“Dear Abby” | 1 Samuel 25:32–33

You're listening to the Bridgetown Church Podcast with

Pastor Casey Kendall, where our vision is Jesus, our mission is

people, and our cause is love. Thanks for tuning in.

Let's dive in. We're in the book of First

Samuel. If you have your Bible handy, we

just want to tell you we've been going through a series entitled

Heart, and as we've continued through the book of First

Samuel, we're in First Samuel chapter 25.

1 Samuel 25 · chapter mention

This morning we're in First Samuel chapter 25.

1 Samuel 25 · chapter mention

And what I want to look at with you is 43 verses.

That's a lot of mileage to cover on our journey.

And So what I want to just pinpoint with you as we begin

and as we read the Scripture is verse 32 and verse 33, the title

of the message is Dear Abby verse 32.

If you have your Bible handy, then David said to Abigail,

blessed be the Lord God of Israel who sent you this day to

meet me. And blessed is your advice, and

blessed are you because you have kept me from this day, from

coming to bloodshed, and from avenging myself with my own

hand. I want to just read this verse

to you again. Tucked it towards the end of

this chapter in verse 32, David said to Abigail, blessed be the

Lord God of Israel who sent you this day to meet me.

And blessed is your advice and blessed are you because you have

kept me from this day, from coming to bloodshed and from

avenging myself with my own hand.

If you could, as we always do here, just look at your neighbor

and say neighbor, my neighbor. This is full participation

church this morning. If you would just look at your

neighbor and say neighbor, my neighbor, I have the answer.

I have the answer. Husbands, look at your wife and

tell them I have the answer. Wives, look at your husbands and

say I have the answer. Parents, look at your kids and

say I have the answer. Kids, don't look at your

parents. Do not say I have the answer, I

have the answer. I was reading recently of a

woman by the name of Pauline Friedman Phillips, better known

by her pin name Abigail Van Buren.

She died on January the 16th of 2003 at the age of 94 after a

decade long battle with a disease called Alzheimer's.

She was born 17 minutes after her identical twin sister Esther

Letterer and published her first Dear Abby column in 1956, three

months after Esther's debut. As and Landers Phillips chose

her pin name from the Bible where it reads.

Then David said to Abigail, blessed is your advice, and

blessed are you from the book of First Samuel.

She then took her last part of her pin name from the 8th

President of the United States because she liked the old family

presidential ring of Van Buren. After charming her way into an

advice columnist job at San Francisco Chronicle, Abby

transformed the stayed prudish world of dishing out syndicated

advice along with her sister Dear Abby.

For some of you that are very familiar with that, Short Term

was again started in 1956 and it is the most widely syndicated

newspaper column in the world with a daily readership of more

than 110 million people. Abby receives more than 10,000

letters and emails per week seeking her advice.

Jean Phillips, now the face of Dear Abby, today began taking

over the writing column from her mother in 1987.

They asked her how it was to be the daughter of a woman that

people constantly referred to as Dear Abby.

She said this. My mother did not become Dear

Abby until I was 14 years old, and so it wasn't like I grew up

with this person who had all the answers.

Maybe you remember some of the Dear Abby columns that you would

pin through. If you used to look at what we

would call a newspaper in this time, you would read things like

this. This was one of the best ones

I've ever read. Dear Abby seeking advice Our son

married a girl when he was in the service.

They were married in February and she had an 8 1/2 LB baby

girl in August. She said the baby was premature.

Question can an 8 1/2 LB baby be this premature?

Signed wanting to know her advice dear wanting the baby was

on time and the wedding was late.

Forget it. I think we live in a world and

in a time where everybody is looking for answers.

We have a world that is full of talking heads, but we through

the scripture are the only people that have the answer that

could change people's hearts. You have within you and what

you're holding on your phone or possibly in your lap today.

You have the correct response to any question in this world.

What you hold in your lap and on your phone today is the solution

to the problem. You have the right information

that could change any life at any time and in any given place

and situation. This is not something that you

conjured up. This is something that God has

sent down. This is not for us, a new idea.

These are old truths of the Bible.

