My God My Everything

I have thoroughly enjoyed my study of Abigail. There were so many lessons to be learned from the way she lived her life. I’m sure that we can identify with some of the experiences she went through and be grateful for the things we will never have to experience. I try to imagine what she must have felt, the emotions she had and the realities she faced. She had lived in luxury with a harsh husband who was difficult to deal with and drank heavily. After his death David asked her to marry him. David didn’t live in luxury at the time, rather it was moving from place to place,…

Peaceful responses are a powerful witness of God’s presence and leading in our lives. When we become believers we also become ambassadors, which are authorized messengers or representatives of Christ. “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:18-20) We are messengers of peace who get the privilege of sharing Jesus with the world.…

A mediator is a person who brings about reconciliation between two parties. They work to bring about a peaceful solution and resolve conflicts that have happened due to actions taken by either person. Abigail acted as a mediator between her husband Nabal and David. Her humility and self-sacrifice were reflections of her faith. We also have a mediator that acts on our behalf. “Just as Abigail placed herself between David and Nabal, Jesus placed Himself between God and us. Just as Abigail volunteered to be punished for Nabal’s sins, Jesus allowed Heaven to punish Him for yours and mine. (1Timothy 2:5-6) Just as Abigail turned away the anger of David,…

How do you respond to criticism or correction? Both can be pretty tough to take at times and our response can actually be a sign of our spiritual maturity. When Abigail spoke correction to David she did it with her words full of grace, seasoned with salt and it turned the whole situation around. She graciously pointed out that what he intended to do was wrong. God had a better plan and destiny for Him and she reminded him of how God had already given him victory when he was slinging stones for Godly purposes. She acknowledged that he was being pursued by someone who wanted to kill him, then…

I’m fascinated with my study of Abigail because there is so much to learn from her and the stories that surround her. In one of the commentaries I was reading it asked the question, “What might her marriage have been like?” When I slow down and think about the bible characters and try to imagine what they were like deep down below the surface reading, it brings a whole new perspective to their stories. The bible tells us that she was intelligent and beautiful, but her husband was surly and mean in his dealings. In biblical times marriages were arranged which meant that Abigail may not have been the one…

In our society we often hear about living the American Dream. The idea of having it all, being successful and happy. The reality is that none of that is what will bring real happiness and peace. Material things bring joy for a while, but that fades and more is desired. Relationships are wonderful and can bring a sense of fulfillment at times, but expectations change and people are human. Abigail found what really matters and what will last, the fear of the Lord. What does it mean as a believer to fear the Lord? Fearing the Lord means having such a reverence for Him that it has a great impact…

Have you ever had one of those days or moments when you just snap? Those final straw moments that the ugly side of you decides to make an appearance. I sure have. Those moments are not my finest hours and I know that I don’t represent God in them. People may wonder if I truly believe what I say I do when I’ve snapped. I’m grateful that those moments are not penned in history so that everyone can see how human I can be. It does soften my heart towards David who is referenced as a man after God’s own heart, yet he too was human and had moments when…

Those two words, humble submission, don’t always spark a “pick me,” mindset. Usually the last thing we want to do is to submit to someone or something, let alone do it with a humble spirit. Have you ever been promised something that took a long time to receive? How did you handle the waiting? Were you patient because you believed that at the right time everything would fall into place or were you anxious and tried to take matters into your own hands? King David was anointed to the position of king at a very young age and yet it was nearly 15 years before he actually became the king.…

When you read the title of today’s message you probably felt a hint of familiarity. We’ve all come across someone who is difficult to get along with and when possible, we avoid them and steer clear of their path. But how do you handle that type of person when it’s your husband? Abigail was married to a man named Nabal and he was a difficult man. His name means fool and he lived up to that definition. His servants described him as being such a wicked man that no one can talk to him. (1 Samuel 25: 17) Abigail couldn’t avoid crossing his path so she learned how to live…