The Wisdom of Dear Abigail

The Wisdom of Dear Abigail
1 Samuel 25:2-38
June 19-20, 2021

Last week in chapter 24, it's like one of the highlights of David's life. What character, what faith, what leadership. It was an amazing story. If you remember, David is on the run for his life, King Saul is threatened by David, fearful, angry, jealous of David, and he's out to kill him. David and his men are hiding in this cave, and Saul in pursuit of him needs to relieve himself and so he goes into the very exact cave that David and his men just so happened to be hiding in.

The men with David said, "David, what an opportunity, seize the moment, take his life. He's your enemy." David won't do it. He says to Saul, "I will not lift a hand against you. I will not raise my hand against you, though you lie in wait to take my life. I will not lift a hand against you. Though you pursue me for 20 years. I will never lift a hand against you." What character, what faith, what amazing, amazing godliness of leadership. That's chapter 24. Chapter 25 is a whole different story.

Here, he's insulted and reproached by a man who doesn't recognize his stature. David knows that he's anointed. He's going to be the next king of Israel and here, he's insulted and reproached by a man who doesn't recognize his stature and he loses his temper. He's hot. He's one step away from making the biggest mistake of his life. Now, David becomes a champion in the story, not because of his temper, that part is not good, but he becomes a champion because when Abigail speaks wisdom to him, to speak to that anger, he listens.

I. Avoid the Fool Within

He listens to good sense. He changes his course, and that is the action of a champion. That's one of the great lessons from this story. Now, there are three main characters in the story. There's David, there's a man named Nabal. It's interesting, his name has a meaning in Hebrew. Many times, Hebrew names have specific meanings and it's good to know what they are because, in Hebrew, everyone knew what the meaning was.

Today in English, when you name your children, typically, you might name, Steve or Larry, Martha. You don't know what the names mean, it just sounds good, but in Hebrew, it meant something and everyone knew what it was. If we did the same thing today, you might name your son hard worker, for example, and then you would say, "Oh, good morning, hard worker. Could you come and do--" "Oh, well, you called me hard worker." "Well, yes, that's your name" or you might call them Sincere. "Good morning, Sincere. How are you doing _____" and then, oh, he's called me-- What's your name? Everyone knew what the name meant.

All right. Nabal had a meaning to the name. It means fool. Now, how his parents came to name him that, I don't know. Maybe it was like the famous song by Johnny Cash, The Boy Named Sue. I don't know, maybe would make him tough when he had to stand up to everyone who made fun of his name. I don't know how he got the name, but however he got the name, he lived up to it. He became a grouchy, cantankerous, difficult, obstinate, selfish man who lived out his name.

Now we meet another figure, another character. Her name is Abigail. She is Nabal's wife. Tells us that she is intelligent, she is beautiful in appearance, and she becomes a hero or a heroine in the story because when her husband insults and reproaches David, which is a foolish thing to do, but when her husband insults and reproaches David and David loses his temper, she's the one who intervenes. It is the wisdom of dear Abby or dear Abigail that wins the day.

She's respectful. She's wise, as she shows David that if he allows his anger and his temper to get the best of him, he will regret it the rest of his life but David becomes a champion in the story because he listens. He reigns in that temper and it's the action of a man of faith and of godly character. There's a lot for us to read in the story. The whole of the story is a lengthy story, but it's fascinating to read.

1Samuel 25, we begin in verse two. "Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel." This is not Carmel in the way far north, it's actually another town in the south by the desert. Now, the man was very rich. He had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats. It came about while he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. Now, when you get to the point of shearing your sheep, it's at the end of the season, and it's a day of celebration, it's festive. The scripture says in the book of Leviticus, on such occasions, you ought to be generous and share with those in need around you. It's one of those festive days.

Now, the man's name was Nabal. His wife's name was Abigail, and the woman was intelligent and beautiful in appearance but the man was harsh and evil in his dealings and he was a Calebite. He's a descendant of Caleb of the tribe of Judah. Now David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep. It's a festive day. David sent 10 young men and David said to the young men, "Now go to Carmel, visit Nabal, greet him in my name and thus you shall say, 'Have a long life, peace be to you, peace be to your house. Peace be to all that you have.'"
What a respectful honor-giving greeting. "Now I've heard that you have shearers. Now your shepherds have been with us, and we have not assaulted them." Which is to say, David trained his men to be very respectful, and then David's men became a wall around them. A wall of protection, 3,000 sheep, 1,000 goats, this is huge. David's men protected them.

