Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus)

When we hear of the death of a loved one; we immediately begin to mourn their passing.  Jesus taught those who congregated on the mountain that day that we are “blessed when we mourn.”  When death comes; we realize our immortality as humans.  It is a time when believers, saved by the grace, draw near to God who is the Creator of Life, the One who decides the perfect time of passing for each one of us.  “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted,” Jesus teaches on the mountain, Matthew 5:8. 

I once read of a legend of a certain culture group who believed that those who are in mourning are considered closest to God at that time of weeping over their loved one.  The people line up to give their prayer requests to those who mourn because they feel God is very close to them because in their mourning.  Individuals in the community feel the mourners are very near the heart of God and are being specifically heard. 

The Good News:  God hears every prayer we pray. He answers with His best for us.

“Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!
Death wrapped its ropes around me; the terrors of the grave overtook me.
    I saw only trouble and sorrow.
Then I called on the name of the Lord: ‘Please, Lord, save me!’ How kind the Lord is! How good he is!  So merciful, this God of ours!” Psalm 116:1-5

Our prayers are not forgotten.

“And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.” Revelation 5:8

The concept of stored prayers assures believers that their prayers are not in vain, even if they don’t see immediate results. God treasures and remembers every prayer. 

The lament of Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us “there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-14

David’s first response to hearing of the death of King Saul and his beloved friend, Jonathan is to mourn.  David, the Singer, sings a lament for the fallen as his instinctive response and commands others to sing it with him.

2 Samuel 1

David Hears of Saul’s Death

After the death of Saul, David returned from striking down the Amalekites and stayed in Ziklag two days. ² On the third day a man arrived from Saul’s camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to pay him honor.

³ “Where have you come from?” David asked him.

He answered, “I have escaped from the Israelite camp.”

⁴ “What happened?” David asked. “Tell me.”

“The men fled from the battle,” he replied. “Many of them fell and died. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead.”

⁵ Then David said to the young man who brought him the report, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”

⁶ “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa,” the young man said, “and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and their drivers in hot pursuit. ⁷ When he turned around and saw me, he called out to me, and I said, ‘What can I do?’

⁸ “He asked me, ‘Who are you?’

“‘An Amalekite,’ I answered.

⁹ “Then he said to me, ‘Stand here by me and kill me! I’m in the throes of death, but I’m still alive.’

¹⁰ “So I stood beside him and killed him, because I knew that after he had fallen he could not survive. And I took the crown that was on his head and the band on his arm and have brought them here to my lord.”

¹¹ Then David and all the men with him took hold of their clothes and tore them. ¹² They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord and for the nation of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

¹³ David said to the young man who brought him the report, “Where are you from?”

“I am the son of a foreigner, an Amalekite,” he answered.

¹⁴ David asked him, “Why weren’t you afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?”

¹⁵ Then David called one of his men and said, “Go, strike him down!” So he struck him down, and he died. ¹⁶ For David had said to him, “Your blood be on your own head. Your own mouth testified against you when you said, ‘I killed the Lord’s anointed.’”

David’s Lament for Saul and Jonathan

¹⁷ David took up this lament concerning Saul and his son Jonathan, ¹⁸ and he ordered that the people of Judah be taught this lament of the bow (it is written in the Book of Jashar):

¹⁹ “A gazelle lies slain on your heights, Israel.
    How the mighty have fallen!

²⁰ “Tell it not in Gath,
    proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon,
lest the daughters of the Philistines be glad,
    lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice.

²¹ “Mountains of Gilboa,
    may you have neither dew nor rain,
    may no showers fall on your terraced fields.
For there the shield of the mighty was despised,
    the shield of Saul—no longer rubbed with oil.

²² “From the blood of the slain,
    from the flesh of the mighty,
the bow of Jonathan did not turn back,
    the sword of Saul did not return unsatisfied.
²³ Saul and Jonathan—
    in life they were loved and admired,
    and in death they were not parted.
They were swifter than eagles,
    they were stronger than lions.

