1 Samuel 25-26

March 30

1 Samuel  25-26

David had protected Nabal’s flocks while and his shepherds when they were in the area where David and his men were hiding out. In return, when it came time to shear the sheep, David sent a request that Nabal give them some provisions. Nabal was very wealthy, but he was also stingy. He sent David’s men away empty handed. David was livid. He and his men strapped on their swords and worked their way toward Nabal.

One of Nabal’s servants went to Nabal’s wife, Abigail to appeal for David and his men and to protect Nabal’s family. Abigail met David and gave him provisions and told David that her husband was a fool. David realized that his temper almost cause him to kill a man out of anger.

The Apostle Paul wrote;"Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord." (Romans 12:19, NIV)  Hot heads make bad decisions. Seeking revenge tends to escalate the problems instead of solving them. If we really trust God, we can trust Him to repay what needs to be repaid.

David took the provisions Abigail offered him and his men and went away without seeking revenge on Nabal. When Abigail told her husband what she had done to protect him and his family, his heart failed him and he died around ten days later. Nabal suffered the consequences of rejecting God’s servant.

Sometimes we just have to wait and allow God to work out the situations in our lives. Sometimes we just need to step back until our heads cool off a little. If vengeance is needed, allow God to take care of it. Can you let go enough to allow God to handle your problems with others?