The Strength You Don’t See Coming

This week I’m starting a new series that I’m really excited about. Each week as we move through 2026, we’ll highlight a different person from the Bible, working our way through the alphabet. These stories may be ancient, but the struggles, emotions, and lessons are timeless. The Bible isn’t distant history; it’s a living mirror that continues to reflect our lives back to us with clarity and truth. This week, we’re starting with A, and the story of Abigail. Her story feels especially relevant for the world we’re living in today.

Well, Abigail’s story speaks directly to anyone who has ever felt stuck in a situation they didn’t choose. Anyone who has had to live with the consequences of someone else’s decisions. Anyone who has felt fear rise because of circumstances beyond their control.

She lived in a household marked by chaos, unpredictability, and tension — and yet she remained grounded, wise, and deeply connected to God. In a world that often encourages strong reactions, defensiveness, or silence, Abigail shows us another way.

1 Samuel 25:18–35

Abigail lived in a season of constant tension. She was married to a man named Nabal, a wealthy landowner whose character was the opposite of hers. Scripture describes Nabal as harsh and foolish, a man who acted impulsively and spoke without restraint. Abigail, on the other hand, is introduced as intelligent, discerning, and beautiful in both character and conduct.

During a time when David and his men were living in the wilderness, they protected Nabal’s shepherds and flocks from harm. When the season of shearing arrived, David sent messengers to Nabal requesting provisions, a customary and reasonable request given the protection his men had provided. Instead of responding with gratitude or hospitality, Nabal insulted David, dismissing him as insignificant and refusing to help.

David’s reaction was swift and intense. He armed his men and set out to destroy Nabal’s household in retaliation. The situation escalated quickly, and bloodshed seemed inevitable.

Abigail learned what had happened through one of the servants, who recognized the danger immediately. Without informing her husband, Abigail acted decisively. She gathered food and supplies and set out to intercept David before he reached their home.

When Abigail met David, she approached him with humility. She acknowledged the wrongdoing of her household, took responsibility where she could, and spoke with wisdom and respect. She reminded David of God’s promises over his life and urged him not to take matters into his own hands or carry the burden of unnecessary bloodshed. Abigail trusted that God would handle justice in His own time.

Her words reached David’s heart. He recognized her wisdom and acknowledged that God had sent her to prevent him from acting out of anger. David turned back, sparing Nabal’s household and abandoning his plan for revenge.

Later, when Abigail told Nabal what had happened, he was struck with fear. Within days, Nabal died, and Scripture makes it clear that God dealt with him directly. Afterward, David sent for Abigail, and she became his wife, moving from a life marked by instability and fear into one of honor and protection.

Abigail’s story is one of courage under pressure, wisdom in chaos, and trust in God when circumstances feel unsafe. She did not allow fear, anger, or helplessness to dictate her response. Instead, she chose discernment, humility, and faith, and God used her obedience to change the outcome of an entire situation.

Her life reminds us that God sees those who act wisely in difficult environments, and He honors those who trust Him even when the risk is real.

Abigail’s story is ancient, but it reads like something we still live through every day. Not because most of us are being chased by an army, but because many of us know what it feels like to be caught in the consequences of someone else’s choices. We know what it feels like to live around emotional volatility, unpredictability, or a person who refuses to be reasonable. We know what it feels like to carry stress that isn’t even ours to begin with.

Abigail shows us that God does not only work through the loud, the powerful, or the people who look unbothered. God works through the person who is quietly trying to keep the peace, protect what is good, and do the right thing, even when everything around them feels messy.

Abigail didn’t pretend the situation wasn’t serious, but she also didn’t let fear turn her into someone reactive or reckless. She faced reality clearly, then acted with wisdom. That combination is rare, and it’s exactly what so many of us need right now.

Discernment isn’t just “having a good gut feeling.” Biblical discernment is the ability to see what’s really going on beneath the surface. It’s recognizing danger before it explodes. It’s noticing patterns. It’s understanding that a situation can be “normal” and still not be healthy.

Abigail discerned several things quickly:

In today’s terms, Abigail saw what many of us eventually realize the hard way: ignoring a bad situation doesn’t make it better; it only allows it to grow.

Wisdom isn’t only knowing what’s right. Wisdom is knowing what to do next.

