Recently, I have been reading a devotional by Max Lucado called “They Walked with God.” The very first devotional in the book takes a look at the story of Abigail, talking about how  she went out of her way to change David’s mind and spare not only her husband, that she new didn’t deserve it, but her whole household. Abigail chose to not be like her husband, and to not be like David, rather she chose to be different and brave in order to show others a different path. Lucado talks about how the reaction that Abigail had, in the face of something horrible, is something that is needed in our culture today.

Abigail took a brave moment to be different. Now, let’s take this into some sort of hardship that we may face. What would the bravery of Abigail look like? Well imagine being in a hopeless situation, one in which the outcome in already determined, and it is not good. You have already accepted defeat, there is nothing more that you can do, then your Abigail comes along. They come to show you something different, reminding you that the situation that you are in can only be as hopeless as you think it is, that there is a different path you can take, it only takes a little bit more bravery. To go, stand out, and do something that no one else in your situation would be willing to do. That is what Abigail asked of David, that is what our Abigail ask us to do, to stand out and do that which no one else in our place would be willing to do, to give into hope and change a bad situation.

The story of Abigail has always been one of my favorites, but looking at it in the light that Lucado has put it, makes me love it that much more. I had always seen her as a very brave woman, willing to change the mind of a king. Now when I look at her story I see a brave woman, willing to not only change a king’s mind, but also bring a light into a situation in order to change that outcome, to set a person free of the depravity of one’s reality by bringing about an image of hope and understanding.

~ Pastor Jillian