Someone once said if it's new, it's not true and many times we

think we have a greater revelation, but this men and

women, is the greatest revelation ever given.

This for us in the scriptures that we hold in our hands today

is not something because we thought that we were smart, but

it's because we desire to live by what Jesus said.

This today for us is the Word of God and in it we have the

answers for humanity. The answer is in this book.

The answer is in the authority of Scripture.

The answer is for us. Found in 66 books, 1189 chapters

31,173 verses 773,692 words. Written over 1500 year period by

40 different authors in three different continents and three

different languages, all carrying one main theme, and

that is the person of Jesus Christ in the Scriptures that

you hold within your heart today.

It is filled with history and poetry, philosophy and prophecy.

It is our treasure, this is our testament, it is the truth of

God and it gives to us both doctrine and duty.

And this tells us of the greatest of all, God's divine

love. This is the greatest book in

continuality. It is the greatest book in

circulation. It is the greatest book in

clarification and conviction, and it is here in this book that

is inspired by God. Paul would say to Timothy that

all Scripture is given by the inspiration of God.

It is here in this book that we will read from Peter that men

were moved by the Holy Spirit and they spoke from God.

It is here in this book that David would write himself in

Psalm 119. Revive us according to your

word. It is here in this book that

Martin Luther once said, give me a Bible that people can

understand and a hymnal that the people can sing from, and the

fire will spread on its own. It is the answer that God has

given to us is found in the book and today it is not Dear Abby,

it's Dear Henry, it's dear Rudy, it's dear Lisa.

And I think many times we reserve the answer to the

professionals when the answer in what God has given to us is

pertaining all things to life and godliness from His Word.

And I think it's important that we understand that in this we

have the answers for what we're facing today in our world.

We have the answers for crime here in the Word.

We have the answers of what mental health should look like.

We have the answers for transgenderism.

We have the answers for homosexuality.

We have the answers for money, the answers for marriage, the

answers for singleness, The answer for abortion, the answer

for your work, the answer for your school is all found in the

Bible. And it's important that we come

under the authority of what God has said.

I love what the Scripture says because in regards to the life

of Abigail, that David looked at her and says, blessed is your

advice to me, blessed is your advice.

We know the story of David, that David is on the run at this

point in time in his life. He's being pursued after by a

king by the name of Saul. And as he's being pursued after

by Saul, he finds himself in the wilderness.

There Samuel dies, and David then, after Samuel dies, finds

himself going back into the wilderness.

And I don't know if you've ever been hit by one thing after

another thing after another thing after another thing after

another thing. And here is David hiding in the

wilderness at this point in time in his life.

It's a season of shearing sheep, and we're going to learn all

about anger. And I'm sure this message won't

be for you, but you can send it to somebody else.

I was going to entitle this sermon, How to Deal with a Hard

Spouse, but I thought I'd just get to the root of the issue.

And the root of the issue is anger.

How do we handle anger? How do we respond to anger?

How do I respond that when I stop at the stoplight and I

didn't realize that I cut someone off and I rolled down my

window to apologize to the man that I cut off and he took his

big gulp of Doctor Pepper and threw it through my window?

How do you respond when someone is angry with you on the

freeway? How do you respond when

someone's angry with you in your house?

How do you respond when someone's angry with you in the

church? How do you respond when someone

is angry with you at your school?

How do you respond in the office when someone chooses to

disrespect you? How do you respond when you are

going to Thanksgiving with people that you know are

offended by you and you're offended with them?

How do we approach this situation?

The Bible talks to us about anger.

Over 800 verses in the Bible deal with anger, wrath, outrage,

and malice. 800 verses. And this story that we looked at

in First Samuel 25 gives to us three beautiful pictures of how

people respond to anger, two negative and 1 positive.

The hero of our story is a woman by the name of Abigail.

The villains in our story, if we would are from a man by the name

of Nabal and another man by the name of David.

These are men who respond wrong in this situation.

But here is this woman who comes to David in the midst of a very

tense situation, and David looks at her and says these words.

Blessed is your advice. Blessed is your advice, so how

could I be that person where I would realize that the answer is

coming from the Word of God and I will be the person that will

share what God has said in His Word.