He says, "We have not insulted them nor have they missed anything all the days they were in Carmel. Ask your young men, they will tell you. Therefore, let my young man find favor in your eyes, for we have come on a festive day. Please give whatever you find in hand to your servants and to your son, David." Very, very respectful.

When David's young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to these words in David's name and then they waited, but Nabal answered David's servants harshly, "Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse?" Yes, like he doesn't know. He knows very well who he is. He's famous in Israel, everyone knows.

"Oh, there are many servants today breaking away from their master." Even knows the thing with Saul. "What? Shall I take my bread and my water and my meat that I've slaughtered from my shears and give them to men whose origin I don't know?" This is a foolish answer. David's got 600 men in arms. This is not a good answer. David's young men retraced their way and went back, came and told to David all these words. David, when he heard this insult, when he heard this reproach, he's hot, his temper is-- He's hot.

He says to men, "Strap on your swords each of you." Each man girded his sword. David girded his sword. About 400 men went up behind David while 200 stayed with the baggage. Now, meanwhile, one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, and said, "Behold, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master and he scorned them. Yet, the men were very good to us. We were not insulted. We did not miss anything as long as we went about with them while we were in the fields.

They were like a wall to us both night and day, all the time we were with them, tending the sheep. Now, therefore, know and consider what you should do. Evil is plotted against our master and against his household" and notice this, "and he is such a worthless man. No one can say a word to him. No one can speak to him. He's so stubborn. He is so obstinate. No one can say a word." Abigail, she hurried, took 200 loaves of bread. Two jugs of wine, five sheep already prepared. Yes, because it's a big festive day.

Five measures of roasted grain, 100 measures clusters of raisins, 200 cakes of figs, loaded them on donkeys, and then she said to a young man, "Go, rush, hurry, go. Go before me. Behold, I'm coming after you" but she did not tell her husband, Nabal. Now it came about as she was riding on her donkey, coming down by the hidden part of the mountain, that behold, David and his men were coming down toward her and she met them.

Now earlier, David had said, "Surely in vain, have I got it all that this man has in the wilderness so that nothing was missed of all that belonged to him. He has returned evil to me for good. May God do so to the enemies of David and more also if by morning I leave so much as one meal of all that belong to him." Now when Abigail saw David, she hurried, she dismounted from her donkey. She fell on her face before David and she bowed herself to the ground.

What respect. She fell at his feet and she said this, "On me and me alone, sir, be the blame. Please, let your maidservant speak to you. Please listen to the words of your maidservant. Please do not let my Lord pay attention to this worthless man, Nabal. For as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name and folly is with him, but I, your maidservant did not see the young man of my Lord whom you sent.

Now, therefore, my Lord, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, since the Lord has restrained you from shedding blood and from avenging yourself by your own hand, now then, let your enemies and those who seek evil against my Lord be like Nabal. Now let this gift which your maidservant has brought to my Lord be given to the young men who accompany my Lord. Please forgive the transgression of your maidservant. For the Lord will certainly make for my Lord an enduring house because the Lord is fighting, my Lord, you--" In other words, David.

"Because my Lord is fighting the battles of the Lord, no evil should be found in your hand all the days of your life. Should anyone rise up to pursue you and seek your life, then the life of my Lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the Lord your God, but the lives of your enemies will be slung out as from the hollow of a sling." She knows David's story very well.
"It shall come about when the Lord shall do for my Lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning you and shall appoint you ruler over Israel that this thing will not cause you grief. This thing will not trouble your heart both by having shed blood without cause and by my Lord having avenged himself. When the Lord shall do well with my Lord, by the way, remember me your maidservant."

Now David, when he heard these words, it struck him. He listened and David said to Abigail, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who sent you this day to meet me. Blessed be your discernment and blessed be you. You who have kept me this day from bloodshed and from avenging myself by my own hand. Nevertheless, as the Lord God of Israel lives who has restrained me now from harming you unless you had come quickly to meet me, surely, there would not have been left to Nabal until the morning light so much as one meal."

David received from her hand what she had brought and he said to her, "Go to your house in peace. See, I've listened to you. See, I've granted your request." Then Abigail came to Nabal, her husband, and behold, he was holding a feast in his house like the feast of a king, and Nabal's heart was merry within him for he was very drunk. She did not tell him anything until the morning light.