²⁴ “Daughters of Israel,
    weep for Saul,
who clothed you in scarlet and finery,
    who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold.

²⁵ “How the mighty have fallen in battle!
    Jonathan lies slain on your heights.
²⁶ I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother;
    you were very dear to me.
Your love for me was wonderful,
    more wonderful than that of women.

²⁷ “How the mighty have fallen!
    The weapons of war have perished!”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

What “song” do we sing in our mourning of a loved one who has passed?  It depends on who we trust with all your heart, mind, and soul and from whom we seek comfort and peace. 

“In God’s plan every life is long enough, and every death is timely. And though you and I might wish for a longer life, God knows better.

And—this is important—though you and I may wish a longer life for our loved ones, they don’t. Ironically, the first to accept God’s decision of death is the one who dies.

While we are shaking heads in disbelief, they are lifting hands in worship. While we are mourning at a grave, they are marveling at heaven. While we are questioning God, they are praising God.

“But, Max, what of those who die with no faith? My husband never prayed. My grandpa never worshiped. My mother never opened a Bible, much less her heart. What about the ones who never believed?”

How do we know they didn’t?

Who among us is privy to a person’s final thoughts? Who among us knows what transpires in those final moments? Are you sure no prayer was offered? Eternity can bend the proudest knees. Could a person stare into the yawning canyon of death without whispering a plea for mercy? And could our God, who is partial to the humble, resist it?

He couldn’t on Calvary. The confession of the thief on the cross was both a first and final one. But Christ heard it. Christ received it. Maybe you never heard your loved one confess Christ, but who’s to say Christ didn’t?

We don’t know the final thoughts of a dying soul, but we know this. We know our God is a good God. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). He wants your loved one in heaven more than you do. And he usually gets what he wants.

You know what else God wants? He wants you to face your sorrow. Denial and dismissal are not a part of God’s grief therapy.

David faced his. When he learned of the death of Saul and Jonathan, David and the entire army tore their clothing, wept aloud, and fasted until sunset. His lament was intense and public. David not only sang this dirge, he “ordered that the people of Judah be taught this lament…” –Max Lucado, Encouraging Word Bible Commentary

From the words of David—

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23

“Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.”—Jesus, Matthew 5:8

Lord,

Just to know how much you love and care for us when we mourn the passing of loved ones from this life to your arms brings peace to our souls. Your love and compassion pour over us as a true blessing of your intimacy with us. Thank you for your love, mercy, and grace when we mourn. May our mourning turn to joy as we remember and praise you for the lives of those we enjoyed for a while here will also be seen in heaven someday soon.

In Jesus Name, Amen

When the enemy deals a blow so hard that it affects us and all we love around us; what is our first response?  Is our first thought to fight back, seek revenge, take back what was taken from us?  Some of that will happen in David’s time when dealing with evil culture groups who are vicious and unrelenting; but not without asking God first for His take on the situation with what to do next. What we learn today is one very important life principle of discipline that David practiced often.  We see it clearly as we follow the adventures of David.  The principle is a two-part disciplined response by God’s leader to devasting circumstances.  First, David stopped to access the damage done, wept over the lives of those he loved, but in his distress— “David found strength in the Lord his God.”  Secondly, while his soldiers mourned in the valley of bitterness, “David inquired of the Lord

This same two-part disciplined principle is demonstrated perfectly by Jesus, Son of God, who came down from heaven to walk and talk with humanity.  This principle was most evident as Jesus preached and taught all who would listen.  This principle came loaded with power from on high as He provided help and healing for those without hope. John and the other gospels as well wrote what Jesus said about this important principle of life that we all must pursue!

The statement “I do nothing except what the Father tells me” is just one of the many similar quotes of Jesus as recorded throughout the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Specifically, you will find this principle clearly stated in John 5:19. It signifies Jesus’s complete dependence on and obedience to God the Father, emphasizing that Jesus responds to God first and acts only in accordance with God’s will and direction. This life principle highlights Jesus’s role as the Son of God, who operates in perfect unity with the Father, God—not independently. 

