DEALING WITH FOOLS. By Pastor Fernando

SCRIPTURE - 1 Samuel 25:25
May my lord pay no attention to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name—his name is Fool, and folly goes with him.

OBSERVATION
Abigail's appeal to David was full of wisdom and humility. It caused David to relent from an angry response to Nabal's insults. It's amazing when the power of persuasion is used in a way that brings good and blessing. David had to deal with a fool like Nabal, and his first response was not the appropriate. Abigail had more experience dealing with fools. She knew how to handle Nabal, not to take the insults of a fool personally, and how to let God take care of the situation. Her good judgment brought righteousness and avoided unnecessary bloodshed in David's hands.

APPLICATION
Proverbs 13:20 says, "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." Nabal was a fool. His name means "fool." Abigail was married to him, but she did not become a fool. Having fools around will not make you a fool, but because of proximity to their lives, we are vulnerable to the consequences of their decisions. Nabal's foolishness almost had all the men in his household killed. That's why when we are in proximity with fools, we have a higher propensity to suffer harm.

Abigail knew how to deal with fools and we must learn from her. Fools are people that know the difference between right or wrong, but they don't care and still do whatever they want. They know that treating their spouse in a certain way is wrong, but they don't care. Fools are all around us. Maybe wee live with one of them, or we work with some of them, and certainly, we go to church with some of them. How do we deal with them? We do what Abigail did. We do not pay attention to their folly, we do not take their insults personally, and we prepare for the worse to avoid the shrapnel that comes when they blow up. We need to trust in the Lord to deal with them, and certainly, we need to invest more in building deep relationships with the wise, not with fools.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, please help me to learn from Abigail how to deal with fools. Give me the grace and good judgment to treat them the way you treat me when I act foolishly. Please surround me with people that are wise. Help me to develop a tough shell but keep a soft heart to deal with the sharpnel that fools will spread when they blow up. I love you Lord. Amen!