It came about in the morning when the wine had gone out of Nabal that his wife told him all the things that had happened. "David was coming with 400 men. Swords strapped to their sides, they meant to kill you but I intervened." When he heard these things, his heart died within him and it became like a stone. He had a heart attack. 10 days later, it happened that he died. Now, this isn't a fascinating story. By the way, when David hears later that Nabal died, he sent Abigail an invitation to be his wife. He sees the beauty but the intelligence and the discernment.

Anyway, what a story. Much to apply to our lives from the story. It started with this understanding, avoid the fool within. We all have enough foolishness from our human nature that we would do very well to learn from the story. It's a life lesson. Everyone is born with that human nature, it's called the flesh.

Now David was most certainly a gentleman. When he requested the supplies, he was not making demands, and that he sent 10 young men, so he expected something significant. Nabal replies with his insulting, disrespectful, degrading, reproachful answer. In keeping with his name, he gives a foolish answer, but I submit that David's response is no better.

A. Emotions make terrible masters

Now he was willing to withhold his hands when he's fronted by king Saul who he sees as over him, but when a man who does not recognize his stature, he loses his temper. His emotions become so great that they undo him, they master him. Now this is a great lesson and the point is this, emotions make terrible masters. I see it that God gave emotions as a gift. They are a wonderful thing, emotions are wonderful.

They are a wonderful part of our relationship, they make relationships beautiful. They're a beautiful part of our relationship to God. When you go down to the ocean and you see the sunset and you go, oh, God, you're amazing. See, it's a wonderful thing. When you're worshiping and you sense the presence of God in a glorious way, it's like, this is great. God gave you emotions. It's a wonderful gift, but they're not meant to rule over you, they're not meant to be your masters. They're meant to be your servants.

There's a great saying, "Emotions make great servants but they make terrible masters." Especially that's true of the temper and the anger that rises up within. Let me give you a great word. Proverbs 16:32. "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty." Stronger than the mighty, "and he who rules his spirit is better than he who captures a city" because that takes a lot of power. He who can rule over his spirit, so that your spirit doesn't rule over you because it surely will. It's such a great word.

Here's another one, 1Corinthians 6:12. Paul writes it this way. "All things are lawful but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful but I will not be mastered by anything." This is really a very important thing because those who rise up with pride and anger, they say, "No one is going to master me," but Paul gives [unintelligible 00:17:20]. No, this thing within me will not master me, that's what. This thing that rises up inside of me will not master me so that I can be mastered by God.

That's the thing so that God can be my master. I will not be mastered by anything including this thing that rises up within me. David's pride is the problem. We all know the root of the thing. He's insulted and he's reproached and his pride is the thing. We all know the root. I mean pride has been the problem from the very beginning. I think everyone knows it, pride is the thing.
When I look back on our 37 years of marriage and I think about the first spat that we had, the very first spat that we had which was really quite silly. I can tell you the root of it. It was pride. Then when I look back on the second spat that we had I can tell you the root of it, pride.

Then I look back on the third spat that we had, I can tell you the root of it, it was pride. The fourth one, it was pride. That's it. That's all the spats we ever had, just the four.

That's my point. We know the root of the thing. For when you take things personally or when you allow that pride to rise up in you, or insecurity, whatever it is, that thing, you must hold it in check. We say you must check your emotions. It means to hold it in check so that it does not master you.

If David had proceeded with this thing, they'd have to rewrite that song that they used to sing about him. Saul has his thousands and David has his 10,000s and one [unintelligible 00:19:04] to the old fool. This thing would be a mark on him. The rest of his life, this thing would be a mark on him.

B. Rely on God even in the little things

Here's the point. Rely on God, even in the little things. These irritations of life, even in the little things. Now many understand the necessity of relying on God in the big things. The great problems, the great challenges, but then they trust in themselves in the small things. It's often the small things, it's often the little things that are the snare in the trap. David had done so well against Goliath, David had done so well against king Saul but he's undone by a fool. He had completely trusted God when he faced Goliath.

He had completely relied on the wisdom of God to respond to Saul, but now, when it comes to dealing with Nabal, it's as though David was saying, "Well I needed God's help with Goliath and I needed God's help with king Saul but I'll take care of this fool by myself." We need God's help, we need to stay on the right path and rely on God's help whether we're facing giants, great problems, or the irritations of life. There are irritations that are around us every day.