Perhaps now David’s well read, quoted often, and lovingly sung will have greater meaning for us now;

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23

1 Samuel 30

David Destroys the Amalekites

David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it, ² and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way.

³ When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. ⁴ So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. ⁵ David’s two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. ⁶ David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.

⁷ Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelek, “Bring me the ephod.” Abiathar brought it to him, ⁸ and David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?”

“Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.”

⁹ David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor Valley, where some stayed behind. ¹⁰ Two hundred of them were too exhausted to cross the valley, but David and the other four hundred continued the pursuit.

¹¹ They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David. They gave him water to drink and food to eat— ¹² part of a cake of pressed figs and two cakes of raisins. He ate and was revived, for he had not eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and three nights.

¹³ David asked him, “Who do you belong to? Where do you come from?”

He said, “I am an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me when I became ill three days ago. ¹⁴ We raided the Negev of the Kerethites, some territory belonging to Judah and the Negev of Caleb. And we burned Ziklag.”

¹⁵ David asked him, “Can you lead me down to this raiding party?”

He answered, “Swear to me before God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master, and I will take you down to them.”

¹⁶ He led David down, and there they were, scattered over the countryside, eating, drinking and reveling because of the great amount of plunder they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from Judah. ¹⁷ David fought them from dusk until the evening of the next day, and none of them got away, except four hundred young men who rode off on camels and fled. ¹⁸ David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. ¹⁹ Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back. ²⁰ He took all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock, saying, “This is David’s plunder.”

²¹ Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him and who were left behind at the Besor Valley. They came out to meet David and the men with him. As David and his men approached, he asked them how they were. ²² But all the evil men and troublemakers among David’s followers said, “Because they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered. However, each man may take his wife and children and go.”

²³ David replied, “No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the Lord has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us. ²⁴ Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike.” ²⁵ David made this a statute and ordinance for Israel from that day to this.

²⁶ When David reached Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, who were his friends, saying, “Here is a gift for you from the plunder of the Lord’s enemies.”

²⁷ David sent it to those who were in Bethel, Ramoth Negev and Jattir; ²⁸ to those in Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa ²⁹ and Rakal; to those in the towns of the Jerahmeelites and the Kenites; ³⁰ to those in Hormah, Bor Ashan, Athak ³¹ and Hebron; and to those in all the other places where he and his men had roamed.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Without consulting God first; we assume the position of a fool. Consumed with bitterness we respond to our “feelings” in foolhardy ways. 

So, prayerfully consider the examples of David and later Jesus!  Who are we to think we are better than Jesus, Son of God, perfect and without sin, who asked the Father before doing anything of significance as one who does not need to consult God? This is GOD, our all-knowing, all powerful, and forever faithful God, who works diligently on the behalf of those who love Him and whose hearts are committed to Him.  Seriously.  We need to get a grip!

“So, friends, we can now—without hesitation—walk right up to God, into “the Holy Place.” Jesus has cleared the way by the blood of his sacrifice, acting as our priest before God. The “curtain” into God’s presence is his body.

So let’s do it—full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.

If we give up and turn our backs on all we’ve learned, all we’ve been given, all the truth we now know, we repudiate Christ’s sacrifice and are left on our own to face the Judgment—and a mighty fierce judgment it will be! If the penalty for breaking the law of Moses is physical death, what do you think will happen if you turn on God’s Son, spit on the sacrifice that made you whole, and insult this most gracious Spirit? This is no light matter. God has warned us that he’ll hold us to account and make us pay. He was quite explicit: ‘Vengeance is mine, and I won’t overlook a thing’ and ‘God will judge his people.’ Nobody’s getting by with anything, believe me.”—Hebrews 10:19-31, MSG

God’s Word. Truth.

