First Things First

“Just as I considered your life valuable today, so may the Lord consider my life valuable and rescue me from all trouble.” 1 Samuel 26:24 HCSB

One might say that Donald Trump is worth something because of his large amount of wealth. Aren’t you glad that God does not value a person based on his financial status? God loves you because you are you. He loves you very much and believes your life is valuable. He considers your life so valuable that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die a cruel death on the cross for your sins. Jesus paid the penalty for your sins. Your life is worth that much to God.

God says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart, I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5) Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I kn0w the plans I have for you.” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.” Before your conception God knew you and valued your life. He had a plan for you. David asked the Lord to consider his life valuable and rescue him from danger.

Challenge: Always remember that God values your life and has a plan for your life – a plan to prosper you and not to harm you. This does not mean you will never encounter difficulties, but if you will seek God and His ways you will find peace and happiness.

Saul responded, “I have sinned. Come back, my son David, I will never harm you again because today you considered my life precious. I have been a fool! I’ve committed a grave error.”1 Samuel 26:21 HCSB

The Bible says, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) We are supposed to confess our sins and God is faithful to forgive our sins. (1 John 1:9) As a believer, I confessed my sins when I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior, but I am human and have continued to sin even though I strive to live my life in a way to please God. I must continually confess my sins and ask for forgiveness.

Saul confessed that he had sinned against David and promised not to harm him. Saul continued with his confession admitting he was a fool and that he had committed a grave error. We know that David did not return to Saul because he was not sure he could trust him or what he was saying. Confession must be more than just words; it must be genuine.

Challenge: Do you need to confess your sins to God or to someone else you have harmed in some way? Swallow your pride and be willing to admit you were wrong and ask for forgiveness from God and those whom you have harmed.

“However, because of the Lord, I will never lift my hand against the Lord’s anointed. Instead, take the spear and the water jug by his head, and let’s go.” 1 Samuel 26:11 HCSB

When I started in ministry 40 years ago people seemed to respect the position of pastor. Very few ministers were found to be dishonest or immoral and consequently fired. Today the culture is very different. There are more ministers who are “caught” doing things that are directly against God’s laws and the laws of man. Ministers who have never done anything immoral, dishonest, or unethical are “fired” for a variety of reasons, including that church members no longer think the pastor is a good fit their church and want him to leave. I have observed several ministers who have abandoned their call to ministry because of the way Christians in the church have treated them. No longer does there seem to be respect for those whom God has called to serve as pastors.

David’s respect for God and His anointed one was far greater than his desire to kill King Saul and assume the position of king. He refused to even lift a hand against Saul. With God on his side, David was able to walk into the middle of the enemy’s camp and stand among the soldiers. David was unwilling to strike the anointed one of God.

Challenge: David respected the position of Saul and refused to lift a hand against him, the Lord’s anointed one. Your pastor and other ministers at your church are the anointed ones of God. Just like Saul many are not perfect, but they deserve your respect. Pray for your pastor and ministers of your church.

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.