Life is filled with little irritations, and it's often the little things that become big things. All you had to do-- I'll show. All you got to do is get in your car and drive. Irritations are abounding when you're in the car driving. I was thinking of an illustration. Many years ago, I was at the coast and I was helping our uncle and coming back, I was by myself and I was coming north through Lincoln City. Many of you know that as you're coming to the end of Lincoln city there in the north, the two lanes merge into one lane. It was super busy that day stop and go traffic as we're merging.

Now everybody knows there's an unwritten rule when it comes to two lanes merging into one lane. Everyone knows the rule. You take turns. It's just common courtesy on the road. Everyone knows it's an unwritten role. There we are, two lanes and there were starting to merge into one. There's a car next to me. He moves ahead which is to say, it's my turn. I go, "Okay, great, fine." I move into position which is to say, my turn next, and the guy behind him then rushed up.

I thought, "Well, surely he didn't see me. He knows. Surely he knows the rules, it's a common courtesy. Everyone knows you take turns. Surely he didn't see me." I moved my car up which is to say, see, I'm here, my turn. He then pushed his car up which is to say, you're not getting in. Then it occurred to me, he's doing this on purpose. Then it happened. Something started rising up in me. He's doing this on purpose. I had pulled in behind him with this thing in me, I pulled up behind him.

Now it's dark. My headlights are flashing through and I can see that there is his wife right there. She's like, going like this, and I'm thinking, "Yes. You give it to him. You go girl, you give it to him, he needs it. Give him a good talking, he needs it." Then for the next hour and a half, it bothered me as I'm driving home. It bothered me that it bothered me. Do you know what I mean by this? It bothered me that it bothered me. Why did you let that bother you?

I'm really troubled. I'm searching my heart. Why did you do that? Why did that bother you? Why did you let it bother you? Why did you let this thing master you like that? It bothered me that it bothered me. I felt like the Lord was trying to teach me a lesson. You who preach to others. You need to check your pride. You who preach to others. You need to check your emotions because we all have it within us. You must check it so it does not master you.

There are great scriptures that encourage you and me to trust God in the little things, all the things, all the irritations because life is filled with them. Colossians 1:10-11, "Walk in a manner that is worthy of the Lord." What a great start to this word. "Walk in a manner that is worthy of the Lord." Live your life in a manner that is worthy of the Lord. Let me add an aspect to it. It's not in the scriptures but I'm sure they mean it. Drive in such a way that is worthy of the Lord. Notice, to please him in all respects.

This is a good word. Walk in a manner that is worthy of the Lord to please him in all respects. Strengthen now with all power. See, with God strengthening you in the inner man with all power, that is how that you can keep that in check. Strengthened with power in the inner man. According to his glorious might, means good, it's beautiful. Notice, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience. For the attaining of steadfastness and patience.

II. Listen When God Corrects

For when you are surrounded by so many irritations, we need the patience that comes from the presence of the living God transforming the inner man. Now notice this, and it's one of the great lessons from the story. Listen when God corrects. To listen when God corrects is the action of a champion. To listen when God speaks a word of correction is the action of a champion. It shows character. It shows faith. It takes strength to rule over one's own spirit.

Now, one of Nabal's men came to Abigail telling her what happened, how Nabal responded to David's men. She immediately took action. She sent ahead to David provisions that her husband should have sent. She mounts her donkey, comes to meet David, and with great humility, she begins to speak wisdom into David's anger. Now David's on the way down. He's hot. He's got 400 men in arms. He's got his sword strapped to his side. He's coming down the mountain. He is hot and she meets him. She dismounts from the donkey and then she speaks to that anger.

A. Wise is the one who is teachable

She speaks wisdom to that anger, but David is a champion and he listens because here's the point. Why is this the one who is teachable? Why is this the one who can be taught? The great part of this story is not only what Abigail says to David and the wisdom and the beauty of her words. That's a great part of the story I assure you, but another great part of the story is the fact that David listens. This is what separates David from Nabal.

Verse 17, Nabal's young men reports to Abigail. He is such a worthless fellow. No man can speak a word to him. No one can correct him. No one can say a word. You say a word to him and he gets hot and angry and he rebuffs. He is so hard of heart and hard of head. No one can say a word. He's such a worthless fellow, but David listens. She speaks wisdom to his angry heart, and he listens. That's what makes David a champion. It's the action of a man of character and strength.

For the one who refuses to listen to wisdom is in fact a fool. Proverbs 12:15. "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes." Now there are some people, they're always right. No matter what you say, they're always right but the wise man will listen. A wise man will consider it. Let me consider what you just said. You may be right. That's the wise man.