How do I not respond out of anger in this moment?

Well, I want to give you the first picture if I would, the

pictures of a rich man. The Bible says in verse 2 there

was a man in Mayon whose business was in Carmel.

He had 3000 sheep and 1000 goats and he was shearing his sheep in

Carmel. This man was very wealthy.

When you read that someone had multiple livestock, that is a

proof of somebody's wealth. It's like if you pulled up to a

someone's house and their garage is filled with all types of

fancy vintage and new cars. That's why like have what having

livestock was like during this time.

He had Ferrari goats, he had Corvette sheep.

I mean, this guy was rich. He was rich.

He had it all that he could have ever wanted.

And verse 3 says the name of the man was Nabal.

Nabal, if you're taking note, literally means fool.

Just tell your neighbor. Don't be a fool.

And here in this moment, notice this.

Nabal in the name of his wife was Abigail.

Abigail's name means Joy. Joy is living with a fool.

You ever felt like that ladies? Joy is living with a what made

Nabal so foolish? Well it gives to us the picture

of Abigail 1st and she was a woman of good understanding.

She understood her times, she understood the truth.

But the man noticed this was harsh and evil in his doings and

he was of the House of Caleb. Remember Caleb, Caleb and

Joshua. Caleb was the man who would take

the mountain even at 80 years old and seek to live throughout

the promised land. Can you just side note this,

Just because you leave a good heritage doesn't mean that

people are going to live holy. You still have to do what Christ

has called you to do in the midst that Christ is calling you

to live in. Listen and understand this.

Abigail was of good understanding and she was

beautiful in appearance. This was a wise woman with

beautiful appearance. Reminds me of my wife in verse

4. That was a good spot for me to

say Amen. When David heard in the

wilderness that Nibal was shearing his sheep, David sent

10 young men. And David said to the young men,

go up to Carmel, go to Nibal and greet him in my name.

And thus she shall say to him who lives in prosperity, peace

be to you, peace to your house, and peace to all that you have.

Now I've heard that you have shears.

Your shepherds were with us, and we did not hurt them, nor was

there anything missing from them all the while they were in

Carmel. Ask your young men and they will

tell you. Therefore, let my young men find

favor in your eyes, for we come on a feast day.

Please give whatever comes to your hand to your servants and

to your son David. So when David's young men came,

they spoke to Nabal, according to all these words, in the name

of David, and they waited. And then Nabal answered David's

servants and said I would love to help David.

He's such a great man, he's so influential.

I would love to help with anything that I have.

No, no, no, he didn't say that. Notice what he said.

Who is David with? With a little bit of sarcasm.

Who's David? Then read it like this.

And who's the son of Jesse? And then he says there are many

servants nowadays who break away each from his master.

Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat and I, I

have killed for my shears and give it to men when I do not

know where they are from? Can you just write this down if

you're taking note? If you want to respond to anger

and ruin your life, this is what I want you to do.

If you want to ruin your life, be quick to speak and slow to

listen. If you like to ruin your life

because of your anger, be quick to speak and be slow to listen.

Nabal is the fool. This is the time where the

shepherds were out shearing the sheep.

You could hear. I don't think they had power

tools back then, but you can just hear the buzz.

And this was a festive time. This was a time where people

were partying. This was the celebration of all

the years hard work and at this moment in time as all of these

shepherds are out, normally the shepherds would be attacked by

the enemy or thieves. And David sent men around these

shepherds and he became a wall to them.

He actually protected them the whole time.

So David says, hey, can you go to Nabal and just ask because

it's the sheep shearing time. They would be so hospitable for

anyone that would come into their village or into their

area. It was at that time that they

would resource them with everything they had.

This was a common practice of this day.

So there's a party and they have lots of overflowing goodness.

Then David says we've protected you now because we've protected

you. We want you to give us.

Something to eat. And so here's David in this

moment, sends his men, asks for this.

But listen, you cannot have closed hands without a cold

heart. If I'm unwilling to hear and

help people in this moment, I'll often find myself as a fool.

And here it is in this moment that David comes to the ball.

