Devotional – Alecia Stringer’s Devotionals

Rehoboam Fails to Listen to the Right People

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 18:40:18 +0000

King Rehoboam’s dysfunctional leadership split the nation of Israel in two. His hunger for power, unreasonable demands, poor decision-making, and lack of compassion for those who worked under him all conspired to doom his leadership. But probably the root of his problem can be found in 2 Chronicles 10:15: “So the king did not listen to the people…”

Listening is one of the 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader. Leaders must listen for two reasons:

to connect with others, and
to learn from others.

President Woodrow Wilson said, “The ear of the leader must ring with the voices of the people.” What’s more, a good leader encourages followers to tell him what he needs to know, not what he wants to hear. Sometimes, 50 percent of your leadership involves simple listening. So why did Rehoboam fail at this simple task?

Narrow Vision – The people promised to serve him if he lightened their load; he didn’t see it.
Poor Decision-making Skills – He wavered on what to do about their request and told them to come back later.
Self-centered Focus – He rejected wise counsel because it didn’t align with his desires.
Demanding and Impatient Style – He promised to make life tougher, not easier, for his people.

We learn from King Rehoboam the difference between “hearing” and “listening.” Hearing is a function of the ears; the king heard all the spoken words. Listening, however, is a function of the will; leaders listen to connect and to learn. Rehoboam failed to do both, as he refused to listen to history, his followers, the wise counsel of his staff, and to God.

Certainly, we cannot listen to everyone – far too many opposing voices and views cry out for that. So to whom should leaders be listening? Listen especially well to the following:

Your Followers – Good leaders take the time to get to know each team member as a person.
Your Customers – Good leaders make it a priority to keep in contact with those they serve.
Your Competitors – Good leaders don’t imitate the competition; they listen to learn from the encounter.
Your Mentors – No leader can afford to be without a mentor’s insight.
Your Inner Circle – Leaders must listen to those closest to them to gauge the organization’s pulse.

Finding inspiration and a trusted advisor helps you listen and draw on your own wisdom to make decisions. It can be challenging to find that you are just taking others’ input, so find a way to really listen and make your decisions reflect the wisdom you’ve applied from what you’ve learned from all the ways you’ve listened. Another devotional post of John Maxwell.

2 Chronicles 10:15

¹⁵So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from God, to fulfill the word the Lord had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.

Elijah’s Fire and Passion Attract Others

Sun, 25 Jan 2026 17:44:52 +0000

NOT ONLY did the crowds see the fire of God in Elijah, they soon saw it in his ministry – literally.

Elijah grew tired of his people’s spiritual rebellion and was angry with the false prophets of Baal. He confronted both forces atop Mt. Carmel, and there defeated the devil’s henchmen, although they outnumbered him 850 to 1 (1 Kings 18:19). No one had seen anything like his courage since the day David fought Goliath unremembered years before. And like the underdog David fought Goliath unremembered years before. And like the underdog David, Elijah met the enemy with passion. His eyes drank in the greatness of God, not the numbers of his enemies. This heavenly vision provided the fire that fueled his courage.

Leaders always need courage. No one who wants to bring about change can manage without courage. Courage flamed in Elijah’s heart because:

His resolution outweighed his reservations. Although greatly outnumbered, Elijah resolved that Baal had to be confronted at any cost.
His desires outweighed his desperation. Although it meant risk, Elijah wanted to honor Yahweh above all else.
When our need is greatest (vv. 2,5,21,22).
When we take our message to the people (vv. 20,21).
When we bring others to a point of decision (v. 21).
When we repair and use the altar of God (vv. 23-32).
When we face circumstances that only God’s fire will light (vv. 33-35).
When we publicly trust God to do what only he can do (vv. 33-37).
When we hunger for God to receive glory (vv. 36-39).
When we desire to see others return to the Lord (v. 37).

When you think you have lost all courage, remember this story of Elijah. His fire and passion fueled his courage. Great devotional thoughts of John Maxwell.

I Kings 18:1-40

Elijah and Obadiah

18 After a long time, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.” ²So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab.

Now the famine was severe in Samaria, ³and Ahab had summoned Obadiah, his palace administrator. (Obadiah was a devout believer in the Lord. ⁴While Jezebel was killing off the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.) ⁵Ahab had said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grass to keep the horses and mules alive so we will not have to kill any of our animals.” ⁶So they divided the land they were to cover, Ahab going in one direction and Obadiah in another.

