April 16, 2012 … Praise God for A Loving and Forgiving Wife!!

Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: 1st Samuel 25-27 … To study these chapters, go to this link -

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Highlight Passage of the Day #1: 1st Samuel 25: 23-24 … 23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground. 24 She fell at his feet and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord, and let me speak to you; hear what your servant has to say [intervening for her husband, Nabal].”
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Highlight Passage of the Day #2: 1st Samuel 25: 39 … When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise be to the LORD, who has upheld my cause against Nabal for treating me with contempt. He has kept his servant from doing wrong and has brought Nabal’s wrongdoing down on his own head.” Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife.

My Journal for Today: These days, it’s of interest to find that Christians often name their kids from the Bible based upon character names of those people who were honorable in God’s sight. No one names their kids “Ahab or Jezebel or, most certainly, Judas” because of the dishonorable character traits of these people; but quite often we hear children named after very honorable characters in the Bible, … like “David or Joseph, or maybe after one of the Apostles, like Peter.” Now, some of these characters may not have been perfect people; but their lasting positive character traits in the Bible often motivate people to name their children after these characters which were honored by God in His word.

ABIGAIL is one of those positive biblical names. And we read of her in the first of the three chapters, I was led to read of in today’s chronological reading passages; and if you’re following along with me or this year-long study plan, I hope you take the time to read all of Chapter 25 of 1st Samuel; and if you do, you’ll see why people are so positively inclined to name their little girls “Abigail” today.

ABIGAIL was a woman, who, in a culture where women were not listened to or to whom much attention was given, especially my men of power in those days, got David’s attention; and, when her husband, who was a fool and a reprobate, made David angry with his lack of hospitality, intervened to try to save her husband from being killed by David. And David listened to Abigail’s pleas, sparing Nabal, Abigail’s husband, even though he refused to offer David and his men the normal hospitality of the day, which could have lead to Nabal’s demise at the hand of David.

And later, when Nabal died at the hands of God’s judgment, as we read in this chapter, David was so impressed by Abigail’s character and forthright intervention for her husband that he, the anointed king-to-be, married Abigail when she was widowed; and in this story we have a lesson in life worthy of noting. And it’s no wonder that people these days name their girls “Abigail” after this strong and positive woman in the Bible.

The name ABIGAIL has come to represent a woman who was willing to stand up for her husband even when he was weak and foolish; and I’m here to tell you, if you’re reading along with me today, I’m one of those husbands who has an “Abigail” type wife. Though people don’t know the name “Elly” like they might the name “Abigail” from the Bible, there are many times when my “Elly” has stepped forward and saved the day for me when I was making poor, even impulsively selfish choices; and one of those times (too long of a story for now), it was my “Elly’s” loyalty and forgiving spirit which literally saved me from spiritual death.

So, in reading about “Abigail” today, I was led to remember and try to honor with this journal entry a wife (and a woman of God) who, like Abigail, was willing to stand in the gap for her husband; and I pray the name of “Elly” gets great honor by God as He has honored the name of “Abigail” in His word. And I hope that any married man who might be reading this takes a few moments to honor and recognize your wife this day … especially if, like me, you’ve been given a wife who is willing to be patient and stand up for you, … even when you don’t deserve such loving patience and loyalty.

Today, I will have my wife, with the Godly honored name “Elly,” read this as my tribute to a loving woman and wife in my life who has helped me grow in the Lord and has cared for me and kept me in spite of times of foolishness and selfishness. And I thank my Lord, and declare it openly here in this journal entry today, for giving me an “Abigail” type of wife.

My Prayer Today: … Praise You, Lord, for my dear and loving wife, Elly!!! Amen

2009 – Day 124.May 05 – Critical Decisions

2009 – Day 124.May 05 – Critical Decisions

Passage of the Day: 1st Samuel 25: 20 – 28 … Link to 1st Sam. 25 for study …

My Journal for Today: This gal, Abigail, was quite a lady. Here she was with a scoundrel for a hubby; and she’s confronted with a king-to-be who’s hot with anger; and what does she do? Well, creatively she convinces David that he would do his image and reputation ill if he acted on that anger by killing Abigail’s husband, who was aptly named Nabal, which, according to my Bible dictionary, meant “the fool.” And so, confronted by this Godly woman who is creatively confronting him with God’s wisdom, David realizes that it would be an ill-begotten decision to kill this fool.

And again, I say that Abigail teaches us another lesson about life. Yesterday, Swindoll’s devotional helped me to recognize what a blessing it is to have a wife who is a Godly woman. And no one should have recognized that more easily than I, because I am a “Nabal” who was blessed by God to have an “Abigail” wife. And I can recognize much of my own dear wife, Elly, in Abigail, a woman who would stand up for her husband and do all she could/can to shield her family from the forces of the world; and this would be true in spite of a husband who can be, and often is, one fool-hardy dude.

But beyond that amazing quality in Abby, this dear woman showed that in a crisis, anyone who is surrendered to God can do amazing things for the Lord. Never underestimate what you can do for God, Who sees much more in you that you might see in yourself. And right now I’m thinking of many great figures of the faith, people who rose well above their own self image to do great things for God. They are people like Moses, Gideon, Rahab, Esther, and today’s highlighted servant, Abigail. All of these Old Testament characters doubted themselves or their position for God; but when it came right down to it, God used them for His glory.

I’m now reflecting back about 25 years in my life, … just after surrendering my life to Christ and thinking that I had so little to offer God and His kingdom, having squandered much of my life as a scoundrel, a con-man, and a fool. But bragging only on God’s transforming grace, I may still be a fool for Christ at times; but somehow God has reshaped this meager soul into a Church Elder, Ministry Director, and Ordained Minister. And it was my dear wife, … my “Abigail,” in the person of Elly Berry, who was used by God to protect our family, forgive me, encourage me, and stick with me until God could do His thing in my heart.
Now, I hope and pray this day that we can see that God can use any of us as an Abigail for His glory. But we must be ready; and when the opportunity to act presents itself, we have to be willing to jump into the fray and be used of/for God.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, may we all become ready to be used for Your glory. Amen