigarette for a minute?” I took the cigarette. He then challenged me to give it a try. I refused so he then asked me, “Doesn’t that make you feel important and like an adult?” I responded, “No!” and gave him his cigarette back. I have never had a desire to smoke or even try it. That does not make me special; God has just blessed me with no desire for any type of tobacco.

Abishai tempted David to take advantage of the opportunity to kill Saul, even saying that it was obvious that God had delivered Saul into David’s hands – surely this was something God would want him to do. Sometimes our closest friends can cause us to sin. We need to be on our guard and remember to always follow God’s direction regardless of what friends say.

Beware of Satan’s temptations. He will often disguise the truth by telling you, “Everyone else is doing it” or “Surely God would want you to do this” or “Just a little bit will not hurt anything” or “If it feels good, it must be okay.” Don’t listen to Satan’s lies. The best moral decisions are made before temptation ever comes. Decide ahead of the temptation what you are going to do to follow God’s laws and principles.

Challenge: Every day you will encounter opportunities and decisions. Do not follow the crowd. Make your decisions based on what is right in God’s eyes rather than what seems right, what feels right, what is easiest, or what others are encouraging you to do. Ask God to give you wisdom as you seek to make wise decisions each day.

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.

Then David accepted what she had brought him and said, “Go home in peace. See I have heard what you said and have granted your request.” 1 Samuel 25:35 HCSB

Have you ever faced a challenging situation and felt total relief when the situation was resolved and everything was okay? There have been times when I have had to talk to an employee that I supervised about an issue that needed to be resolved and changes that needed to be made. There seemed to be tension in the air that could be cut with a knife. I was nervous and searched for just the right words to say. I am sure the person felt even more uneasy. I felt relief when our talk was finished and thought, “I am glad that is over.”

I am sure that Abigail felt that same tension as she approached David. What a relief she must have felt when David said, “Go home in peace.” David granted her request and accepted her gifts. She did not have to worry about David and his men attacking Nabal, his family, and his men. Those words must have calmed her fears.

Challenge: When we come to Jesus with all of our sin, it is comforting to hear Him say, “You are forgiven, my child. I have already paid the price for your sins. Go home in peace.” We will be home and no longer have to worry about facing the penalty for our sins. Thank God for the forgiveness of sin and for the peace that you experience because you are a Christ follower. Listen to the song “Tell Your Heart to Beat Again” by Danny Gokey on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azYK8I2uoog

“Otherwise, as surely as the Lord God of Israel lives, who prevented me from harming you if you had not come quickly to meet me, Nabal wouldn’t have had any men left by morning light.” 1 Samuel 25:32-33 HCSB

Have you ever had to step out of your “comfort zone”? I have jumped off a thirty foot cliff into the ocean in Hawaii and I have gone through a very narrow “corkscrew” in a cave. Both times I was way out of my “comfort zone”. When I had to make a speech in my speech class in college, I was out of my “comfort zone”. Today I am very comfortable speaking, preaching, and teaching conferences. Sometimes God helps us to overcome our fears and uses us to accomplish His will.

Just imagine how far out of her “comfort zone” Abigail had to go to approach David. First she was a woman in a culture that looked on women as property rather than individuals of value and importance. Secondly, she was approaching David, a man she knew was a very important and powerful man. Third, she was going against her husband’s wishes and the decisions he had made. Obviously, this would not have been an easy task for her. God gave Abigail the needed strength and courage to intervene and stop David from taking revenge.

Challenge: Where might God be calling you to step out of your “comfort zone”? If you are willing to intervene and help diffuse a bad situation, it will likely require you to step out of your “comfort zone”. Ask God to give you the strength and courage to get involved and make a difference in a bad situation. Pray for wisdom and know that there are times when you may need to bring in people with more trained expertise or you may need to leave justice in God’s hands.

Then David said to Abigail, “Praise to the Lord God of Israel, who sent you to meet me today! Your discernment is blessed, and you are blessed. Today you kept me from participating in bloodshed and avenging myself by my own hand.” 1 Samuel 25:32-33 HCSB

I have been the victim of some very unfair and undeserved actions. My first reaction was to seek revenge. I wanted to inflict the same type of pain and suffering that had been done to me on the persons responsible for my pain and suffering. That is a normal human reaction. It has been difficult, but I have turned my anguish over to the Lord and will allow Him to deal with those involved in His timing and in His way.

David had planned to take revenge against Nabal for his unfair and undeserved actions. I am sure David must have thought, “I will teach him a good lesson for his bad behavior.” But getting revenge is not always as sweet as it seems. David realized that the Lord had sent Abigail to intervene and keep him from doing something that he would have regretted and that would have caused bloodshed and death.

Challenge: Deuteronomy 32:35 says, “Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay. In time their foot will slip, for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.” David realized that God is in control in every situation and he respected God’s sovereignty. If he had taken matters into his own hands, he would have violated God’s authority and incurred God’s wrath on himself. When you feel like seeking revenge, remember that God is in control and has placed you right where you are for His purposes. Therefore, wait on the Lord and allow Him to guide your next step and allow Him to deal with those who have hurt you.