⁷As Obadiah was walking along, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognized him, bowed down to the ground, and said, “Is it really you, my lord Elijah?”

⁸“Yes,” he replied. “Go tell your master, ‘Elijah is here.’”

⁹“What have I done wrong,” asked Obadiah, “that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to be put to death? ¹⁰As surely as the Lord your God lives, there is not a nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to look for you. And whenever a nation or kingdom claimed you were not there, he made them swear they could not find you. ¹¹But now you tell me to go to my master and say, ‘Elijah is here.’ ¹²I don’t know where the Spirit of the Lord may carry you when I leave you. If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn’t find you, he will kill me. Yet I, your servant, have worshiped the Lord since my youth. ¹³Haven’t you heard, my lord, what I did while Jezebel was killing the prophets of the Lord? I hid a hundred of the Lord’s prophets in two caves, fifty in each, and supplied them with food and water. ¹⁴And now you tell me to go to my master and say, ‘Elijah is here.’ He will kill me!”

¹⁵Elijah said, “As the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, I will surely present myself to Ahab today.”

Elijah on Mount Carmel

¹⁶So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. ¹⁷When he saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”

¹⁸“I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals. ¹⁹Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

²⁰So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. ²¹Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”

But the people said nothing.

²²Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. ²³Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. ²⁴Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire—he is God.”

Then all the people said, “What you say is good.”

²⁵Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.” ²⁶So they took the bull given them and prepared it.

Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.

²⁷At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” ²⁸So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. ²⁹Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.

³⁰Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down. ³¹Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Your name shall be Israel.” ³²With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs^[a] of seed. ³³He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.”

³⁴“Do it again,” he said, and they did it again.

“Do it a third time,” he ordered, and they did it the third time. ³⁵The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.

³⁶At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. ³⁷Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

³⁸Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

³⁹When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”

⁴⁰Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!” They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.

Absalom Ruins His Own Cause

Sun, 11 Jan 2026 22:15:21 +0000

After David sinned with Bathsheba, the prophet Nathan warned the king that the sword would never depart from his house (2 Sam. 12:10). True to the prediction, David endured domestic problems from that day on – deception, adultery, incest, even murder.

David never figured out how to deal with the rebellion effectively; it was as though his anointing and authority had left him.

No one saw this more clearly than his son, Absalom. When Amnon raped his sister Tamar and David did nothing about it, Absalom became irate (13:22). HIs fury grew the longer the king delayed justice. Further, Absalom tried and failed to get an audience with his father. It was as though David had abandoned his role as spiritual leader over his family.

Finally, Absalom could take it no longer. He got everyone’s attention by committing two crimes. First, he avenged his sister Tamar by murdering Amnon; for this crime his father David banished him (13:37,38). After he was permitted to return, Absalom got angery with general Joab and set his field on fire (14:30).

Despite his action, Absalom couldn’t get the fatherly attention he wanted so desperately. Past the boiling point, he used his passion to sabotage his father’s leadership. He played politics and convinced people to bring their lawsuits to him. He lobbied for support of his leadership. Finally he raised an army to rebel against the king.

In the end, Absalom died as a maverick leader whose passion went awry. As you study his story in 2 Samuel 13-18, look for those lessons about passion gone bad:

Passion without perspective brings death (13:22-29).
Passion will find expression, in either healthy or unhealthy ways (14:28-30).
People follow passion over orthodoxy, even when it’s unwise (15:1-12).
Leaders who follow passion defeat leaders who follow protocol (15:13,14).
Self-centered passion alway skews the judgment of a leader (16:22).
Unchanneled and unbridled passion damages everyone near it (17,18)
When passion outweighs wisdom, leaders sabotage themselves (18:9).

The Good News

Absalom represents a leaders who can’t bridle his passion. When a leader embraces passion before he learns submission, trouble always follows.

Does this mean we should condemn passion? Absolutely not! Passion is one of the 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader. Consider the benefits of passion:

Passion is the first step to achievement.
Passion increases your will-power.
Passion changes you.
Passion makes the impossible possible.

Passion helps develop your leadership. Passion must, however, pour from the heart of a leader who is wise, accountable, submissive, and unselfish.

2 Samuel 13:22-18:9 details the tragic fallout from Amnon’s rape of his half-sister Tamar, focusing on Absalom’s calculated revenge (murdering Amnon), his exile, and ultimately his rebellion against King David, culminating in David’s painful flight from Jerusalem and a pivotal battle where Absalom’s rebellion ends with his own death, causing David immense grief. The passage moves from family tragedy to civil war, revealing the deep sin and consequences within David’s house.