Abigail didn’t waste time arguing with someone committed to foolishness. She didn’t wait for permission from a person who had already proven they couldn’t be trusted with responsibility.

And a lot of us need that reminder, because we spend years trying to fix what we cannot fix: other people, their anger, their habits, their pride, their addiction, their immaturity, their refusal to take ownership. Abigail didn’t attempt the impossible. She acted faithfully within the bounds God gave her.

Here are practical ways to walk in discernment and wisdom when you feel stuck in a difficult environment or relationship.

Abigail didn’t pretend Nabal was misunderstood. She didn’t sugarcoat his character. She saw it for what it was.
Sometimes our first step toward freedom is simply admitting: “This isn’t healthy.”
You can love someone and still acknowledge that what they’re doing is harmful.

One of the hardest truths in life is realizing that some people do not want to grow. They want comfort. They want control. They want to keep doing what they’ve always done.
If you’re waiting for someone else to become reasonable before you can have peace, you may be waiting a long time. Wisdom doesn’t wait forever. Wisdom moves when it’s time.

Abigail’s courage wasn’t loud. It was grounded. That kind of steadiness comes from God. Before hard conversations, before decisions, before you react, ask God for help:
“Lord, give me wisdom. Give me the right words. Help me stay calm. Help me see clearly.”

Abigail didn’t meet insult with insult or anger with anger. She responded with humility and clarity. A reaction is emotion-driven. A response is Spirit-led. In real life, this might look like: pausing before texting back, sleeping on a decision, praying before responding to criticism, or stepping away before things escalate.

Abigail moved toward what would protect life and peace. She didn’t sit frozen. Sometimes wisdom looks like boundaries.
Sometimes wisdom looks like distance. Sometimes it looks like asking for help, getting counsel, or bringing someone trusted into the situation. If you’re in a harmful situation, wisdom might mean building a plan: getting support, creating safety, finding resources, and taking steps that move you out of chaos and toward stability.

This is a big one: Abigail trusted God with justice.
She didn’t take revenge. She didn’t punish. She didn’t try to control outcomes. She intervened wisely, and then she let God do what only God can do. Some of us are exhausted because we are carrying roles we were never meant to carry: judge, rescuer, fixer, savior. Abigail reminds us that we can do what is wise and faithful, and still release the rest to God.

If Abigail’s story speaks to you, you might be in a season where you need permission to choose wisdom. You might need the reminder that God sees you. That He honors your quiet faithfulness. That He is not asking you to be naïve, or to stay stuck, or to suffer in silence. You can be kind and still be discerning. You can be faithful and still set boundaries.
You can trust God and still take wise steps forward.

Abigail is proof that one wise, God-led decision can change the direction of an entire story.

And God can do the same for yours.

If Abigail’s story resonates with you, here are a few books that beautifully explore themes of wisdom, courage, and trusting God in difficult circumstances:

Abigail’s story invites us to slow down and reflect on how we move through our own challenges. It reminds us that faith isn’t about fixing everything or carrying the weight alone. It’s about trusting God with our response, even when the situation feels overwhelming.

As we continue this journey together, my hope is that each story reminds you of this truth: God has always worked through real people with real struggles—and He is still doing so today.

Thank you for being here. Whether you’re new or have been walking with me for a while, I’m grateful to share this journey of faith with you. I’ll see you next Sunday!

Grace and peace,
Amber

Heavenly Father,
We come to You knowing that You see everything we are carrying — the situations we didn’t choose, the tension we didn’t create, the decisions we’re unsure how to make. You are not distant from our struggles. You are present in them.

Lord, give us wisdom when emotions run high. Give us discernment when the path forward feels unclear. Help us to pause before reacting and to seek You before speaking. Teach us to recognize what is unhealthy, to name what is true, and to respond with grace and courage.

When fear tries to rush us, steady our hearts. When anger tries to take over, remind us that You are our defender. When we feel responsible for fixing everything, gently remind us that You are God and we are not.

Help us, like Abigail, to trust You even when the risk feels real. Help us to choose wisdom over impulsiveness, humility over pride, and peace over chaos. Guide our steps, guard our hearts, and lead us forward with clarity.

We place every situation that feels heavy into Your hands. We trust You to do what only You can do.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.