Wisdom When You Need It

“Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! And blessed is your advice and blessed are you....” – 1 Samuel 25:32-33

Wouldn’t it be fantastic to receive wisdom in a snap?

God has promised He will generously provide wisdom if we ask for it. It’s a wonderful blessing. But I’ve found that God’s gifts are rarely instant. Instead, He usually burns wisdom into me over the long haul as He takes me through fires, the desert, and other hardships. I have to dig deep into His word and rely on His Holy Spirit to make wise decisions, even as I still struggle to climb the next spiritual mountain.

How I would love to be wise like Abigail, a beautiful woman in King David’s time.

In the account in 1 Samuel 25, David and his mighty men are on the run from King Saul in the wilderness, but they care enough to guard some shepherds and flocks belonging to Abigail’s husband, Nabal.

Nabal is a proud, rich businessman, described as a “scoundrel” and “fool” because he has no kindness for others. When David asks for food for his hungry men, Nabal insults David by calling him a runaway slave. This slap against David’s God-given authority is too much to bear—David vows to kill all the men in Nabal’s family.

When Abigail is alerted to this threat, she acts immediately...with a lot of God’s wisdom.

First, she evaluates the situation and chooses the best scenario to stop a possible slaughter. God has revealed to her that David will become king of all Israel. Abigail has also heard of David’s goodness and his faith in God. She knows if David reacts in the heat of anger, it will reflect badly on him.

Next, she responds with generosity and speed. Abigail grabs a lot of food from her estate, hops on a donkey, and races to meet David. She thinks of others, not herself, which gives her the courage to approach this hungry gang of warriors, even though she risks being killed by them.

Finally, Abigail acts humbly. She falls down before David and pleads for mercy, appealing to his honor and reminding him of the Lord’s good plans. David heeds her message with respect, and after Nabal dies, she is rewarded by becoming David’s wife.

Wow, we can learn a lot from Abigail. When we face big challenges, we need to ask God for the same kind of wisdom He gave her—to make wise decisions, have courage to act promptly, and think more highly of others than ourselves. We need faith that God will provide everything we need, including the right words at the right time.

Abigail is described as having “a beautiful appearance.” I imagine her real beauty came from within...from a heart trusting in God. Proverbs 31 reminds us that good looks are fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised.

I want to be an “Abigail” for Christ, don’t you? When we trust in Jesus, He gives us what we need to overcome our problems. Now that sounds like a wise way to live!

Questions for Reflection:

1. When you need to demonstrate wisdom in your life, how do you seek it?

2. Have you ever thought about what it would be like to be an “Abigail”? If not, what is stopping you?