Insights of John Maxwell to grow leadership skills and hone your passion.

Nathan Saw Below the Surface

Sun, 04 Jan 2026 22:15:30 +0000

Like Samuel before him, the prophet Nathan served as a leader to the leaders. God used Nathan to correct his erring leader.

Nathan knew David had slept with another man’s wife and subsequently caused the man’s death. Although the king had multiple wives, he still insisted on having one more. Nathan saw a greedy and selfish heart in Israel’s king. A few individuals in David’s reign wielded the influence or had the guts to confront him in his sin. Once Nathan discerned what David had done, he gained an audience with the king, told him a compelling story, and, with great poise, dealt with the problem in a caring yet firm manner.

Nathan could act as he did because of his keen, God-given discernment. He knew what had happened and what lay beneath the surface of David’s wicked behavior. Discernment goes deeper than knowledge, resembling intuition. At times, discernment is a gift; at other times, it results from much experience. Discernment brings a profound perception of what is occurring, either on the outside or the inside of a person.

What gave Nathan such keen discernment?

He had been listening to God (v. 1). The text says God “sent” him to David. Obviously, God had been speaking to His prophet.
He knew David’s circumstances (vv. 1-6). Nathan had watched David for many years and so recognized the egregious changes when they came.
He was objective in his perspective (vv.7,8). Nathan could speak for God and provide God’s viewpoint on the king’s situation.
He understood the root issues (vv.9-12). Nathan saw more than symptoms; he saw root problems and consequences.
He saw the ultimate cause and effect (v. 15). Nathan passionately championed the name and reputation of God. He hated how the pagan nations surrounding Israel might mock the Lord should they hear of David’s sin.

How Do We Grow in Our Discernment?

To improve your discernment as a leader, do the following:

Learn to hear God’s voice. Get quiet and read Scripture. Reflect on the mind of God.
Build problem-solving skills. If you can see the root causes of problems, you can solve them.
Analyze your success. What worked? Can you identify the heart of the matter?
Evaluate your options. Discernment involves both your gut and your head.
Expand your opportunities. Gain more experience to deepen your wisdom.
Explore what others think. Choose some leaders you admire and study how they think.
Listen to your gut. Most people are afraid to listen to their God-given intuition.

The path to wisdom takes practice. Take these steps and see how you can apply it to situations in your life.

2 Samuel 12:1-15

Nathan Rebukes David

12 The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. ²The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, ³but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.

⁴“Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.”

⁵David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! ⁶He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.”

⁷Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. ⁸I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. ⁹Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. ¹⁰Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’

¹¹“This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. ¹²You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’”

¹³Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”

Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. ¹⁴But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for^[a] the Lord, the son born to you will die.”

¹⁵After Nathan had gone home, the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill.

To Get Ahead, Put Others First

Sun, 28 Dec 2025 21:08:45 +0000

David illustrates the leadership quality of servanthood positively. His leadership was first and foremost about serving his team, not about his own fame or conquest. First Samuel 30 instructs us about relationships and partnerships. After conquering the Amalekites, David and his men took huge plunder. However, some of his older troops, too tired to fight, stayed behind to help with supplies. It would have been easy for the soldiers who actually did the fighting to say: “If you didn’t show up for the battle, you don’t get to share in the rewards!” Surely some of those soldiers must have had this assumption. David resolved the conflict by calmly helping them all see that since God was the source of their victory and since those who helped with the supplies did play a role, they should all share in the plunder. David later turned this decision into a policy for Israel. Clearly, David valued every partner in the equation. His leadership was about service to others rather than accumulating wealth and power for oneself. Modeling this leadership quality did plenty to improve David’s leadership situation.

The Results of David’s Servant Leadership:

