Month: September 2025

The Kitchen Table Devotional

David Day 130

Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a feast day. Please give whatever you have at hand to your servants and to your son David.’”

1 Samuel 25:8

If you want to be taken seriously, don’t send someone else to do your business.  Take care of your business, yourself.  It’s easy to turn down the help.  If it’s important to you, it’s important for you to do the work.  David will end up loading up and going anyway, so why not go the first time?  If it’s important for you, make the person important to you by talking to them yourself.  Just a thought.

The Kitchen Table Devotional

David Day 129

David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. ⁵ So David sent ten young men. And David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal and greet him in my name. ⁶ And thus you shall greet him: ​‘Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have

1 Samuel 25:4-6

It’s easier than you think to slip back into the mindset of the world around us.  God was David’s faithful provider, and yet it made sense to David that Nabal should care and provide for David’s men.  Why shouldn’t those who have share with those who don’t?  That might be God’s character, but that’s not necessarily God’s way.  David let his feelings rule over his faith.  He’s about to kill a man, act violently, and take what he wanted rather than receive what God had for him.   We must be aware of ourselves; it can look easier to play politics than pray, but God wants us to pray.

The Kitchen Table Devotional

David Day 128

Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. The woman was discerning and beautiful, but the man was harsh and badly behaved; he was a Calebite.

1 Samuel 25:3

There’s always more to the story than what meets the eye.  Abigail is one of the more in this story, and when David sees her, he’ll want her just like Nabal had done earlier.  Beauty is defined by what’s good.  Abigale was discerning, a huge word that means she had a good heart, a good mind, a good attitude, a good name & a good witness.  She’s able to move mountains because, obviously, people respect and revere her.  Good makes beauty beautiful.  How in the world did she end up with Nabal?  Maybe it’s because good people can see the possibilities and not just the problems.

The Kitchen Table Devotional

David Day 127

Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel; and the man was very rich, and he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats.

1 Samuel 25:2

Life isn’t that complicated if you’re simply observant.  There are times when you can see a storm brewing.  This is what’s happening here with David and Nabal.  A storm is brewing; grief and arrogance were about to meet, and they couldn’t see it.  Nothing is more offensive than injustice in the face of grief.  And nothing offends more than wealth in the face of arrogance.  There will be no prayer, only reaction to each other.  David has a right, Nabal has a point, violence is on the horizon, and only the mentally and emotionally intelligent can see it coming.  We can’t afford to forget about God at any turn in our lives.  We always need His discernment, direction, and dependability.  He will always deliver.

The Kitchen Table Devotional

David Day 126

Now Samuel died. And all Israel assembled and mourned for him, and they buried him in his house at Ramah.   Then David rose and went down to the wilderness of Paran.

1 Samuel 25:1-2

Life has a way of throwing us all sorts of curveballs, and death is one of those balls.  In this situation, Samuel, David’s mentor, prophet, and role model, has died.  He’s the one who first saw God’s call on David’s life.  Now what?  Who was left to vouch for David?  Who was there to interfere with King Saul’s dangerous depression?  We need spiritual mentors and ministers in our lives.  It’s easy to go backwards when you’re not following someone forward.  David and the nation of Israel are grieving Samuel’s death.  This is when you’re calling must be greater than the one who called you.  Grief can be a punch in the gut; lean into it, not away from it.  This is a time to seek God’s discernment & direction, not make our own decisions.  Feel the pain, don’t fret your plans.