And the ball says, who's David, who is the son of Jesse?

Lots of guys are breaking away from their master.

Why should I even give them from my meat, my water?

Notice how many personal pronouns there are.

Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have

killed from my shears and give it to men that when I do not

know where they are from? Should I open up my house?

Should I allow you to drive my car?

Should I use my gas to constantly pick you up?

Ring a bell? No, none of you have ever faced

that. Wow, you probably don't have 8

kids like me. Listen, David finds himself in a

place of asking and Nabal becomes the fool and constantly

notice this being a person that is evil and harsh.

I want you to circle those words in the Bible because Nabal being

evil, he found himself being active in his evil.

And the word harsh there in the Bible means that he was

unpleasant, he was hard to work with, he was intolerable.

So here's the ball in this situation.

And he's unwilling to listen to the men.

And he speaks over the men and says, who's David?

How and why should I ever help this guy at all?

I just want to submit this to you this morning.

When people are fixed on themselves, consumed with

themselves, constantly talking about themselves, they are

easily frustrated, easily bothered, easily triggered and

easily offended. And they see helping people as a

problem rather than a privilege. And in that moment, this is what

happens. We say things that we later

deeply regret in our lives. I'm sure none of you have walked

into this place. They've ever been quick to speak

and slow to listen. I'm sure that none of you have

ever thought bad thoughts towards a person.

But if you have, if I could just speak to you for a moment, this

is where we begin to shoot arrows at kings.

It doesn't come necessarily from a physical arrow being shot from

a bow. It comes from the mouth of a

father towards their child. It comes from the mouth of the

wife towards their husband. It comes from the friend or it

comes from the brother or it comes from the sister where now

it's just simply flowing out of their mouth.

How about arrows like you never you always.

I can't stand you anymore. I'm sure no couple in here has

ever thought, why did I even marry them?

I'm sure you've never said things like I have where I just

sit my kids down on the bed and ask them this question.

Have I ever done anything to offend you?

And they sobbed as they began to tell me my sin, my cutting

remarks, my hurt that I've caused them, the pain that I,

through quick speak speech, have now cost them confidence.

And I think that's a good question.

If you're vulnerable enough with your wife or your husband to ask

them in the moment, have I done anything to offend you?

And if I have, I'm not going to defend myself in this moment.

I'm actually going to just listen and in listening, what I

want to do is I want to make sure that you can speak into

this situation. And as you speak, I'm willing to

confess. How can we be a people that

would listen better? How can we be a people that

listen better? We live within 7 seconds of

listening to people. I believe right now there is a

great calling and there's a great honor for people to

listen. They want to listen to

something. They want to listen to someone.

So much so Senator Josh Hally was telling us the the suicide

rate that is desperately increasing because young men are

looking to chat bots to fulfill a friendship in their life.

And he said the pain in which is happening in these young men and

women's lives as as parents were holding a picture of their child

because the child thought that AI could birth with them a

relationship that would satisfy them and it left them more

lonely. I think people want to listen.

People are are are wanting to hear, but they need to hear the

truth and AI and this is a counterfeit to what God wants to

say. And in this moment, Josh,

Senator Josh Hawley told us his pastors, he said this, he said,

why do I have to defend things that you pastors are afraid to

speak about? And I want to encourage you to

understand that we could be greater listeners of the truth

of what God has given to us in His Word.

And how could this actually happen?

That is by this, I just want you to write some things down.

I want to encourage you wait with your words.

Maybe wait with your words. Now, we're not always perfect in

this situation, but I want to just encourage you wait with

your words. Wait with your words, Nabal,

wait with your words. The second thing I want to

encourage you to do is when someone's talking to you, don't

go numb. They're people too.

Don't go numb so you disengage that they actually have a heart

in the situation #3 show that you care as you listen.

Show them that you care by keeping eye contact with them.

And this is what I really believe in listening is, is your

irritation could be the divine interruption of your life to

really listen and live by what God is showing you.

I believe in our communication with people as we listen.

Stop chasing rabbits around. Let's cut to the source of

what's going on. Let's ask some good questions.