It helped others see the contribution of every man’s gift. Even the older soldiers who remained at the camp because they were too tired to fight added some value to the entire army. They guarded the supplies. David’s perspective on valuing everyone’s gift and contribution kept everyone’s eyes on others and on the big picture, rather than becoming preoccupied with one’s own contribution.
It reminded David’s men that God was the trustworthy source of every good gift. David knew that allowing everyone to celebrate the victory and share in its spoils would help his men see that God was the trustworthy source of victory. When people start keeping score on who gets what, they tend to get consumed with themselves and whether they are getting their fair share of the reward. David’s servant leadership helped others see through God’s eyes and trust Him for their rewards in life.
It promoted goodwill in potential allies, resources that David enjoyed later as king. The people soon recognized that if you cooperate with David, he makes sure you win in some way. This promoted partnerships and a contagious spirit of service and goodwill among David’s troops. When leaders are selfish, it fosters a selfish atmosphere among everyone they lead. When leaders generously serve, this kind of service orientation spreads through the camp.
It enabled David to prepare for the future by making him friends all over Israel. When a leader serves today, it generally pays off tomorrow in relationships with others. David may not have realized it at the time, but as word spread of his generous style, his servant-leadership prepared the hearts of citizens across Israel to follow him. It won them over. Sometimes, little acts of kindness, unpromoted by leaders, spread faster than staged acts on a platform. One appears authentic while the other just looks artificial.
It developed a nationwide value of mutual benefit and good faith among people. Once David became king, this same spirit of appreciation and servanthood became the norm in Israel for a season. When leaders don’t sincerely grasp what they believe they deserve, it spawns trust among those who follow. A sense of justice-for-all prevails. Instead of contagious selfishness, there is infectious servanthood.

Nathan Feared No One

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 20:40:59 +0000

Security provides the foundation for strong leadership. When we feel insecure, we shift from out mission whenever trouble arises. We must feel secure, or when people stop liking us; when funding drops; when others reject or criticize us – we will crumble. If we do not feel secure, fear will eventually cause us to sabotage our leadership.

Imagine what might have happened had Nathan lacked security. Consider the odds stacked against him. He knew he had to confront David in his sin, yet David had covered up everything so well; no one else knew what had happened. That meant Nathan could expect no moral support. Further, the popular avid had led Israel to prominence among the nations, and most Israelites would side with David if he put up a fight. Finally, from a technical viewpoint, David hadn’t done anything illegal to Uriah. He had set up the man to be killed in battle by the Ammonites, but it wasn’t his spear or sword that took Uriah’s life. Nathan had to feel utterly secure in his plan of attack, or it would backfire.

What enabled Nathan to demonstrate secure leadership?

Nathan hadn’t done anything God’s truth behind him. He didn’t have to stand alone against David.
Nathan had a relationship with David. Their friendship created the bridge that allowed Nathan to do what God called him to do.
Nathan’s identity depended upon his divine call, not his popularity. Nathan determined to speak God’s truth regardless of the popular reaction.
Nathan understood his personal mission. He operated out of deep conviction.
Nathan was humble and broken. He had nothing to lose, for he had died to personal ambition.

Common Symptoms of Insecurity

The following symptoms usually indicate feelings of insecurity:

Comparison – We compare ourselves with others and keep score.
Compensation – We feel like a victim and must compensate for our losses.
Competition – We become self-consumed and try to outdo others for attention.
Compulsion – We feel driven to person in order to gain others’ approval.
Condemnation – We judge others or ourselves, resulting in self-pity or conceit.
Control – We feel we must take charge, protect our interests, and manipulate.

Four Keys of Security

To reduce personal insecurities, build the following four ingredients into your life:

Identity: Establish your identity in Christ, not in performance.
Brokenness: Allow God to break you of self-sufficiency and self-promotion.
Purpose: Discover and practice your God-given purpose in life, not someone else’s.
Give and receive the blessing: Learn to affirm others and receive affirmation.

Can you think of any more to add?

Find ways to apply these security ingredients in your life.

David’s Conflict Resolution Strategy Wins Saul Over

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 15:27:44 +0000

Through listening, leaders earn the right to speak into the lives of their people. Because they listen, they communicate with relevance. And as they hear, they display love, compassion, and understanding.

David led well because he listened well. First Samuel 26 describes how he gained the opportunity to take Saul’s life for the second time. David snuck up on the king while he slept. But instead of killing him, David took the king’s spear and water jug and, later, from a distance, confronted him with questions. David shows that a leader who listens possesses genuine love.

Genuine love is not always popular – be different. Remember David’s men? Malcontents. Disgruntled. More than once, they encouraged him to look out for himself and take Saul’s life – but David refused. We must be careful how we interpret circumstances and whose advice we accept.
Genuine love needs a clear perspective – be humble. After David took Saul’s spear and jug, he called to the king from a distance. He submitted himself and humbly asked for perspective. “What have I done?” he asked. We will never be able to love people correctly until we see them clearly, with God’s eyes.
Genuine love is not defensive – be patient. David knew God put him in this situation for a purpose and trusted Him to deliver him. David offers to make a sacrifice if he has harmed Saul or done anything wrong, and he waits to hear Saul’s rationale. Impatience indicates that we lack trust and want to assert our rights.
Genuine love is powerful – be forgiving. Saul later apologizes to David and admits his wrong. He promises to go home. At this point, David sits in the driver’s seat; he still has Saul’s spear and jug. But he returns them and forgives Saul of everything. Like David, we must trust God to make things right.

