April 1st

April 1st -- 1 Samuel 25 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Samuel%2025&version=NLT)

The Death of Samuel ; Nabal angers David ; Abigail intercedes for Nabal ; David marries Abigail

So to begin this, Samuel (the one who anointed Saul) dies, and everyone gathers for his funeral and buries him in Ramah.

David moves to Maon. He sends a message to Nabal about Nabal's sheep, saying it is shearing time and David helped out some of Nabal's shepherds when they stayed with him, so if Nabal could share some provisions in this time of celebration, then it would be appreciated. Nabal mocks David, wondering why he should give David anything when he saw David as having run away from his master, the king. When David gets that answer, he goes with 400 men and their weapons, leaving 200 to guard their things. Meanwhile a servant of Nabal's goes to Abigial and explains David's request and her father's answer. She hears of David's kindness and gathers 200 loaves of bread, two wineskins, five sheep, almost a bushel of roasted grain, 100 raisin clusters, and 200 fig cakes, packs them on donkeys, and then tells her servants that she will be following, but nobody must tell Nabal anything. She finds David just after he says "May God strike me and kill me if even one man of his household is still alive tomorrow morning!"

When Abigail sees him she explains that basically her father's a  grumpy man, but she has brought gifts for them, and prays that God blesses him and curses his enemies. She talks about how God has kept him safe even when people were trying to kill him and yet all his enemies end up dying. She asks that when he becomes Israel's leader, like God promised, that he remember her. David says he is thankful she came, or everyone in her house would be dead. He accepts her gift and sends him home, saying he won't come kill her husband. When she gets home, he is drunk, so she waits until the next morning and then tells him of what happened. When he hears, he has a stroke, which leads to his death 10 days later.

David thanks God for the vengeance without David having to kill anyone. David sends messengers to Nabal, asking her to be his wife. She says she would be happy to, as she would even be willing to be a slave and wash his feet! So she heads off with some of her servants and becomes David's wife. David also marries a woman name Ahinoam from Jezreel. While all this goes on, Saul gives his daughter Michal to Gallim from Laish.

I am actually really at a loss for words for what to say to expand on this one..... because really it's a story. I guess just remember to pay people back for their kindness? I mean, you should be kind anyways, but also try and be kind to those who have been kind to you, because it's just the nice thing to do. Love your neighbour as yourself.

Yeah, that's all... sorry... God bless! Shalom!