April 4

Read I Samuel 25, 26, 27, 30

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. told the story of a car ride he and his brother AD took from Atlanta to Chattanooga, Tenn. For some reason the other car drivers were very discourteous that night. Hardly any of the other drivers that night dimmed their lights when they passed by. Martin said he remembered very vividly, AD looked over and in a tone of anger said, “I know what I'm going to do. The next car that comes along here and refuses to dim the lights, I'm going to fail to dim mine and pour them on in all of their power."
Martin quickly responded, "Oh no, don't do that. There'd be too much light on this highway, and it will end up in mutual destruction for all. Somebody got to have some sense on this highway."

Martin was right. Someone has to break the cycle. Culture has programmed all of us on how to respond to someone pouring on the lights. Here is the cycle:
You blind me… I’ll blind you.
You disrespect me… I’ll disrespect you.
You hurt me… I’ll hurt you.
You hate me… I’ll hate you.
Whether its nations, communities, racial groups, political parties or individuals… someone has to have the sense to break the cycle.

Today in our reading we see the wisdom of a woman in breaking the cycle and becoming a peacemaker.
Her influence saved the lives of an entire family and preserved the reputation and the future for a king.

1 Samuel 25:18-19 Abigail lost no time. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys. Then she told her servants, "Go on ahead; I'll follow you." But she did not tell her husband Nabal.

This situation started with her husband pouring on the lights to David. David was returning with 400 angry men to pour the lights on Nabal. So how does one, unarmed woman negotiate with 400 angry men? Food!!!! She doesn’t show up empty handed, she shows up prepared with a feast of food.
Not only did she have the looks, she also had the brains. Peacemakers need to be wiser than haters.
Haters are fueled by emotions, vengeance, reactions…
Peacemakers are clear thinkers, planners, strategist, resourceful people, calm, level headed.

Thought for the day: Do you find yourself in a conflict? Don’t over react… don’t let your emotions lead you.... don’t pour the lights on. Think through situation carefully. Ask God for wisdom and bake a cake.