Daily Devotional

“The name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. And she was a woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance; but the man was harsh and evil in his doings” (1 Samuel 25:3). 

If you want to lower your chance of getting in a head-on collision, don’t drive in Montana. Its fatal car accident rate is double that of New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey. It’s three times as high as Massachusetts’s numbers. And if you want to avoid getting in a car accident of any kind, don’t ride with a male aged eighteen to twenty. He is seven times more likely to drink and drive than females aged eighteen to twenty. The safest place to drive is Kansas. The Sunflower State has the best-prepared drivers in the nation. Washington, DC, has the worst. 

Nabal, the husband of Abigail, never drove a car, but he was irresponsible and thoughtless of others. His name means “fool,” and it describes well how he related to David and his men. The rich sheep owner had flocks that were protected from marauders by David and his armed followers. When David ran short of provisions, he sent men to request help from Nabal. The foolish man, probably under the influence, refused to help and made rude comments about David. 

When David’s men returned without supplies, he was angry and prepared to teach Nabal a lesson. Four hundred men armed themselves, but along the way Nabal’s discerning wife interceded for her careless husband and saved his life. When she came home, the ungrateful man was drunk. The next morning, she told him of her encounter with David and he suffered a stroke and died ten days later. 

Alcohol is a deadly curse, whether you are driving a car or responding to the request of a future king. Any alcohol that is not broken down by the liver goes to the brain and impairs body movement, speech, and memory. Drunk people have a difficult time walking, talking, and remembering. But the worst effect is on one’s judgment. Impulsive behavior can kill you. Just ask foolish Nabal. 

Lord, may I be prudent in all my dealings with others. Give me godly discernment and heavenly wisdom.