Prepared for Disaster
[Abigail] was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband, a Calebite, was surly and mean in his dealings. 1 Samuel 25:3
“Disaster is hanging over our master and his whole household.” The servant’s words were laced with fear. What could one woman do to prevent such a catastrophe?
The Bible says Abigail “wasted no time” when the servant told her that an angry David and his 400 soldiers were on their way to avenge her husband Nabal’s insulting behavior (1 Samuel 25:18). How could she be so well prepared for a crisis?
First, she practiced godliness in day-to-day life: treating her servants well, respecting her husband, managing the household. When disaster arrived, she didn’t focus on what she didn’t know; she focused on what she did know, the next practical step—how to provide food and provisions for hungry, angry men.
Second, Abigail realized that kindness was part of God’s revealed will. In ancient times, hospitality included sharing your food with strangers who showed up at your home (see Job 31:16–19; Isaiah 58:6–7; Deuteronomy 23:3–4). Besides, David’s men had been more than kind to Nabal’s servants; they had protected them from the Philistine raiders (1 Samuel 25:14–16). Nabal’s insolent refusal to feed them was wrong. Returning the kindness was the right thing to do. Abigail knew it, and she did it.
Third, Abigail wasn’t afraid to be the injured party and take the blame. She humbled herself before David and apologized for her husband’s foolishness (vv. 23–25). And in doing so, she prevented David from killing innocent people.
Abigail’s right response to a crisis was a combination of prayer, circumstances, people, and biblical truth. There were no coincidences. God worked around and through every aspect of these events: David’s men helping Nabal’s servants, Nabal’s ungodly behavior, David’s lapse in judgment, and the servant’s appeal to Abigail.
Life isn’t a Let’s Make a Deal game show where only one door conceals the grand prize. God works around human error and through human error. He can always transform tragedy into triumph.
Abigail’s circumstances may have been unique, but we can apply her methods: Be willing to wait, be faithful in our daily routine, choose kindness, and embrace humility.
How will you prepare today for tomorrow’s disaster?
DIG DEEPER:
Read 1 Samuel 25. What most impresses you about Abigail? Ask God to help you cultivate that trait.
Read Romans 12:12–21. In what ways does Abigail exemplify Paul’s counsel to the church at Rome? How might God want you to apply this passage to a situation you’re facing?
Read 1 Peter 4:7–11. How did Abigail administer “God’s grace in various forms”? How did she speak “the very words of God” to David? How can you follow her example this week?
Denise K. Loock
This devotion is part of a series on Women of the Bible.