Lord,

Thank you for the life principle to always see you first, inquire from you our next steps of life. Then fill us with your power and strength do what you tell us to do!  I know you will.  May our thoughts and feelings be replaced by your wisdom and knowledge.  May we all seek you first in every detail of life for you are Life!  YOU are God. We are not.  Cleanse my heart, renew my mind, refresh my soul, and restore the joy of your salvation working from the inside out of me.

In Jesus Name, Amen

I ran over to a person I thought I knew at first glance.  Her back was turned speaking to another attendee she knew in the crowded convention hall.  As soon as I got close to her; I spoke her name in greeting.  She turned around and responded, “Do I know you?”  When I looked fully into her face, I realized she wasn’t the person I thought I knew well!   Yes, those times are embarrassing.  I even blush and laugh at myself when I wildly wave at someone on the road in another vehicle who turns out to be a total stranger, too!  Sometimes, however, I make new friends by mistaking others for people I know!

“Do I know you? Depart from me, I never knew you.”  Can we imagine Jesus saying this to one of us?  Hard stuff.  Lets go deeper.  Jesus does know us.  The verse “Depart from me, for I never knew you” is found in Matthew 7:23. It is part of a larger passage (Matthew 7:21-23) where Jesus speaks about false prophets and those who call him “Lord, Lord” but do not do the will of his Father. In this context, the phrase signifies Jesus’s rejection of individuals who claim to be his followers but whose actions demonstrate a lack of genuine faith and relationship with him, according to most religious interpretations. 

I think of what Jesus said as we learn the predicament Saul is in.  God removed His Spirit from King Saul when Saul arrogantly refused to obey God.  The outcome of this broken relationship with God has resulted in leaving Saul with living with the consequences of his own rebellious actions. Saul is now left to his own devices in every part of his life.  Earlier, Saul thought he didn’t need God.  In fact, he declared himself a god!  So, is it any wonder Saul no longer hears from the God?

Without a relationship with our Holy, Almighty, All-Knowing God, evil rushes in to overwhelm our thoughts with extreme fear, sickening anxieties, with constant worry—paralyzing us from doing anything! Who we say we believe will always be found true or false in our responses and behaviors.  In fact, what we truly believe about God will be reflected in what we say and do when troubles come and overwhelm us.

Know this: God knows our hearts and will always respond to humble hearts fully committed to Him, ready to do His will, His Way.  King Saul’s heart is not committed to God—only to self and self-survival. Saul only looks to God to clean up the mess he has made and put him back on the throne of success.  The King is faced with the hard truth: God hears but is no longer listening to him because repentance is far from Saul’s mind.

1 Samuel 28

In those days the Philistines gathered their forces to fight against Israel. Achish said to David, “You must understand that you and your men will accompany me in the army.”

² David said, “Then you will see for yourself what your servant can do.”

Achish replied, “Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life.”

Saul and the Medium at Endor

³ Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah. Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land.

⁴ The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem, while Saul gathered all Israel and set up camp at Gilboa. ⁵ When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart. ⁶ He inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. ⁷ Saul then said to his attendants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.”

“There is one in Endor,” they said.

⁸ So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. “Consult a spirit for me,” he said, “and bring up for me the one I name.”

⁹ But the woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?”

¹⁰ Saul swore to her by the Lord, “As surely as the Lord lives, you will not be punished for this.”

¹¹ Then the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you?”

“Bring up Samuel,” he said.

¹² When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!”

¹³ The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?”

The woman said, “I see a ghostly figure coming up out of the earth.”

¹⁴ “What does he look like?” he asked.

“An old man wearing a robe is coming up,” she said.

Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.

¹⁵ Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”

“I am in great distress,” Saul said. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has departed from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.”

¹⁶ Samuel said, “Why do you consult me, now that the Lord has departed from you and become your enemy? ¹⁷ The Lord has done what he predicted through me. The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. ¹⁸ Because you did not obey the Lord or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the Lord has done this to you today. ¹⁹ The Lord will deliver both Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will also give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.”