Let's listen to and look through some of the things people might

be saying and listen to hear. Not to correct, not to judge,

and not to coach someone in the midst of what they're saying.

You will never regret having said nothing in a moment of

tension that you are about to send with your speech.

Listen, it's hard to sin verbally with your mouth closed.

So if I could just encourage you, if you can, well, I know

you can because you're filled with the Holy Spirit of God.

Be quick to listen. Be slow to speak.

This is a second way. I believe we often seek to deal

with anger and that is this. We seek justice in our own way

and in our own time. We seek justice in our own way

and in our own time. Here is the ball.

He's unwilling to listen. And then David, here's what he

says. And David's young man, verse 12,

turned on their heels and went back and they came and told him

all these words. And then David said to his men,

every man, gird on your sword. David says, I'm ready for the

fight and the ball. So every man girded on his

sword, and David also girded on his sword.

And about 400 men went with David and 200 stayed with the

supplies. Now one of the young men told

Abigail and Nabal's wife, saying, look, David sent

messengers from the wilderness to greet our master, and he

reviled them. But the men were very good to us

and we were not hurt, nor did we miss anything as long as we

accompanied them when we were in the fields.

They were a wall to us both day and night.

All the time we were with them, keeping the sheep.

Now therefore know and consider that you, what you will do for

harm is determined against our master and against all his

household. For he is such a scoundrel that

one cannot notice this. Speak to him.

We can't even speak to him. He's a scoundrel.

He's harsh, he's evil. Abigail, you got to do something

now. Nabal is one man.

David brings 400 men. The same David who would be

patient with King Saul is the same David who would be

impatient with Nabal. Just because you have a past

victory with a person doesn't mean you can rest on those

laurels for your present victory.

In that moment, David straps on his sword, possibly the same

sword that he used to kill Goliath, and in that moment, he

finds himself ready to take out Nabal.

I think if we want to respond to anger in a bad way, here's what

I would encourage you to do. If you want to ruin your life,

seek justice in your own way with your own time.

David's about to kill a man, but he's convicted in the past in

The Cave of cutting off a man's robe.

So now in this moment, all the helpers and shepherds come to

Abigail and say, hey, David's coming with 400 now, 400 against

one. The odds are against you.

And in this moment, David is seeking to get revenge.

And maybe throughout your whole life in what you have faced

recently, you just want to get revenge.

You want to show them this is what revenge means.

If you're taking note, you want to settle the score, you're

reloading and you're finally ready to get even with them.

You are the person where you have heard the warning of the

word of God and pay no one evil for evil.

Have regards for good things in the sight of all men.

And notice this. You've heard the word to say, Do

not say, I will do to him as he has done to me.

I will render to the man according to his work.

You've already heard the word, beloved.

Do not avenge yourself, but rather give place to wrath.

Vengeance is mine, says the Lord.

But because you were so hurt, you think that your healing will

come through revenge. Maybe a lot like that woman who

sold her wedding dress for a 38 caliber pistol.

You're ready to get revenge. Revenge is not something that is

old. It's very present in our time

and age that there is all types of websites that deal with

revenge. Make him pay.com.

All of these things come to us in a place and maybe, maybe for

you, you're ready to see someone ruined rather than restored.

Maybe for you, you've come into this place and because of the

hurt where it's now harbored, it's turned into hatred.

And now because of that hatred, you just want to see harm befall

on a person. Maybe for them you're not

seeking revival, you're just seeking revenge.

Maybe you're thinking, I will pray what David prayed in Psalm

Psalms 58:6

58, verse 6. Lord, smash their teeth within

their mouth. I want to ask you a question,

who are you waiting in line for? I was reading the story that

there was a guy that could not get along with his wife and on

top of that he couldn't get along with his mother-in-law.

And in frustration one day he finally took a long walk and as

he was about to return home he got to the street corner and saw

a hearse pull up to the stop sign.

It had a dog in it, and behind that was another hearse.

And then behind the second hearse about 50 men were

walking. He was seized with curiosity and

walked up to the first hearse, knocked on the glass and a guy

inside rolled his window down. Yes, he asked, what is all of

this? Asked the man.