Proverbs 15:5, "A fool rejects his father's discipline but he who regards reproof is sensible." What does it mean to regard reproof? It means to respect it, to give high regard to it. See, most people when someone gives them a word of reproof or a word of correction or whatever, they get all bristly. That's the pride rising up within them, right? The one who regards reproof, let me hear what you say. It's good sense.

Proverbs 17:10, "A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding than 100 blows into a fool. A simple rebuke will go deeper into a man of understanding because he'll listen to it. Just one word of rebuke. He'll hear it. He'll listen. He'll consider it. It's a great word.

Proverbs 18:2, "A fool does not delight in understanding but only in revealing his own mind because he's always right." Verse 26, Abigail wisely points out, the Lord has intervened here. The Lord has given you this warning, and it's so true. God will oftentimes use the people in your life to speak a word. He'll give good counsel to you from others to give a good word. The man who's wise will listen and consider. The fool will not listen, but a wise man will.

Proverbs 19:20-21. "Listen to counsel, accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days." Now, I want that. I want to be wise. I think we could easily do a show of hands. How many people want to be wise the rest of their days? I think everyone would raise their hand. I want to be wise. Well, then he says, then listen to counsel and accept a word of discipline. Then you will be wise the rest of your days. Now many plans are in a man's heart, but the counsel of the Lord will stand. That is sure.

This is a great part of this story. It's a great life lesson also. Remember who you are. Abigail begins her message by pointing out that Nabal's a fool and therefore, he's acting foolishly. Now, before we go any further, let's all agree that it's generally not a good idea to throw your husband under the bus. It's not a good idea to throw your wife under the bus. It's generally not a good idea to throw anybody under the bus, but in this case, she is trying to save her husband's life and this requires drastic measures.

She points out to David, "David, you are fighting the Lord's battles and so no evil should be found in your hand all the days of your life." If you're fighting the Lord's battles, no evil should be found in you. In other words, "David, this is not the Lord's battle. This is your own personal vendetta." She reminds him, "God appointed you ruler over Israel." In other words, "Remember who you are, David. Remember who you are."

Now, this is a really good word. It's a very important word, remember who you are. She's capturing a principle that David's son Solomon later wrote down in the Proverbs, Proverbs 26:4. Where he said it this way, "Do not answer a fool according to his folly or you will be like him. You will lower yourself to be like him." Don't do that. Do not answer a fool according to his folly or you will be like him. This is such a superior word. We have a saying in our modern vernacular that's similar to it. It's a great expression. It's like this, "Never wrestle a pig." As the saying goes, "Never wrestle a big because they have way too much fun and you get way too dirty."

Don't lower yourself to that. Don't become a fool. Don't lower yourself to that. David had almost done it. David had almost lowered himself to become a fool but Abigail reminds him, "You will surely be ruler of Israel. No evil should be found in you all the days of your life. Remember who you are."

I was thinking of an illustration. Many of you know the story of Pastor Raul Ries. He's now a famous Calvary Chapel pastor in California. Before he came to faith, he was a hellion and he was a fighter. He was very traumatized and messed up by Vietnam and literally, it made him so angry that he became a hellion and a fighter. In fact, he started a Kung Fu studio to teach other people at a fight and this was his life. He was a fighter. Then one day God got ahold of his life. What a transformation. What a dramatic transformation.

What had happened was, again, this is before he came to Christ. He was a hellion. He was angry. He was just filled with this and his wife had had enough of it. "I can't take this anymore." She had decided she was leaving. She was afraid for her life. She actually left the house to make preparations for it and he sensed it all. He decided to sit in his chair and wait for her return with a rifle on his lap.

While he's waiting, he's flipping through the channels of the TV and he sure happened upon Chuck Smith, pastor of Calvary Chapel teaching the gospel and somehow, he stopped on that channel because these words, "God can take hold of a broken life. God can do something with a broken heart, a broken life. God can transform. God will forgive. God will build a new life. God will adopt you as a son." Oh, what a glorious message, and he's struck to the heart. It pierces his heart.

Pastor Chuck gave an invitation, "If you will receive Jesus Christ." He got on his knees in his living room. Then this was a live service. He got in his car, drove down to the church, prayed with one of the pastors. It was a radical transformation. He went to his wife who didn't believe it.