What Steps Did David Take?

Note the following steps David walked through with Saul (I Sam. 26):

He initiated contact with Saul and set the stage for communication (v. 14).
He appealed to Saul’s sense of right and wrong (vv. 15, 16).
He asked questions and listened for the king’s heart’s response (v. 18).
He asked them to listen so he could share his perspective (v. 19).
He determined to take responsibility for anything he had done wrong (v. 19).
He submitted himself to Saul (v. 20).
He offered forgiveness and reconciliation as an act of trust in God (vv. 22-24).

How about you? Do you display love for others by listening? Are you a good listener?

Healthy Abigail vs. Despicable Nabal

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 20:12:39 +0000

Ask people to name their favorite person in the Bible, and likely you’ll hear the name Abigail. Due to her rare courage, common sense, and some fabulous relational skills, she single-handedly saved her family from certain destruction.

Her husband Nabal, on the other hand, almost provoked the slaughter of his whole household. Nabal’s name means “fool,” and he lived up to his name. A man without discernment, he selfishly refused to provide for David and his men. An enraged David gathered his troops to kill every male in Nabal’s home, and he would have done it – except for Abigail. Note the following relationship lessons she teaches us:

Relationship Lessons from Abigail

Risky initiative: Abigail took the first step with David to resolve a sticky situation.
Emotional security: Abigail demonstrated inward security in her identity.
Genuine humility: Abigail submitted to David by falling at his feet and seeking his favor.
Personal responsibility: Abigail took responsibility for Nabal and explained his wicked behavior.
Selfless attitude: Abigail focused entirely on David’s welfare and future success.
Generous spirit: Abigail gave David and his men a choice gift for their journey.
Forthright approach: Abigail directly asked David to forgive Nabal.
Quick wit: Abigail suggested David didn’t want a slaughter on his conscience.
Eternal perspective: Abigail saw David and their relationship
Kind affirmation: Abigail sought David’s benefit and gave him encouraging words.

The Stuff Good Relationships Are Made Of

Effective leaders grow their relational skills in the following manner:

Have a Leader’s Head: Understand People. Abigail knew how to appeal to David to accomplish her goal.
Have a Leader’s Heart: Love People. Abigail assumed the role of a servant, submitting to both David and her husband. She felt secure enough to serve.
Have a Leader’s Hand: Help People. Abigail gave David and his men what they needed. She added value to him and thereby saved the lives of her family.

Nabal: The Other Shoe Drops

Nabal’s wife may have excelled in relationships, but Nabal floundered. Their marriage illustrates that opposites really do attract.

As David and his men were preparing to pass through Nabal’s property, David sent a few men ahead to ask Nabal if he could spare anything: food, wool, drinks, or anything else – they weren’t choosy. But Nabal refused to give them even the time of day. He grumbled loudly and sent them away with insults. How foolish!

Nabal should have known that David had saved his nation from Goliath and the Philistines. He should have known that David had long protected Nabal’s men and possessions. But if Nabal knew any of these things, they didn’t matter to him. Nabal still refused to return David’s favor.

So was Nabal a criminal? Did he do anything illegal or immoral? Not really. He simply sabotaged his leadership by his lack of people skills.

Nabal serves as a prototype of many pastors and leaders today. Like Nabal, we become so consumed with our own work and personal life that we neglect the only eternal resource on this earth: people. How exactly did Nabal fail to develop healthy relationship skills?

Why Did Nabal Fail?

Nabal grew wealthy and satisfied and didn’t think he needed to build relationships (v. 2).
Nabal became selfish and distrustful of others; he was unable to overcome his evil temperament (v. 3).
Nabal neither gave nor received encouragement; he had grown numb to positive attitudes (v. 6).
Nabal forgot how others had blessed him in the past; he counted only his losses (vv. 7,8).
Nabal belittled people and forgot their names; his insecurity prevented him from being generous (v. 10).
Nabal saw no reason to help others; he was driven by self-centered motives (v. 11).
Nabal wanted to build only his own “kingdom,” not God’s (v. 11).

Do you or someone you know suffer from similar symptoms? Relational skills are paramount in the kingdom of God. Jesus summarized the kingdom of God. Jesus summarized the kingdom of God. Jesus summarized the kingdom in two phrases:

Love God with all your heart, and
Love your neighbor as yourself.

