Louise McEvoy, Adult Ministries Coordinator,

1 Samuel 25:18-19, 23-27, 30-33 (NIV)
18 Abigail acted quickly. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys. 19 Then she told her servants, “Go on ahead; I’ll follow you.”

23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground. 24 She fell at his feet and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord, and let me speak to you; hear what your servant has to say. 25 Please pay no attention, my lord, to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name—his name means Fool, and folly goes with him. And as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my lord sent. 26 And now, my lord, as surely as the Lord your God lives and as you live, since the Lord has kept you from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hands, may your enemies and all who are intent on harming my lord be like Nabal. 27 And let this gift, which your servant has brought to my lord, be given to the men who follow you.

30 When the Lord has fulfilled for my lord every good thing he promised concerning him and has appointed him ruler over Israel, 31 my lord will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself. And when the Lord your God has brought my lord success, remember your servant.”

32 David said to Abigail, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. 33 May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. 

Reflection:
Sliding Doors, starring Louise McEvoy. It all started on a Saturday. I just wanted to stay in bed watching bad cable TV all day. It had been an exhausting week. A friend called and asked to go out. I really wanted to stick with Plan A. I tried to make up every possible excuse not to go but I ended up going, and long story short, I met my husband, Robert. I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I had stayed home that day. Have you experienced a sliding door moment where a particular season of life would have turned out differently if you had made a different decision?

In this Bible story, we have the makings of a perfect storm. First, there is David, hiding from King Saul with an army of 600 men. Then, we have a rich, yet foolish leader named Nabal. David and his men are situated on the outskirts of Nabal’s property. They have been kind to Nabal’s men, protecting his livestock, and securing Nabal’s property line. David sends a request for food when he learns that Nabal is having a large feast associated with sheep shearing. Nabal laughs at David’s messengers, showing contempt and disrespect for David. Hangry (you know, that moment when you’ve not eaten so anger rises to the top easily) David immediately prepares his men for battle when word gets back to him about Nabal’s response. His goal—to kill every man in Nabal’s household.

There is a significant sliding door moment here. I am not talking about David or Nabal’s choices. This sliding door moment belongs to Nabal’s beautiful wife, Abigail. When she learns of David’s anger and the impending destruction of her household, she has a choice to make. Would she panic? Would she leave it alone because boys will be boys? Will she take matters into her own hands since she knows her husband’s irrational behavior caused this? The wise peacemaker chose the latter option, and she did it with efficiency, generosity, and quick thinking. Verse 18 shows us she is aware of the original request—food for 600 hungry men. Scroll back up and look at the menu! Incredible! As she prepares the big spread for David’s army, I imagine her also thinking, “What am I going to say? How do I diffuse this situation?” 

When she meets David, we see her do the exact opposite of her husband, bowing with her face to the ground. Verses 24-31 is one of the best apologies in the Bible! With food! It shows Abigail’s discernment of the situation, knowing who David was and paying respects to this future king. More importantly, she praises David’s God, identifying who is really in charge in this situation. Does David heed her warnings and calm down? You bet he does. Using her inner strength and wisdom, Abigail took matters into her own hands. She gave David a reality check to see what and Who was most important, not only for David but God’s kingdom. Her courageous actions and choice words saved her entire household and changed her life.

Now, I know this is way easier said than done, but if you can, be like Abigail. Be brave. Respond, don’t react. Be the peacemaker. Choose to keep your focus on who is really in charge and give Him praise. It can change your life. 

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of free will. We know that with this gift comes big responsibility. It is the responsibility to choose You, to remember You in all that we do. Help us to make the choices that produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit. May we have the patience and discernment to include You in all our choices. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.