The Right Time to Approach HIm

O. T. #651  "The Right Time to Approach Him"
December 8, 2015
1 Samuel 25-Part 6
In the morning when Nabal was sober, his wife told him what had happened.  1 Samuel 25:37a

LET IT GLOW

We previously studied about the beautiful and wise woman named Abigail. Her Hebrew name means source of joy. That she was. Her foolish husband, Nabal, would not pay back David and his men for protecting his sheep and shepherds in the wilderness. The custom for that day was such. But greedy gut would not hear of such a thing. David was on a sinful path to annihilate Nabal, his family, and everyone in his little world, which included Abigail, when she stopped David inn his tracks. There she interceded for her husband and prevented David from committing murder. She convince David to change his plans and have a feast instead, to eat the peace offering food she brought as the world's first caterer. So David and his men took the food back to the cave and Abigail went back home. All was well. Not exactly.

When she gets back home, Abigail finds her husband was throwing a big  party while his life was in danger. All he had to do was invite David and his men to the party. Nabal is drunk and Abigail goes to bed without explaining where she had been and what she was doing. He didn't even miss his wife being absent? Hmm. This man sounds like the rich fool found in Luke 12.

Abigail was a wise wife, for she knew when the right time to approach her husband with such news-the next morning when the wine's effects was over. Nabal may have misunderstood her or he may have made a rash decision acting foolishly.

Timing is everything when we need to discuss touchy subjects. We should ask God for wisdom about the right time for the confrontation. Pray, pray, pray.

Do we immediately go when God says to go? Do we wait when He indicates His time is not right now? Are we willing to do whatever so God's purpose is accomplished?


LET IT GROW

Picture this with me: it is the next morning and hubby has a hangover. He would probably be sitting around resting and not out on the ranch doing work. Wife Abigail approaches him with the news of her actions the day before-she interceded for him with David and saved Nabal's life. (verse 37)

Fear overtook Nabal when he heard what had happened and he had a stroke. He lay paralyzed like a stone for 10 days. Then the Lord struck him and Nabal died. It was a serious thing to reject God's chosen king. Nabal experienced God's judgment.

Charles Swindoll, in his book, David, said:

When you do what is right, without tiring of it, God takes care of the impossible things, As we saw in the previous chapter, "When a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him." The same could be said of a woman, of course. There is no impossible situation that God cannot handle. He won't handle it necessarily your way, but He'll handle it.  

Do we stop to ask the Lord if we are pleasing Him in a particular situation or decision? Are we seeking His will and His way doing it instead of rushing and doing it our way? Blessings will be experienced if we seek Him.

LET IT GO

                                of my anger and seek God's will, not mine.
                                 of my way and intercede for others in prayer.
                                   of my time and find the right time to approach another who is upset.