Our faith doesn’t revolve around some sterile creed or doctrine, although creeds remain essential. Faith revolves around relationships, vertical with God and horizontal with people. It’s all about relationships.

Four Word Pictures

What could Nabal have done to improve his relational skills? He could have started by embracing the following word pictures:

The Host: Just as a host takes initiative and makes a guest feel comfortable in their home, so we are to host the relationships in our lives.
The Doctor: Just as a doctor does not give a diagnosis, we are not to poke and prod others with questions, so that our responses match the relevant need.
The Counselor: A good counselor actively listens. Since the number one emotional need of people today is the need to be understood, we must deepen our listening skills.
The Tour Guide: You hire a tour guide to help you reach your planned destination. God wants us to serve as spiritual “tour guides” for others, allowing them to reach their potential.

I Samuel 25:1-42

And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.

²And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

³Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.

⁴And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep.

⁵And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:

⁶And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.

⁷And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there ought missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel.

⁸Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David.

⁹And when David’s young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.

¹⁰And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.

¹¹Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?

¹²So David’s young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings.

¹³And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the stuff.

¹⁴But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them.

¹⁵But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields:

¹⁶They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.

¹⁷Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.

¹⁸Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.

¹⁹And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal.

²⁰And it was so, as she rode on the ass, that she came down by the covert on the hill, and, behold, David and his men came down against her; and she met them.

²¹Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: and he hath requited me evil for good.

²²So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.

²³And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground,

²⁴And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid.

²⁵Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.

²⁶Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the Lord hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.

²⁷And now this blessing which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that follow my lord.

²⁸I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the Lord, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days.

²⁹Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling.

³⁰And it shall come to pass, when the Lord shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel;

³¹That this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that my lord hath avenged himself: but when the Lord shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmaid.

³²And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me:

³³And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.

³⁴For in very deed, as the Lord God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.

³⁵So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her, Go up in peace to thine house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person.

³⁶And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.

³⁷But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.

³⁸And it came to pass about ten days after, that the Lord smote Nabal, that he died.

³⁹And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the Lord, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the Lord hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife.

⁴⁰And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spake unto her, saying, David sent us unto thee, to take thee to him to wife.

⁴¹And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.

⁴²And Abigail hasted, and arose and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that went after her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife. Read full chapter

Learning both relationships helps to grow stronger lessons to apply to future relationships. Find ways to help others become leaders in their relationships with others.

The One Item Saul Forgot to Pack

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 19:26:30 +0000

Although Saul became king chiefly through his striking appearance, he never won the inward battles. On the outside, he was tall, good-looking, and well-built (I Samuel 9:2). On the inside, however, he amounted to little more than a shrimp. Observe the leadership of Saul:

When the time arrives to anoint Saul as king, he hides among the baggage.
When Samuel asks Saul to lead, he excuses himself as unable.
When Saul’s soldiers begin to scatter, he panics and disobeys his divine orders.
When confronted over his sin, Saul makes excuses for himself.
When Saul attacks the Amalekites, he is afraid to trust God and destroy the enemy.
When Saul fears losing the allegiance of the people, he builds a statue of himself.
When the Philistines face Israel, Saul’s fear prevents him from negotiating.
When David gains popularity, Saul’s insecurity drives him to attempt murder.

Lessons from Saul

Courage and cowardice are both contagious.

When Goliath challenged Saul’s men, they fled to their tents; when David’s men faced vastly superior forces, they stood their ground, fought… and won (2 Sam. 23:8-12).

Without courage, it doesn’t matter how good your intentions are.

Saul had good intentions when he presented burnt offerings to the Lord. But he let his fear that the people would desert him control his actions (I Sam. 13:13, 14).

Only courage allows you to do what you are afraid of doing.

Saul demonstrated his lack of courage from the beginning, when he hid among the baggage to avoid being crowned king (I Samuel 10:12).

Without courage, we’re slaves of our own insecurity and possessiveness.

King Saul momentarily repented on several occasions when confronted about his repeated attempts to kill David. But later, captive to his fears and insecurities, he always resumed his evil pursuit.

If the leader lacks courage, the people will lack commitment.

Contrary to God’s command, Saul and the people spared the best of the livestock they captured from the Amalekites. Saul let it happen because, as he admitted, “I feared the people and obeyed their voice” (I Samuel 15:24).

A leader without courage will never let go of the familiar.

