ABIGAIL

I am participating in a study of the life of David at a local church. We recently read the account of Abigail, Nabal and David found in 1 Samuel 25. If you are not familiar with the story, I will let you read it for yourself because, well, you need too! However, after you have read it, come back and join the discussion. Two verses caught my eye. The first is after Abigail has come before David.

"So David received from her hand what she had bought him, and said to her,

"Go up in peace to your house,

I have heeded your voice and respected your person." "

1 Samuel 25:35 (NKJV)

Then , a few verses later, we find this...

"....And David sent and proposed to Abigail, to take her as his wife."

1 Samuel 25:39 (NKJV)

The NIV says David granted her request in verse 35, and he "communed" with her in verse 39. I'll be honest, I like NKJV better. It's more romantic; more Hallmark.

I want to be that to HH. I want him to respect my person. I want him to continue to respect my person fifty years from now. I want to be a wife and mom of integrity to him and the MCs. I want him to be glad he proposed and to not hesitate to do it again. I don't want to give up on that just because he put a ring on my finger. I want to keep striving to be that woman in Proverbs 31, bless her heart. As much as she gets under my skin, I want to keep working toward that. I want him to heed my voice, not out of frustration because I have nagged him to death, but because I have chosen my words wisely and spoken them with respect and love. I want to honor him even in our disagreements and end up, as Keith Moore has often told Beth, at a place where we both win (caught that little gem on Wednesdays with Beth).

I want to encourage you unmarrieds, young or old, to be women who your suitors will respect. Be someone to whom they desire to grant a request. A woman for whom it is deemed an honor to ask for in marriage. I believe what is in the bible is there for a reason and what is left out is left out for a reason. Just a few verses down we read where David took another wife (Ahinoam, verse 43). It makes no mention of David asking her or communing with her. Abigail was a woman who deserved to be asked. Properly. She had won David's respect and kept her dignity in the process.

In our present culture, maintaining your dignity and respect is becoming a difficult task, married or single. We need to turn to the One, the only One who gives it to us, Jesus Christ. He is the keeper of our dignity. He equips us to make the choices that preserve it.

Don't quit.

Don't stop striving for that.

Reagrdless.

As much as she wears us out.

Don't stop.

Encourage each other.

Remind each other.

Correct and build each other up.

Be deliberate.

And remind me that I said all this.