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. 1 Samuel 25:32-33 (NIV)
For leaders, doing the right thing is certainly not always the easy thing. This describes Abigail’s circumstances as she chose to advocate on behalf of her dense husband, Nabal. Nabal had managed to insult David and his men to the extent that David wanted revenge. He, along with four hundred of his warriors, set out to destroy Nabal and his men.
Abigail exercised wisdom and intervened. She took many gifts and met David on the road as they were approaching Nabal. She pleaded for mercy on account of her husband’s boneheaded actions.
Her wisdom and humility touched David’s heart. He relented. Nabal and his men were spared.
There will come times when your warriors will do dumb things, things that might bring shame, embarrassment, or worse. Will you throw them under the bus?
Or like Abigail, will you intervene to salvage them and the situation?
The content of this Devotional comes from “Daily Strength for the Battle (You, God’s Word, 5 Minutes): Volume 6 Developing the Leader in You” (2020) and is copyrighted by Scott and Judy McChrystal. Used with permission.