Saul employed a medium to ask counsel of Samuel’s departed spirit – in direct violation of God’s law (I Samuel 28:5-20). He lacked the courage to trust God to help him step into an unknown future.

Lack of courage will eventually sabotage a leader.

Saul’s lack of courage eventually cost him not only the throne of Israel, but also his own life and the life of his faithful son, Jonathan (I Samuel 31:1-6).

I Samuel 10:17-13:14

Samuel summoned the people of Israel to the Lord at Mizpah ¹⁸and said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the power of Egypt and all the kingdoms that oppressed you.’ ¹⁹But you have now rejected your God, who saves you out of all your disasters and calamities. And you have said, ‘No, appoint a king over us.’ So now present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and clans.”

²⁰When Samuel had all Israel come forward by tribes, the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. ²¹Then he brought forward the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan, and Matri’s clan was taken. Finally Saul son of Kish was taken. But when they looked for him, he was not to be found. ²²So they inquired further of the Lord, “Has the man come here yet?”

And the Lord said, “Yes, he has hidden himself among the supplies.”

²³They ran and brought him out, and as he stood among the people he was a head taller than any of the others. ²⁴Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the man the Lord has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.”

Then the people shouted, “Long live the king!”

²⁵Samuel explained to the people the rights and duties of kingship. He wrote them down on a scroll and deposited it before the Lord. Then Samuel dismissed the people to go to their own homes.

²⁶Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, accompanied by valiant men whose hearts God had touched. ²⁷But some scoundrels said, “How can this fellow save us?” They despised him and brought him no gifts. But Saul kept silent.

Saul Rescues the City of Jabesh

11 Nahash^[a] the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh Gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty with us, and we will be subject to you.”

²But Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I will make a treaty with you only on the condition that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace on all Israel.”

³The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days so we can send messengers throughout Israel; if no one comes to rescue us, we will surrender to you.”

⁴When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and reported these terms to the people, they all wept aloud. ⁵Just then Saul was returning from the fields, behind his oxen, and he asked, “What is wrong with everyone? Why are they weeping?” Then they repeated to him what the men of Jabesh had said.

⁶When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he burned with anger. ⁷He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent the pieces by messengers throughout Israel, proclaiming, “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel.” Then the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out together as one. ⁸When Saul mustered them at Bezek, the men of Israel numbered three hundred thousand and those of Judah thirty thousand.

⁹They told the messengers who had come, “Say to the men of Jabesh Gilead, ‘By the time the sun is hot tomorrow, you will be rescued.’” When the messengers went and reported this to the men of Jabesh, they were elated. ¹⁰They said to the Ammonites, “Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you can do to us whatever you like.”

¹¹The next day Saul separated his men into three divisions; during the last watch of the night they broke into the camp of the Ammonites and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.

Saul Confirmed as King

¹²The people then said to Samuel, “Who was it that asked, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Turn these men over to us so that we may put them to death.”

¹³But Saul said, “No one will be put to death today, for this day the Lord has rescued Israel.”

¹⁴Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingship.” ¹⁵So all the people went to Gilgal and made Saul king in the presence of the Lord. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before the Lord, and Saul and all the Israelites held a great celebration.

Samuel’s Farewell Speech

12 Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened to everything you said to me and have set a king over you. ²Now you have a king as your leader. As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day. ³Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the Lord and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these things, I will make it right.”

⁴“You have not cheated or oppressed us,” they replied. “You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.”

⁵Samuel said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and also his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.”

“He is witness,” they said.

⁶Then Samuel said to the people, “It is the Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your ancestors up out of Egypt. ⁷Now then, stand here, because I am going to confront you with evidence before the Lord as to all the righteous acts performed by the Lord for you and your ancestors.

⁸“After Jacob entered Egypt, they cried to the Lord for help, and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place.

⁹“But they forgot the Lord their God; so he sold them into the hand of Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, who fought against them. ¹⁰They cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned; we have forsaken the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. But now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve you.’ ¹¹Then the Lord sent Jerub-Baal,^[b] Barak,^[c] Jephthah and Samuel,^[d] and he delivered you from the hands of your enemies all around you, so that you lived in safety.

¹²“But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, ‘No, we want a king to rule over us’—even though the Lord your God was your king. ¹³Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for; see, the Lord has set a king over you. ¹⁴If you fear the Lord and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God—good! ¹⁵But if you do not obey the Lord, and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will be against you, as it was against your ancestors.