²⁰ Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because of Samuel’s words. His strength was gone, for he had eaten nothing all that day and all that night.

²¹ When the woman came to Saul and saw that he was greatly shaken, she said, “Look, your servant has obeyed you. I took my life in my hands and did what you told me to do. ²² Now please listen to your servant and let me give you some food so you may eat and have the strength to go on your way.”

²³ He refused and said, “I will not eat.”

But his men joined the woman in urging him, and he listened to them. He got up from the ground and sat on the couch.

²⁴ The woman had a fattened calf at the house, which she butchered at once. She took some flour, kneaded it and baked bread without yeast. ²⁵ Then she set it before Saul and his men, and they ate. That same night they got up and left.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

We learn from the life of King Saul and others who disobeyed God for self-pursuits to avoid hypocrisy at all costs!  Be with God before we do anything.  If we do not seek God first and get His direction; we will march to the beat of our drummer and fall to the religion of mere busyness!  The passage in Matthew 7:21-23 addresses the issue of false disciples and the importance of genuine faith, not just outward displays of religious activity. 

Let’s be clear; “I never knew you” doesn’t mean Jesus was unaware of our existence, but rather that He doesn’t recognize us as true followers or acknowledge us as his disciples, when we follow our own will. “Depart from me” is a declaration of separation, where Jesus rejects those who claim to know him but whose lives do not reflect his teachings. Yes, avoid hypocrisy, the sin of the religious leaders whom Jesus called out to repent first for they were confusing to His People.

No matter what means Saul tried, he received no answer from God. Not to hear from God is like death.  In fact, David wrote a song about it—

“To you, Lord, I call; you are my Rock, do not turn a deaf ear to me.
For if you remain silent, I will be like those who go down to the pit.
Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.” Psalm 28:1-2

We can’t help but feel sorry for Saul; yet at the same time, we must admit that he brought his plight on himself. Despite all the blessings God gave to Saul and all the opportunities to grow spiritually, Saul refused.  So, Saul was unprepared to lead, unprepared to fight, and unprepared to die. 

But, then again, who are we to judge?  Are we ready?

Lord,

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptations of self that leads to overwhelming consequences but deliver us from evil.  Come, Holy Spirit, for you are welcome.  Remove all that is not holy and acceptable to You.  Cleanse our hearts, renew our minds, refresh our souls, and restore the unspeakable joy of your salvation at work within us to mold and shape us to be all you created us to be—Yours in relationship that is full of love, mercy, and grace!

In Jesus Name, Amen

DID YOU KNOW…

Long before Disney’s production, the original “Beauty and the Beast” was a fairy tale written by the French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740.  Villeneuve’s lengthy version was abridged, rewritten, and published by French novelist Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont in 1756 to produce the most commonly retold version. Throughout the centuries variants of the tale are known across Europe.  In France, for example, Zémire and Azor is an operatic version of the story, written by Jean-François Marmontel and composed by André Grétry in 1771, which had enormous success into the 19th century. According to researchers at universities in Durham and Lisbon, the story originated about 4,000 years ago.

THE ORIGINAL STORY:  A widowed merchant lives in a mansion in a city with his twelve children: six sons and six daughters. All his daughters are very beautiful, but the youngest, Beauty, is the loveliest. Beauty is also kind and pure of heart; her elder sisters, in contrast, are cruel, selfish, and jealous of Beauty. The merchant and his children become poor when their house burns down, and his ships are lost. The family of thirteen is forced to move to a small cottage in the countryside and work for a living.

Two years later, the merchant hears that one of his trade ships has returned. Before leaving to retrieve it, and possibly their fortune, he asks his children if they wish for him to bring any gifts back for them. His oldest daughters ask for clothing, jewels, and the finest dresses possible as they think that his wealth has returned. Beauty asks for nothing but her father to return home safely, but when he insists on buying her a present, she is satisfied with the promise of a rose.