Well, in this casket is my wife, and in that casket and the other

hearse is my mother-in-law. The dog had killed both of them.

The man said, Can I borrow that dog and the guy and said to him,

get in line. I wonder in your life who you

are waiting in line for? David gathers all of his men and

he's waiting in line for Nabal. And you fill in the blank, who

is that woman, that man that you're actually ready to see

them revenge and justice in your own way and in your own time.

I love what one pastor said. He said that the tree of revenge

never bears any good fruit at all.

And here is David in this moment, and he's ready to take

out the ball. But then in comes Abigail.

How can I respond to anger in a really healthy way?

Can I just submit this to you #3 from the life of Abigail De

escalate the situation with wisdom and discernment to check

out our story. And I just think if we just read

the story, it's really going to inspire you to do what's right.

Then Abigail made haste and she took 200 loaves of bread, 2

skins of wine, 5 sheep already dressed, 5 seias of roasted

grain, 100 clusters of raisins, and 200 cakes of figs, and she

loaded them on the donkey. She, she, she gets all of the

gifts together, Wisdom. And she said to her servants, go

on before me, so I'm coming after you.

But she said not to tell her husband the ball.

So it was as she rode on the donkey that she went down

undercover of the heel hill, and there were David and his men

coming down toward her, and she met them.

Now David had said, surely in vain.

I've protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so

that nothing was missed of all that belongs to him, and he has

repaid me evil for good. May God do so, and more also to

the enemies of David. If I leave 1 male of all who

belong to him. By morning light David is going

to wipe out in the ball and everyone connected to him.

But here comes Abigail to just tell your neighbor, here comes

Abigail, here comes Abigail. Now when Abigail saw David, she

hastened to dismount from the donkey.

That that we don't use the word hastened a lot in Glendora.

You don't hear like hasten out of the car, my young lad.

You don't hear that type of stuff.

Hasten means she moved quickly off of her donkey.

She fell on her face before David, and she bowed down to the

ground. Why?

Because that was Abigail's character, not because of

David's position, but because of Abigail's character.

And so she fell at his feet and said on me, my Lord, on me, let

this iniquity be, and please let your maidservant speak in your

ears and hear the words of your maidservant.

Please verse 25. Let not, my Lord, regard the

scoundrel. She calls her husband a

scoundrel, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he.

Nabal is his name, and folly is with him.

But I, your maidservant, did not see the young men of my Lord

whom you sent. Now therefore, my Lord, as the

Lord lives and as your soul lives, since the Lord has held

you back from coming to bloodshed and from avenging

yourself with your own hand, Now then, let your enemies and those

who seek harm for my Lord be as Nepal.

And now this present which your maidservant has brought to my

Lord, let it be given to the young men who follow.

My Lord, please forgive the trespass of your maidservant,

for the Lord will certainly make for my Lord an enduring house.

Because my Lord fights the battles of the Lord, and evil is

not found in you throughout your days.

Let's listen. She, she brings the gifts with

wisdom and discernment. She brings her words with wisdom

and discernment. I want you to think before you

speak. I want you to ask yourself this

question as you're about to say that statement.

Is this true? Is this true?

Secondly, is this helpful? Thirdly, will this inspire them

to follow after Jesus? 4th Is this necessary?

5th Is this going to be kind? Yet?

A man, she says, is risen to pursue you and seek your life.

But the life of my Lord shall be bound in the bundle of the

living with the Lord your God. Verse 29 And the lives of your

enemy shall sling out as from the pocket of a sling.

What do you think she's referring to David and Goliath.

David, we know who you are, and it shall come to pass when the

Lord is done for My Lord, according to all the good that

he has spoken concerning you, has appointed you ruler over

Israel, that this will be no grief to you, nor offense of

heart to my Lord, either that you have shed blood without

cause, or that my Lord has avenged himself.

But when the Lord has dealt well with my Lord David, you then

remember your maidservant. She brings gifts with wisdom and

discernment. She uses words with wisdom and

discernment. She takes the penalty of her

husband upon herself and she says, count it to me.

And then she says to David, remember your maidservant.