¹⁶“Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes! ¹⁷Is it not wheat harvest now? I will call on the Lord to send thunder and rain. And you will realize what an evil thing you did in the eyes of the Lord when you asked for a king.”

¹⁸Then Samuel called on the Lord, and that same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the Lord and of Samuel.

¹⁹The people all said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.”

²⁰“Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. ²¹Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. ²²For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own. ²³As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. ²⁴But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. ²⁵Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will perish.”

Samuel Rebukes Saul

13 Saul was thirty^[e] years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-^[f] two years.

²Saul chose three thousand men from Israel; two thousand were with him at Mikmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. The rest of the men he sent back to their homes.

³Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul had the trumpet blown throughout the land and said, “Let the Hebrews hear!” ⁴So all Israel heard the news: “Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel has become obnoxious to the Philistines.” And the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.

⁵The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand^[g] chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Mikmash, east of Beth Aven. ⁶When the Israelites saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns. ⁷Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.

Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. ⁸He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. ⁹So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” And Saul offered up the burnt offering. ¹⁰Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.

¹¹“What have you done?” asked Samuel.

Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash, ¹²I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”

¹³“You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. ¹⁴But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”

Samuel and the Importance of Clear Communication

Sun, 23 Nov 2025 18:56:11 +0000

Dr. J. Robert Clinton did a formal study of Christian leaders. He discovered that, without exception, all of them possessed word gifts, including teaching, prophecy, evangelism, preaching, words of knowledge or wisdom, and exhortation. More than anything else, they used their gifts of communication to lead their people.

Peter Drucker, the father of American management, believes that 60 percent of all management problems result from faulty communication. Having a message doesn’t matter if leaders don’t communicate clearly and motivate others.

It is incredible how God wired us. We can listen to a leader expound for 30 minutes, flinging thoughts and ideas about the room. He just talks, opens his mouth to make a few sounds – and yet we want to get up and pursue those ideas.

This is the power of communication. Proverbs 18:21 tells us, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”

During his day, Samuel was the master of communication. Everyone listened to him. What kind of communicator was he? Look at the following examples:

He spoke words of revelation (I Samuel 7:3). His communication contained divine revelation, insights that the people lacked.
He spoke words of inspiration (I Samuel 10:3-6). His communication inspired Saul to overcome his fears and take a step forward.
He spoke words of exhortation (I Samuel 10:24). His communication encouraged the people to act and follow Saul as their new king.
He spoke words of affirmation (I Samuel 10:24). His communication affirmed, supported, and endorsed Saul publicly.
He spoke words of information (I Samuel 10:24). His communication overflowed with good content, edifying, and teaching others.
He spoke words of declaration (I Samuel 12:20-25). His communication gave clear direction to the people and hope for their future.

How Did He Do It?

Each time Samuel spoke, he followed the rules below:

Simplify the message. He spoke forthrightly, clearly, and simply. No one wondered what he meant.
See the person. He always empathized with others. He knew his audience.
Show the truth. He demonstrated credibility with his passion and his life. He lived what he said.
See the response. He always spoke with a purpose. When finished, he urged the people to obey God.

I Samuel 10:3-12:25

Then you will go on from there until you reach the great tree of Tabor. Three men going up to worship God at Bethel will meet you there. One will be carrying three young goats, another three loaves of bread, and another a skin of wine. ⁴They will greet you and offer you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from them.

⁵“After that you will go to Gibeah of God, where there is a Philistine outpost. As you approach the town, you will meet a procession of prophets coming down from the high place with lyres, timbrels, pipes and harps being played before them, and they will be prophesying. ⁶The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person. ⁷Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you.

⁸“Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do.”

Saul Made King

⁹As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day. ¹⁰When he and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he joined in their prophesying. ¹¹When all those who had formerly known him saw him prophesying with the prophets, they asked each other, “What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”

¹²A man who lived there answered, “And who is their father?” So it became a saying: “Is Saul also among the prophets?” ¹³After Saul stopped prophesying, he went to the high place.

¹⁴Now Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant, “Where have you been?”

“Looking for the donkeys,” he said. “But when we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel.”

¹⁵Saul’s uncle said, “Tell me what Samuel said to you.”

¹⁶Saul replied, “He assured us that the donkeys had been found.” But he did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about the kingship.

¹⁷Samuel summoned the people of Israel to the Lord at Mizpah ¹⁸and said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the power of Egypt and all the kingdoms that oppressed you.’ ¹⁹But you have now rejected your God, who saves you out of all your disasters and calamities. And you have said, ‘No, appoint a king over us.’ So now present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and clans.”