When he arrives to the port to see his ship the merchant is dismayed to learn that his colleagues have already sold the cargo, thus leaving him penniless and unable to buy his daughters’ presents. During his trip back home the merchant becomes lost in a vicious snowstorm. Seeking shelter, he comes upon a castle surrounded by lifelike statues. Seeing that no one is home, the merchant sneaks in and finds tables inside laden with food and drink, which seem to have been left for him by the castle’s invisible owner. The merchant accepts this gift and spends the night there.

he next morning, he is about to leave when he sees a rose garden and recalls that Beauty had desired a rose. The merchant quickly plucks the loveliest rose he can find. He is then confronted by a hideous “Beast” who tries to kill him for stealing his most precious possession even after accepting his hospitality. The merchant begs to be let go, revealing that he had only picked the rose as a gift for his youngest daughter. The Beast agrees to let him go, but only if he brings one of his daughters back to live with the Beast instead. He makes it clear that she must agree while under no illusions about her predicament.

The merchant is upset, but accepts this condition for the sake of his own life. The Beast sends him on his way with wealth, jewels, and fine clothes for his sons and daughters, and stresses that he must not lie to his daughters.

Upon arriving home, the merchant hands Beauty the rose she requested and informs her that it had a terrible price, before relaying what had happened during his absence. Her brothers say that they will go to the castle and fight the Beast, while his older daughters refuse to leave and place blame on Beauty, urging her to right her own wrong. The merchant forbids his children from ever going near the Beast. But Beauty willingly decides to go to the Beast’s castle, moving her father who remembers a Romani fortune-teller’s prophecy about his youngest daughter making his household lucky.

Once they arrive at the castle, the Beast receives Beauty with great ceremony. The merchant is sent home with a reward. The Beast gives Beauty lavish clothing, food and entertainment along with animal servants. He visits her each evening to ask her how she is doing. Although they converse at length, he seems unable to express himself well, leading her to assume he is not intelligent. Every night he asks Beauty to let him sleep with her: and she refuses. After each proposal Beauty dreams of a handsome stranger who is imprisoned in the castle, along with an apparition of a fairy who tells her not to be deceived by appearances.

For several months Beauty lives a life of luxury at the Beast’s castle. Her feelings for the man in her dreams and her gratitude toward the Beast come into conflict. When the Beast asks her what is wrong, she pleads homesickness and he sadly allows her to leave, warning her that if she does not return within two months he will die of a broken heart.  The Beast gives her an enchanted ring allowing her to return home instantly.

Her sisters are jealous of her good wealth and her brothers demand that she stay home and not go back.  But Beauty thinks of the Beast’s broken heart and returns to him.  Once she is back in the castle, Beauty’s fears are confirmed as she finds the Beast near death in a cave on the grounds. Seeing this, Beauty is distraught, realizing that she loves him. She fetches water from a nearby spring, which she uses to resuscitate him.

The next night when the Beast proposes, Beauty agrees to marry him. The sky is lit up by a magical fireworks show. That night he goes to bed with her, falling into an enchanted sleep as soon as he lies down. When Beauty wakes up next to him the next morning she finds that the Beast has transformed into the unknown man from her dreams.  AND there is a back story to complete that explains the chain of events that led to the marriage of Beauty and the Beast!  You can read “the rest of the story” at Wikipedia Encyclopedia!

It only takes one with a pure heart to resolve conflict who wants the best for all concerned. In our story of God in the life of David, Abigal is that person, the intelligent, quick-thinking Beauty who is married to Nabal, a grumpy, cruel, Beast of a man.

1 Samuel 25

David, Nabal and Abigail

Now Samuel died, and all Israel assembled and mourned for him; and they buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David moved down into the Desert of Paran.

² A certain man in Maon, who had property there at Carmel, was very wealthy. He had a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel. ³ His name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband was surly and mean in his dealings—he was a Calebite.

⁴ While David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep. ⁵ So he sent ten young men and said to them, “Go up to Nabal at Carmel and greet him in my name. ⁶ Say to him: ‘Long life to you! Good health to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours!