Then David said to Abigail, Blessed be the Lord God of

Israel, who sent you this day to me, and blessed is your advice.

God used a woman to change the course of David's life.

God will use you to change the course of David's in your life,

their lives and how their future goes.

God will bless his advice as it comes from his word.

Notice in verse 34 for indeed is the Lord God of Israel lives.

He has kept me back from hurting you unless you would hasten and

come to meet me. Surely by morning light no males

would have been left in the ball.

So David received from her hand what she had brought him and

said to her go up in peace to your house.

See, I've heeded your voice and respected your person.

I have heeded your voice, and I've respected your person.

Then Abigail went to Nabal, and there was he was holding a feast

in his house, like the feast of a king, and Nabal's heart was

merry within him. He was drunk, for he was very

drunk. Therefore she told him nothing,

little or much until morning light.

And so it was in the morning when the wine had gone from

Nibal and his wife had told him these things, that his heart

died within him and he became like a stone.

Some versions read he had a stroke.

And then it happened after about 10 days that the Lord struck

Nibal and he died. So when David heard that Nibal

was dead, he said, blessed be the Lord God, blessed be the

Lord who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of

Nabal, and he's kept his servant from evil.

For the Lord has returned the wickedness of Nabal on his own

head and noticed this. And David sent and noticed what

he does. He proposed to Abigail to take

her as his wife. Scripture is so full of messy

situations. This is like watching an episode

of of your favorite show. You're just binge watching First

Samuel and the House of David and you're like, Oh my word, I

can't believe this episode last time on the House of David and

you're just watching it. You're just like this.

The husband dies, and David's like Abigail.

Will you be my wife? This is just so messy.

Just check this out. And when the servants of David

had come to Abigail at Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, David

sent us to you to ask you to become his wife.

And then she arose quickly, bowed her face to the earth and

said, here's your maidservant, A servant to wash the feet of the

servants of my Lord. It's her character.

So Abigail Rosen Hasten rode on a donkey with David, attended by

the five of her maidens, and she followed the messengers of David

and became his wife. David also took David.

David a high noem of Jezreel, and so both of them were his

wives. David.

One is enough, David, one is enough.

This is a good spot for the church to go.

Amen. One said, no, you don't need two

women at a time. Come on, David, mess with God's

plan, man. Come on, David's like, oh,

Abigail, you're pretty. And that girl from Jezreel, I'll

also take her. But notice this.

Saul had given Mikhail his daughter, David's wife, to

Polti, the son of Liege, who was from Gallum.

It's like as the world turns, it's like watching General

Hospital. It's like watching your favorite

soap opera. Don't watch soap operas.

This is so messy. It's so messy, but this is where

the grace of God invades. And aren't you glad that the

Scripture is honest enough to show you the mess?

Because in Glendora, when you came today, your life might be

just as messy. Like I don't have two wives.

Casey, what are you talking about?

I didn't take a woman from Jezreel or.

But your life might be filled with pain, hurt, agony, victory,

depression, anxiety, pain, agony, and consequences of your

decisions. And it's still in that moment

that God is still writing His story in your life.

Is it amazing to think that he who began a good work in you

will be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus?

Isn't it amazing to think that the decision that they made

against you will not be the end of your story?

It's just a turn in your story? Isn't it amazing to see that the

way that you can respond to this in this situation can be a place

of surrender in your life? It could be a place where you

are willing to say to the Lord, Lord, I'm going to trust you in

this because I think sometimes we're not just angry at people,

we're angry at God. We're angry that God actually

allowed this to happen this way. And because of that anger, what

now it bleeds into is bitterness.

And now the bitterness is going to be responded by breaking

other things that are good for you because they're going to

fall apart just like that fell apart.

And I just want to encourage us to today to come to a place in

our lives to understand that we might be the Nabal, we might be

the David, but I want to inspire you to be, to respond like

Abigail with wisdom and discernment to de escalate

situations. De escalation means this, that

I'm willing to trust God with the outcome, I'm willing to

trust God with the outcome, and I want us to do that today.

We hope you enjoyed this message and we'd love for you to join us

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wearebridgetown.com. Thanks for tuning in and we'll

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