David said to Abigail, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands.

I Samuel 25: 32 and 33

What a beautiful illustration of Grace for those of us in the marketplace who have been wronged and quietly desire to avenge the wrong or to use a more comfortable saying to put things right. There are 4 persons involved in this matter and in these two verses only 3 are mentioned. The fourth, Nabal who is Abigail’s husband, who committed the injustice against David is really now incidental to the process and in most cases that is the way it works out. There are some keys that are important for us.

#1. It was the Lord who sent Abigail to meet David and David both recognized this fact and acknowledge it. May we who are Abigail’s recognize we are sent and may those of us in David’s position recognize the Lord’s hand

#2. Abigail obviously used good judgment and as messengers may we also use good judgment

#3 David could receive the message and was honest enough to acknowledge his next steps of avenging. Avenge might sound like too strong a word for you and me in our society but put whatever word we are comfortable with there are a lot of subtle ways in the marketplace we can “put things right” and or edify ourselves. We in the Marketplace can be in positions to discreetly manipulate and control acts that are subtle but wrong as we operate in a Babylon system with Babylon ways. May we recognize HIS Kingdom ways and submit to them.

#4 When Abigail approached David she clearly had the spirit and attitude of a servant and may we who are Abigail’s walk in that attitude and spirit instead of walking in judgment and self righteousness.

#5 May we who are in positions of power like David have a humble spirit with ears to hear and eyes to see the correction of the Lord, the God of Israel.

John Grady