“They were a wall around us, both day and night, the entire time we were herding the sheep. Now consider carefully what you must do, because there is certain to be trouble for our master and his entire family. He is such a worthless fool nobody can talk to him!” 1 Samuel 25:16-17 HCSB

Once as I was leaving a football game I came upon two men fighting. I am not sure what they were fighting about, but I decided to try to break it up. There were others standing around just watching what was happening as I stepped in and told the two guys to stop fighting. When I interceded, a few others stepped in as well and helped break up the argument and pull the two guys apart. In retrospect, I am not sure how wise it was for me to get involved. The two guys could have turned their attention to me and I would have been in the middle of their fight. Fortunately, God protected me and I helped ease a stressful and potentially dangerous altercation.

David’s men had protected Nabal’s servants while they were herding the sheep. David asked Nabal to feed his men as a favor for the protection he and his men had provided. This would have been a reasonable request. Nabal refused and treated them rudely. David was planning some type of revenge and the servants went to Abigail, Nabal’s wife, seeking her help to intervene and stop the impending danger. Evidently they believed that Abigail could help with the situation.

Challenge: Do not be afraid to get involved and intervene in a situation that may cause harm to someone. It could be between two friends or a husband and wife. The harm could be physical or emotional. God calls us to be peacemakers. Pray for wisdom whenever you intervene in a conflict.

Was today the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Please don’t let the king make an accusation against your servant or any of my father’s household, for your servant didn’t have any idea about all of this.” But the king said, “You will die, Ahimelech – you and your father’s whole family!” Then the king ordered the guards standing by him, “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord because they sided with David. For they knew he was fleeing, but they didn’t tell me.” But the king’s servants would not lift a hand to execute the priests of the Lord. 1 Samuel 22:15-17 HCSB

Have you ever had to take a stand against something that violates God’s laws and principles? We now live in a world where radical people force others to denounce their faith in God and pledge allegiance to their god. Many of these faithful Christians have refused to renounce their faith in Jesus Christ and as a result have been persecuted. Some have even been killed because of their unwillingness to violate God’s laws and principles.

The king’s servants would not follow the order of the king to kill the priests of the Lord. They knew that Saul was acting out of fear and jealousy and that Ahimelech and his family did not have any intention of betraying Saul. The servants feared the wrath of God more than they feared the wrath of the king. They took a stand and did what was right.

Challenge: As believers we may be called upon to take a stand against something that violates God’s laws and principles. We must be willing to say “no” to the temptation to do something that is wrong. Ask God to help you and give you the strength you need to take a stand against the evils in our world.

Then Saul said, “Listen, son of Ahitub!” “I’m at your service, my lord,” he said. Saul asked him, “Why did you and Jesse’s son conspire against me? You gave him bread and a sword and inquired of God for him, so he could rise up against me and wait in ambush, as is the case today.” 1 Samuel 22:12-13 HCSB

Have you ever been sent to the principal’s office? It is not fun. I was in the 8th grade and talking in class when I was supposed to be listening to the teacher. She sent me to the principal’s office. It was back in the days when a principal could actually discipline a child for wrong-doing. The principal gave me a spanking with a paddle. One strike and out the door I went. It hurt my pride more than physically hurting. I hated getting in trouble and knew that I would be in more trouble when I got home. We would probably have less problems in our schools today if students respected those in authority and if parents would support disciplinary measures when needed.

The priest Ahimelech was in trouble with Saul because he had helped David by giving him some food and a sword. Ahimelech and his whole family were summoned by King Saul. Ahimelech had done nothing wrong; he helped David but was certainly not trying to betray Saul. Saul accused him of siding with David in conspiring against him. Ahimelech did not deny helping David but defended David as being a loyal servant of Saul.

Challenge: Ahimelech faced opposition simply for doing what was right – helping David. As a believer there will be times when you will face opposition and be challenged because you do what is right. Sometimes adversity is a result of our own sin, but not in all instances. Trust God in the face of opposition and criticism.

That’s why all of you have conspired against me! Nobody tells me when my own son makes a covenant with Jesses’s son. None of you cares about me or tells me that my son has stirred up my own servant to wait in ambush for me, as is the case today.” 1 Samuel 22:8 HCSB

I have frequently observed others having a “Pity Party”. They feel sorry for themselves and think everyone is out to get them. Some are convinced that others are plotting harm. Others become so depressed they wish they could end it all.

Saul was having a “Pity Party” and feeling as though everyone, including his servants, was conspiring against him. He felt that no one cared about him. Saul even thought his own son, Jonathan, was plotting against him. This was untrue as Jonathan would die fighting alongside his father.

Challenge: Are you having a “Pity Party” and thinking “poor little me, nobody cares about me”? If you are feeling sorry for yourself, remember that God loves you so much that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer and die on the cross for your sins so you might have forgiveness and gain eternal life. Just think – God, the Omnipotent ruler of the universe, wants to have a personal relationship with you. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and know that God is with you through the valleys of life and on the mountain tops.