Something to Think About:What God says about you will stand the test of time
1st Samuel 25:2,3 says, “Now there was a man in Maon whose business and possessions were in Carmel, and the man was very rich. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats, and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel 3 (now the man’s name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was intelligent and beautiful in appearance, but the man was harsh and evil in his dealings;”
Abigail, a woman of greatness found in scripture, was a woman described as beautiful and intelligent. 2nd Timothy 3:16-17 tells us that “All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; 17 so that the man (or woman) of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.” So, if God says she is beautiful and intelligent, she certainly is.
Now, what does scripture say about you? Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
Psalms 139:14 says this, “I will give thanks and praise to You (Lord), for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;” In other words, God made you in a remarkable way. We must establish this truth in our hearts so that we live from it and not buy into society’s lies about who we are and what we possess. This truth will also stand the test of time when our feelings put this truth to the test in times when we don’t feel as beautiful or intelligent. This could be through times of failure or when others have said or done things that made us feel this way.
Abigail was everything the Bible says she was, but her husband was described as harsh and evil. Notice that scripture didn’t directly call Nabal ugly but described his character and actions, which in turn described him. He could have been handsome to look at, but when he opened his mouth, you wanted to quickly turn around and run. You would no longer see him as handsome or even a handsome “bad boy” type, but ugly.
Similarly, as a man, I have seen ladies who were pleasant in appearance. Still, after speaking with them, I noticed that the ugliness on the inside overshadowed everything. On the contrary, I have seen women who may not have made the most significant first impression, but after getting to know them, the beauty within shined through, and they were some of the most beautiful people you would ever meet. You couldn’t help but see them as beautiful, period. Think about it in terms of houses. Who cares if a home is lovely on the outside and the yard is well maintained if the inside is full of mold, dirty, uninhabitable, and not structurally sound? It will not stand the test of time.
The Bible painted Abigail in a wonderful light both inside and outside. I believe Abigail stayed with a man like Nabal because of the culture of the day (women had no rights) and her commitment to God and her marriage. Sadly, many women today (with all their wonderful qualities) stay with men who are like Nabal, but he hasn’t committed to them in marriage. They even go as far as enduring abuse, whether verbal, physical, or both, simply because he looks nice, has great wealth, or both, even when he hasn’t put a ring on her finger and entered the covenant of marriage.
Whether married or not, many of you may feel you can change the Nabals in your life or that it is in some way your fault that he is acting harshly toward you and others. However, it is not, and you don’t have the power to change him. Instead, you may need to distance yourself and your children (if there are any) while he seeks help. Rest assured that God sees your circumstances and will give you wisdom, surround you with community (if you let them in), and give you the grace to stand. Cry out to the Lord for help and trust His guidance! I’ve witnessed God’s faithfulness within my own family and in the lives of many others when dealing with Nabals.
In 1st Samuel 16:7, God describes His standards for judging a person when He tells Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Nabal was a very wealthy man who possibly let his success go to his head and treated everyone like trash. Like many wives, I imagine his wife Abigail was possibly on the receiving end of his shameful behavior. Marriages were arranged in that day and part of the world, so we don’t know if she married him that way or if he grew to be that way over the years. He was possibly a man who took all the credit for his success. However, as we see in 1st Samuel 25, his wife, Abigail, was the bright, intelligent, and God-fearing pillar holding things together behind the scenes. Abigail was looked to by workers in her home and business when they knew they couldn’t come to Nabal and that she would get things done.
This may be a reality in your life in some capacity. You may be a mother who is holding everything together or a wife who is savvy and able to think quickly on her feet. Maybe you are a man who has found himself continually apologizing for the actions of your spouse. You could be the coworker on the job who knows how to talk to people. Little known by the company, you are the reason many of your coworkers didn’t walk off the job and leave the business destitute.
Just because you are navigating a complicated relationship in life, no matter where it comes from, you are what God says you are, even if others choose not to see or acknowledge it. Even with mood swings, impatience, and a short temper that can sometimes dull your shine, He has still placed great qualities within you. You are made in His image, creative in nature (His likeness), and wonderfully put together. Submit your life to the Lord, and He will help you where you fall short. You are destined for greatness, and everything God says about you is true. Something to think about.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I pray that the person reading this will see what you say about them and believe it over what any other voice says. That lying voice could be from parents, siblings, spouses, bosses, children, society, the enemy, or even from things they are saying to themselves. May this person see that they are what you say they are, and I pray this person walks confidently in the truth of your word. It is through the power of your spirit, Lord, that he or she does it. Give them wisdom for the tough times and surround them with a community of believers when they are needed the most. Thank you for hearing and answering this prayer, in Jesus’ name. Amen.