God’s Tools Of Intervention - David

David replied to Abigail, “Praise the LORD, the God of Israel, who has sent you to meet me today! Thank God for your good sense! Bless you for keeping me from murder and from carrying out vengeance with my own hands.”

1 Samuel 25:32-33

Has life ever pushed you so hard that you felt on the verge of an explosive emotional outburst? Whether you have an argument with your wife, a problem with one of your children, or issues at work, life offers many moments for you to lose it and do or say things you might consider out of character.

Before he took the throne of Israel, David, a man of considerable passion and emotion, found himself on the verge of committing a terrible sin because of human anger. On the run from a jealous and unbalanced King Saul, he found himself badly in need of provisions. He sent ten of his men to ask a wealthy man named Nabal to help him. Nabal refused to help David and insulted him and his men as if they were common criminals.

When David heard about it, he should have stopped, taken a deep breath, and responded to the situation in a way befitting a man anointed to be king. Instead, he reacted in rage, ordering four hundred of his men to kill Nabal and all his people.

Only the intervention of Nabal’s wife, Abigail, kept David from committing a terrible sin. She didn’t defend her worthless husband, but she reminded David that killing the man would perpetrate a grave sin against God (see 1 Samuel 25:24-31). Her wise words prevented David from doing something he knew to be wrong. He humbly listened to her correction and turned away from an ungodly plan that would have dishonored him and God.

God calls you to provide your family with spiritual leadership, encouragement, correction, and direction. To do this job well, God has given you ears to hear what your loved ones have to say to you. It might be that God wants to use them to say something important to you.