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1 Samuel 25
Abigail prepares gifts and food for David and his men, without her husband's knowledge. Her husband Nabal had rejected David's request for hospitality, thus bringing certain disaster on himself and his household. David planned to destroy all the men, property and household of Nabal.
V24 She fell at his (David's) feet, "On me alone, mine alone, my lord, be the blame."
V25 "Please do not let my lord pay attention to this worthless man, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. (his name means fool).
Abigail by her beautiful disposition wins David's favor and he relents of his plans of bloodshed. She is unable to approach her husband because he has been eating and drinking the day away. He had a feast prepared for himself while an army of men went hungry, further confirming his character. She would use discernment and wait to tell him all that had happened when he sobered up.
V37 In the morning when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him all that had happened, and his heart died within him so that he became as a stone.
V40 David asks for her hand in marriage.
Ephesians 5
V1-2 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
V21 Be subject to one another in the fear of the Lord.
V22 Wives be subject to your own husbands as unto the Lord.
V23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He himself being Savior of the body.
V24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husband's in everything.
God asks us to be subject to others so He can bless us. God knows if the person you have to be subject to is worthy, that's not our business, obedience to Christ is. When we lay ourselves in His perfect care He will always make our situation bearable. Even Nabal respected and trusted Abigail otherwise she wouldn't have had the access to all his goods and been able to act so speedily in preparing the gifts for David; she needed the help of many servants to accomplish it. God is not asking us to do nothing, but to do it with honor and respect for God first, the rest will have God's influence and will succeed.
Ephesians 6
V5 Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ;
V6 not by way of eye service, as men pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.
V7 with good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men,
V8 knowing that what ever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether free or slave.
This story, "A Rap at the Door", by Henry Davenport Northrup, D.D. Shows the same charity that Abigail showed David and his men.
Some years ago, a pious widow in our own country, who was reduced to great poverty, had just layed the last smoked herring on her table, to stave off her hunger and that of her children, when a rap was heard at the door, and a stranger solicited a lodging and a morsel of food, saying that he had not tasted bread for twenty-four hours. The widow did not hesitate, but offered a share to the stranger, saying: "We shall not be forsaken, or suffer deeper for an act of charity."
The traveler drew near to the table; but when he saw the scanty fare, filled with astonishment, he said: "And is this all your store? And do you offer a share to one you do not know? Then I never saw charity before! But, madam, do you not wrong your children, by giving a part of your last morsel to a stranger."
"Ah!" said the widow weeping, "I have a boy, a darling son, somewhere on the face of the wide world, unless heaven has taken him away; and I only act towards you as I would that others should act towards him. God, who sent manna from heaven, can provide for us as he did for Israel; and how should I this night offend him, if my son should be a wanderer, destitute as you, and he should have provided for him a home, even as poor as this, were I to turn you unreceived away!"
The widow stopped, and the stranger springing from his seat, clasped her in his arms. "God, indeed, has provided just such a home for your wandering son, and has given him wealth to reward the goodness of his benefactress, My mother! O, my mother!"
It was indeed her long-lost son, returned from India. He had chosen this way to surprise his family.
Never give up, Never give in
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