Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 25
David and his men were hungry, so David went to Nabal,
a wealthy rancher and requested some food and provisions. Nabal, (whose name
means, “foolish”) did not heed David’s request but sent them away with empty stomachs.
As a result, David mustered his men and prepared them to attack Nabal and his
men. But then, along came Nabal’s wife, a woman named Abigail.
Abigail, (whose name means “the father’s joy”) brought
joy to David and his men when she secretly provided some food and provisions
for them and pronounced a blessing upon them. Because of her kindness, David
called off his attack and left town peaceably. In the course of Abigail’s
blessing of David she said, “The life of my lord [David] shall be bound in the
bundle of the living in the care of the LORD your God.”
To be “bound in the bundle of life” is to know that
you are protected and cared for deeply.
When valuable items were transported during biblical times, they were
wrapped in cloth, cotton and other soft materials for protection. They were
then wrapped again and again to ensure safe arrival. They were “bound” for
their protection. So, when Abigail says
to David that his life shall be bound in the bundle of life or “of the living,”
she was pronouncing a blessing of safety and protection upon him. In essence, she was saying, “May the Lord
wrap your life in bundles of safety and protection.” Abigail recognized David’s
relationship with “the LORD his God.” Accordingly, she invoked a blessing of
protection upon David, calling for him to be protected and deeply cared for by
the LORD. Abigail’s reminder of God’s
value and protection over him gave David the inner strength to leave the matter
in God’s hands.
As a follower of Christ, your life is “bound in the
bundle of life” as well. God wants you
to know that He has wrapped your life in many layers of care and protection and
He cares for you deeply. His protection over your life ensures that you, too,
are safe from every attack and in every battle you face in life. It is now up
to you to have the inner strength to leave the matter in God’s hands and trust
His protection and deep care for you.
In David’s case, Nabal died shortly after this
incident and Abigail became David’s new bride. God turned the tables on a
foolish man and blessed David in the process as he was living in the care of
the LORD his God.
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