Later, of course, he convinced and she believed and they reconciled. Later he became a pastor. He's today a very famous pastor in California. Now roll the tape forward to several years. They're on this missions trip somewhere and they're on a bus. On the bus with them, there's a cantankerous, difficult, obnoxious, rude person. There's Raul. He's feeling those old feelings rising up inside of him. He can feel them rising as this obnoxious rude person increases in their obnoxiousness. He's arising and finally, he stands up. He's going to deal with this guy the old way.

B. Remember who you are

That's when his wife says to him one sentence and that one sentence changed him instantly, "Remember who you are, Raul. Remember who you are." He said instantly, he snapped out of it. Instantly, he saw that he had almost been mastered by that thing that rages. He had almost been mastered until he heard that word, "Remember who you are."

Now, this is a good word for all of us. Remember who you are because you are called to be a son or daughter of the living God. You are called to be a son or daughter of the living God. You carry his name. Wherever you are, you carry his name with you. It's like this in 2Corinthians 5:18-20 where Paul writes it this way, "All of these things are from God who has reconciled us to Himself through Christ and has given to us a ministry of reconciliation."

God has reconciled you to God through Christ and then gave to you a ministry. You're not to be a pastor or a leader. He gave everyone a ministry of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ. That's who you are. You carry his name. You are an ambassador. Remember who you are. You're a son, you're a daughter of the Father. Remember who you are. You carry His name. You're a servant of the living God. You carry His name. Remember who you are.

C. Don’t do something you’ll regret

Then lastly, we'll close with this. Don't do something you'll regret. It's another word of wisdom that Abigail speaks to David. One day, she says, "Surely I know one day you will be ruler over Israel and this thing would cause you grief all the days of your life. This thing would trouble your heart if you did this." In other words, "David, Don't do it. You'll regret it the rest of your life. Don't do something you'll regret, David."

There is such a thing as righteous anger, it does exist. It's just very rare. Most anger is not righteous. He gives this great word in Galatians 5:22-23. "The fruit of the spirit, the result of the holy spirit of the living God taking residence in your heart and life is this, love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and gentleness and faithfulness and self-control." Control of self is the result of the holy spirit in your life, strengthening you in the inner man. Against such things, there is no law.

When David heard these words of Abigail and he realized how close he had come to doing something he would regret, he said, "Oh, blessed be the Lord God of Israel who sent you to meet this day. Blessed to be the Lord God of Israel who set you to stop me. Blessed be your discernment and blessed be you because I would regret it. You're right."

Let me give you a great word. Romans 6:21. "Therefore, what benefit did you gain from the things that which you are now ashamed?" I remember when I first memorized that and wrote it on my heart. Oh, it hit deep. When I read that really, really read that verse, it's like, yes, that is a really great question. What benefit did I gain? I gained nothing from the things of which I am now ashamed. Don't do things you'll regret. Don't do things that you're ashamed of.

Walk in a manner that is worthy of the Lord. You carry His name. Remember who you are. The outcome of those other things is death. The principle of the Lord, trust Him. Trust Him with all your heart. Walk in His ways, acknowledge Him. Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and do not lean on your own understanding."

Don't lean on yourself. Don't lean in your old ways, but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight. He will honor His name in your life. Surely, His favor will be on you. Surely, He will put His hand on your life. He has much that he has for you. Remember who you are. Remember what God wants to do and walk in a manner that is worth of the Lord in all respects.

Father, thank you so much for showing us what you would do in our lives if we would trust you. When you speak a word of wisdom, we receive it for wise is the one who will hear, who will listen. We want to honor You. We want to walk in a way that is worthy. We carry your name. Thank You for reminding us of who we are. We want to walk to honor You. We want to live in such a way as to give you honor in our lives.

Church, how many today would say that? I want to live my life to honor You. In all respects, in all my ways, I want to honor You. I want that. I need you to help me with that. I'm asking that you would fill me with your life, your presence, to shrink the inner man within me because I want to walk in my life in such a way as to honor you in all respects.

Church, how many would say that to the Lord today? Would you say it simply by raising your hand to the Lord? Raise your hand to the Lord and say, "God, I'm asking for this thing. I'm asking. Thank you for showing it to me. I'm asking for this. I want to live my life. I want to walk in a manner that is worthy of the Lord. Thank you for showing me that I carry your name. Thank you for reminding me of who I am. I want to walk by that which you are doing in my life."

Father, thank You so much for everyone who is moved of God and says yes to you. Do it now, Lord. Do it in us now, in Jesus' name and everyone said.
Can we give the Lord praise and glory and honor? Amen? Amen.