[Tuesday's Devotional] - Churlish?

I wonder - are you familiar with the lives of Nabal and Abigail, and their interaction with David?  It’s not a story often told, so if you have a spare few minutes you can re-read it in 1 Samuel 25 – here are the main points of the tale:

 

• Nabal was a very rich man who lived in Maon (a town in Judah)
• His wife Abigail was sensible and beautiful, but Nabal was surly and mean
• David (in the wilderness) sent messengers to kindly ask Nabal for food
• Nabal sent them back with a churlish reply
• David took 400 armed men to visit Nabal (not intending to greet him)
• Abigail heard about it and went ahead to meet David with a lot of food
• Abigail told David that her husband lived up to his name Nabal (“fool”)
• David was very pleased with Abigail and accepted the food gladly
• Abigail went home and told Nabal what she had done
• Nabal was furious had a heart attack and died 10 days later
• Not long after this David married Abigail

 

Churlish behaviour is sadly all too common in the church today.  Sometimes I find myself reluctant to behave kindly to someone I think doesn’t deserve it – or I neglect to do something simple which has been asked of me out of self-centred thinking or spite.

 

Nabal died for his churlish behaviour – much better we kill off our churlish nature than have it lead to our undoing.  Let’s follow the example of Abigail and undo wherever possible the churlishness of others! – and let’s try not to be Nabal-like in our nature.

 

Lord, help us to be generous and thoughtful in the richness you have given us.  Amen

   

Dave MacLellan
(first published in 2007)