Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

May 2
Friday


NO GOOD
DEED

READ:
1 Samuel 25:32-39
__________________________________

Blessed be the LORD,
who has pleaded the
cause of my reproach.
__1 Samuel 25:39
__________________________________

Playwright and US Congresswoman Clare Booth Luce (1903-1987) once said, "No good deed goes unpunished." Sadly, it sometimes seems as if this aphorism is true.

David, soon to be king of Israel, had an experience that corroborates this idea. While hiding from Saul, he and his men watched over the property of a rich landowner named Nabal. But later, when David asked a favor of Nabal, he was met with scorn. "Surely in vain I have protected all that this fellow has," said David. "He has repaid me evil for good" (1 Sam. 25:21).

Before David could carry out revenge, Nabal's wife intervened and kept David from acting rashly. Soon, God struck Nabal dead (v.38). Then david praised God for keeping him from evil and for returning "the wicdkedness of Nabal on his own head" (v.39).

Perhaps you've had an experience when kindness was repaid with ingratitude, a generous gift was treated as an entitlement, kind actions were interpreted as an attempt to control, or well-intended advice was received with scorn.

David's story reminds us that even when it seems as if we're being repaid with evil for doing good, we don't have to take matters into our own hands; we can trust God with the outcome. __Julie Ackerman Link
_____________________________________________________________

`````````````````````This is my Father's world__`````````````````
```````````````````````O let me ne'er forget````````````````````
```````````````That though the wrong seems oft so strong.``````````
````````````````````God is the Ruler yet. __Babcock``````````````
_____________________________________________________________

One day God will right every wrong.

**************Today's Bible Reading __ 1 Samuel 25:32-39**********

32 Then David said to
Abigail: "Blessed is the
LORD God of Israel, who sent
you this day to meet me!

33 And blessed is your advice
and blessed are you, because
you have kept me this day
from coming to bloodshed
and from avenging myself
with my own hand. 34 For
indeed, as the LORD God of
Israel lives, who has kept me
back from hurting you,
unless you had hurried and
come to meet me, surely by
morning light no males
would have been left to
Nabal!"

35 So David received from
her hand what she had
brought him, and said to her,
"Go up in peace to your
house. See, I have heeded
your voice and respected
your person."

36 Now Abigail went to
Nabal, and there he was,
holding a feast in his
house.... And Nabal's
heart was merry within him, for he
was very drunk; therefore she
told him nothing, little or
much, until morning light.

37 So it was, in the morning,
when the wine had gone
from Nabal, and his wife had
told him these things, that his
heart died within him, and he
became like a stone. 38 Then
it happened, after about ten
days, that the LORD struck
Nabal, and he died.

39 So when David heard that
Nabal was dead, he said,
"Blessed be the LORD, who
has pleaded the cause of my
reproach from the hand of
Nabal, and has kept His
servant from evil! For the
LORD has returned the
wickedness of Nabal on his
own head."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Abigail would eventually become the wife of King David. Her name
means "my father is joy." Her first husband was Nabal (whose name
means "fool"). Abigail is a rich example of wisdom, in contrast to
her ill-fated husband. __Bill Crowder