A Crime More Despicable

Meditation
1 Samuel 25:2,3--A man in Maon had a business in Carmel; he was a very rich man with 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats and was shearing his sheep in Carmel. The man’s name was Nabal, and his wife’s name, Abigail. The woman was intelligent and beautiful, but the man, a Calebite, was harsh and evil in his dealings.

He had it all—a beautiful, intelligent wife, riches, and plenty of hired help to run his estate. But he was a jerk.  David, and his band of followers, were living on the run trying to escape King Saul who was determined to kill him. While in the Wilderness of Paran, they protected Nabal’s sheepherders and sheep. When David asked his men to approach Nabal in Carmel and ask for food for his entourage, Nabal treated his men with contempt instead of showing gratitude.  Not long after, God took his life and gave his wife to David.

William George Jordan once said, “Ingratitude is a crime more despicable than revenge, which is only returning evil for evil, while ingratitude returns evil for good.” I have seen what ingratitude does to people. It withers them up like dried plums turned into prunes. Ingratitude sucks the joy out of life. It turns feast into famine and plenty into poverty. It is often fueled by comparison—seldom satisfied, coated with envy, or spoiled, yet never having enough. Ingratitude forsakes compliments to dish out complaints.

Long before Jesus came, David understood gratitude. Perhaps this is why Nabal’s actions were so egregious to him. David wrote, “I will give You thanks with all my heart; I will sing Your praise before the heavenly beings” (Psalm 138:1). David was a grateful man and God loved his heart (Acts 13:22).

In Colossians 2:6,7 we read, “Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, overflowing with gratitude.” What makes life sweet no matter the circumstances? Live in gratitude. Even in the deepest sorrow, we can still give thanks. Why? Because this life on earth is fleeting. If our faith is in God’s Son, we have a guaranteed, pain-free, eternal future. It will be filled with the joy of living in God’s presence. Something to think about . . . in reveration!
 
Inspiration
“We are too prone to engrave our trials in marble and write our blessings in sand.”—Charles Spurgeon
 
©2024 Daniel York  ARR.  Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  To receive these devotionals, go to www.firstcause.org and click the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box.  Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed, subject to the inclusion of this copyright notice.     
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)