I always appreciate the right words spoken in just the right moment. Sometimes a winsome comment turns a situation from ugly to nice, allowing a calmness to settle where indignation boiled.

Abigail spoke in a winsome way when intercepting David and his mercenaries on their way to a violent afternoon. Nabal, Abigail’s husband, was a grade-A jerk. He returned David’s service and good will with a middle finger. David rode with a scourging in mind.

Abigail stopped the madness, especially with this comment to David—the lives of your enemies God will hurl away as from the pocket of a sling. Her intelligence sparkled, and David certainly noticed the veiled reference to his skill with a sling and a stone. Flattery goes a long way, especially when deserved.

To approach challenging conversations with winsome words requires patience and forethought. Abigail showed her skill in this interaction with David. May I learn from her example in my interactions with others.

1 Samuel 25 in reading the Bible in 2023

Photo by Glen Carrie