⁷ “‘Now I hear that it is sheep-shearing time. When your shepherds were with us, we did not mistreat them, and the whole time they were at Carmel nothing of theirs was missing. ⁸ Ask your own servants and they will tell you. Therefore be favorable toward my men, since we come at a festive time. Please give your servants and your son David whatever you can find for them.’”

⁹ When David’s men arrived, they gave Nabal this message in David’s name. Then they waited.

¹⁰ Nabal answered David’s servants, “Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days. ¹¹ Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?”

¹² David’s men turned around and went back. When they arrived, they reported every word. ¹³ David said to his men, “Each of you strap on your sword!” So they did, and David strapped his on as well. About four hundred men went up with David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.

¹⁴ One of the servants told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, “David sent messengers from the wilderness to give our master his greetings, but he hurled insults at them. ¹⁵ Yet these men were very good to us. They did not mistreat us, and the whole time we were out in the fields near them nothing was missing. ¹⁶ Night and day they were a wall around us the whole time we were herding our sheep near them. ¹⁷ Now think it over and see what you can do, because disaster is hanging over our master and his whole household. He is such a wicked man that no one can talk to him.”

¹⁸ Abigail acted quickly. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys. ¹⁹ Then she told her servants, “Go on ahead; I’ll follow you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.

²⁰ As she came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, there were David and his men descending toward her, and she met them. ²¹ David had just said, “It’s been useless—all my watching over this fellow’s property in the wilderness so that nothing of his was missing. He has paid me back evil for good. ²² May God deal with David, be it ever so severely, if by morning I leave alive one male of all who belong to him!”

²³ When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground. ²⁴ She fell at his feet and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord, and let me speak to you; hear what your servant has to say. ²⁵ Please pay no attention, my lord, to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name—his name means Fool, and folly goes with him. And as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my lord sent. ²⁶ And now, my lord, as surely as the Lord your God lives and as you live, since the Lord has kept you from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hands, may your enemies and all who are intent on harming my lord be like Nabal. ²⁷ And let this gift, which your servant has brought to my lord, be given to the men who follow you.

²⁸ “Please forgive your servant’s presumption. The Lord your God will certainly make a lasting dynasty for my lord, because you fight the Lord’s battles, and no wrongdoing will be found in you as long as you live. ²⁹ Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life, the life of my lord will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the Lord your God, but the lives of your enemies he will hurl away as from the pocket of a sling. ³⁰ When the Lord has fulfilled for my lord every good thing he promised concerning him and has appointed him ruler over Israel, ³¹ my lord will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself. And when the Lord your God has brought my lord success, remember your servant.”

³² David said to Abigail, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. ³³ May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. ³⁴ Otherwise, as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak.”

³⁵ Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him and said, “Go home in peace. I have heard your words and granted your request.”

³⁶ When Abigail went to Nabal, he was in the house holding a banquet like that of a king. He was in high spirits and very drunk. So she told him nothing at all until daybreak. ³⁷ Then in the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him all these things, and his heart failed him and he became like a stone. ³⁸ About ten days later, the Lord struck Nabal and he died.

³⁹ When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise be to the Lord, who has upheld my cause against Nabal for treating me with contempt. He has kept his servant from doing wrong and has brought Nabal’s wrongdoing down on his own head.”

Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife. ⁴⁰ His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, “David has sent us to you to take you to become his wife.”

⁴¹ She bowed down with her face to the ground and said, “I am your servant and am ready to serve you and wash the feet of my lord’s servants.” ⁴² Abigail quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five female servants, went with David’s messengers and became his wife. ⁴³ David had also married Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both were his wives. ⁴⁴ But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Paltiel son of Laish, who was from Gallim.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

There are so many lessons to learn in God’s story of David, Abigail and Nabal that teach us with reminders of better ways to respond to each other.  Consider these opportunities of response:

• We may work with “beasts” at work who are surly and mean who deliver consistent negative put downs.  Do we deliver meaner comebacks with an effort to put them in their place?
• We might have that one extended family member that we avoid like the plague because of their plague of comments served on a plate of steamy sarcasm. Do seethe with anger and hold grudges against them?
• There might be that person at church who judges harshly and gossips unmercifully. Do we join in as a team sport?

