Focal passage: 1 Samuel 25:2-3, 14-17, 23-28, 32-35
I remember well a spring afternoon in high school. Rumors had been flying about a fight that was going to happen after school. One guy had been talking with another’s girlfriend and now he had to pay. The rumors proved true.
As the young man came out of the building, the boyfriend was waiting on him. What was about to happen was obvious, and we knew it was wrong. And yet, no one intervened. No one gave a warning or stepped in to talk the boyfriend down. As a result, one young man ended up in the hospital with a concussion, and the other faced criminal charges.
Those preventable outcomes happened because no one intervened.
This week’s lesson is once again about faith. In this case, it is specifically about a faith that intervenes; intervenes in a way that is for our fellow mankind’s good and for God’s glory.
Nabal had lived up to his name, acting foolishly by withholding provisions from David and his men, despite the fact that David and his men had protected Nabal’s wealth and livelihood.
David was about to take rash action – planning to kill Nabal and his men. Abigail’s faith in God and love for others drove her to action – sparing the life of her foolish husband and sparing David from the life-long consequences of a foolish response.
When facing difficult situations that require confrontation, the easy response, in order to avoid personal conflict, is to do nothing. However, as is often the case, the easy response is not necessarily the right response.
Because we love God and His truth, we should desire what God desires. Because we love our fellow man as ourselves, we should desire what will be for his good and for God’s glory. That will sometimes call on us to take intervening action, even at the personal risk of embarrassment, conflict or harm.
Does your faith in God sometimes drive you to intervene, for the good of others and the glory of God?