a discerning woman

 Transparency alert.

I am someone who generally struggles very much with the Old Testament, for many reasons.  

One, I've always found it drab and full of impertinent information (this is no longer the case).  The genealogies, geography, and battles of the Old Testament threatened to put me to sleep on more than one occasion.

Two, it has always been extremely intimidating to me to contrast the God of wrath and punishment with Jesus, who saves and redeems.

However, within the past couple of months, I have dedicated myself to the study provided within my bible, which travels through the most influential Old and New Testament stories.  MAN OH MAN, was I ignorant!  The treasures to be had within the Old Testament are boundless, if only one will read scripture with an open and humble heart.  Most recently, I've been wildly affected by the story of Abigail, who, in my humble opinion, is a very underrated participant in the Old Testament.    

Abigail was married to a man named Nabal, a sheep shearer and curmudgeon by nature.  King David's men approached Nabal under his orders, asking for Nabal's kindness in the sharing of food.  He turned them away haughtily.  When Abigail heard of this, she quietly ran off to King David with a bounty, asking for his forgiveness and attempting to save the misfortune that would certainly be theirs if King David and his men came back for vengeance.  She was successful in receiving his mercy and went back home, delivering the news to Nabal the next day.  At this, Nabal's heart failed him and scripture says the Lord struck him dead ten days later. 

Though Abigail was wise and took action, she knew this was not her battle to fight.  She didn't protest to Nabal, or rise up in anger in fear of retaliation.  She discreetly and humbly did what she knew was right and went to make amends to David.  God then dealt with Nabal according to his sin and pride.

There is a word I have been hearing and reading in abundance lately, and that is discernment.  Abigail used good judgment and discernment in going to David for forgiveness.  In order to do such a thing, one must be in direct communication with the Lord.  We have to know his will and his word before we can be able to correctly discern the direction in which we're to go.  How do we become privy to such communication?  

-Prayer:  we cannot know God's will and purpose 

if we aren't opening ourselves up to prayer.

-Scripture:  his word clearly lays out so many answers to 

life's questions about how to interact with and treat others: 

Turn the other cheek.  

A gentle answer turns away wrath.  

The Lord will fight for you.  

Be humble, gentle, and kind.  

Be disciplined and self-controlled.

Get on your knees.  Open up in prayer and invite the Lord into your battle.  He already knows all about it anyway.  Be humble and know your part, if any, in it.  Give it to him completely and pray for his instruction and for discernment.   

Sometimes we have to sit down and get out of God's way so that he can fight our battles.  

Sometimes we have to stand and fight.  

No matter how we're undergoing battle, though, one thing remains - we never have to fight alone.  




"Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7

"The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."  Exodus 14:14