Truth is, everyone has a backstory.  This is not an excuse for cruel behavior but merely a fact of life that requires consideration when responding to the beasts in our lives. We can tame a lot of beasts by offering what they seek most—unconditional love with a listening ear.  But how?  I’m glad you asked…

Jesus gives us perfect examples of response:

Jesus taught his followers to respond to others with love, forgiveness, and compassion, even towards enemies and those who mistreat them. This includes turning the other cheek, blessing those who curse them, and praying for those who persecute them. Jesus emphasized serving others, showing mercy, and seeking reconciliation. 

Jesus also warned us about judging others because we will be judged in the same manner.  Don’t dish out what might be served up to you later in larger portions!  Only Jesus is our High Priest, Advocate, and Judge.  Jesus is God in the flesh who knows our hearts, our backstories, and our personalities with how we think and will respond. God forgives, forgets, and wants His very best for each one of His created.  God is merciful, kind, compassionate, and full of love and grace.  To be more like Jesus, we must learn to think and respond like Jesus demonstrated for us.

The gospels overflow with Jesus’ response to the lost, broken, unloved, poor, plagued outcasts of society, abused and hurt from the inside out.  Jesus dealt with the “beasts” who were oppressive to others as He walked on earth with His followers.  He reminded religious bullies compassionately of what God desired most—for their hearts to return to Him.  He fulfilled all God’s saying through His prophets of how His people should respond to those who oppose them with examples of putting those words into action.

Peter, the Rock upon whom Jesus built His church, learned and applied Jesus’ lessons well.  He writes;

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
“He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. (1 Peter 2:21–23 NIV)

Pause, reflect prayerfully, allow the Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts…

What is my first thought of response when I’m insulted? Especially when insulted for being a follower of Jesus? Our natural tendency is to insult back, right? And all too often, we give in to that desire, responding to an insult with an insult. But Peter, who learned from Jesus, tells us that there is a better way to respond.

Jesus suffered on our behalf. And He did; Jesus demonstrated the love of God in His response. When Jesus was insulted, He did not respond with insult or threaten those who beat Him and hung Him on a cross. There was no fault to be found in anything He said or did in response to insults and suffering.  Instead, He entrusted himself to God, the one who judges justly. Jesus chose to allow the Father to respond for him.  “May Your Will be done” were words of resolution to God before going to the cross.  He trusted God completely.

Therefore, when someone insults us because of our faith in Jesus; we have a choice. We can insult them back and “beat them over the head” with the Scriptures we know. But when we take that approach; we are failing to follow Jesus’ example. Yes, He quoted scriptures when tempted by Satan our real Enemy in the spiritual rhelms.  But when we demonstrate to the one insulting us that we are no different than they are with anger and resentment, we are justifying their rejection of the God we serve.  In fact, Jesus showed us how not to retaliate.  We can respond to insult with blessing (1 Peter 3:9). That will confuse the one insulting us while demonstrating to them that we are different because of Jesus living in us.  We then show them that just maybe there is something to the God we claim to love and serve. 

Jesus, who is Peace, taught us to be Peace.  Matthew 5:44 says to “love your enemies,” and Matthew 5:9 says peacemakers will be blessed. Luke 6:28 even says, “Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”  Abigail demonstrated this truth. 

Here are the extended words of Jesus with how to respond perfectly to each other;

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor^[i] and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”—Jesus, Matthew 5:38-48.

Oh Lord,

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.  Lead us not into temptations of revenge, grudge holding, or resentment but DELIVER us from all evil and evil’s schemes to divide us. Help us by your power working in us.

In Jesus Name, Amen