Kept from Bloodshed and Vengeance

 David could get very angry at times. When he did, he was quick to lash out and do things which he should not do. I think we can all relate to him in this. Anger is a very destructive emotion, unless it is a fully righteous anger, which is very rare in us. Therefore, when we are kept from committing sins because of our anger, that is a very good thing. That is what happened to David, when he was so angry with Nabal and his men. He was going to kill all of them, but Abigail, Nabal's wife came with an apology and a generous gift to intercede for her husband. Her actions kept David from bloodshed and vengeance. (I Samuel 25:32,33) This caused David to give praise to God for sending her, and to Abigail and her discernment of what to do on the spur of the moment. David saw clearly that he had been kept from sin, and he was very thankful. We should all learn from this, because we might find ourselves on either side of this dilemma.

When we get angry, we need to stop and go to the Lord. We need to ask Him to give us discernment as to what we should do. That is why we are told to "be angry and sin not."(Ephesians 4:26) We must make sure we do not let our anger lead us into sin, but we act in a wise way, instead. Then, we must be grateful to God when He shows us how to do this and thankful for anyone God uses to keep us from these types of sins. Also, when we see another person who is angry, and about to do the wrong thing, we must step up and do what God shows us to do to keep them from their sinful response. (James 5:20) It takes courage, but it is God's will for us, as we care for others, and we desire to be God's instruments in this world.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read I Samuel 26-28.