When I was growing up, I believed that God was responsible for everything that happened both good and bad. If I had hiccups or sneezed a lot, I thought it was because I had lied or done something wrong, and God was punishing me. Even when I fell or bruised myself, I assumed it was His way of reminding me of unconfessed sins. I was just a child, shame! Now that I’m older, I realise that many of the challenges we face aren’t necessarily tied to God’s will but are often the result of our own choices, preferences, and decisions.
As we learned yesterday, the choice is ours to make God has given us free will. The people in your life, your spouse, even the way you dress; these are all choices you’ve made. I’ve made my fair share of bad choices, and I had to face the consequences. That’s the thing about decisions, every choice comes with a consequence. The Bible tells us about a man named Nabal, whose very name means “fool.” But guess what? He was married to a beautiful wise woman called Abigail. When Nabal rudely turned away David’s messengers, he angered David and put his entire household in danger. David was prepared to wipe them all out. But then, the Bible tells us that Abigail quickly got on her donkey and hurried to meet David, seeking to make peace.
“She fell at his feet and said, “I accept all blame in this matter, my Lord. Please listen to what I have to say. I know Nabal is a wicked and ill-tempered man; please don’t pay any attention to him. He is a fool, just as his name suggests. But I never even saw the young men you sent.”
1 Samuel 25:24-25 NLT
A wise and sensible woman married a fool; just let that sink in. When I first read this, I thought, “Wow! So even wise people make mistakes?” And then I remembered Solomon… case closed! Even the wisdom of men has its flaws.
You might be thinking, “How could Abigail marry a man like that?” But be honest how many times have you found yourself in relationships, business partnerships, or friendships with fools? Apostle Joshua Selman puts it best: “If you count five fools around you, you did not count well!” Now, imagine if Abigail hadn’t stepped in she would have perished, all because of her connection to a fool. Moral of the story? You’re never safe around fools!!
Fools are a special breed, they make impulsive decisions, speak recklessly, and act without considering the consequences or who will be affected. They just do things anyhow. But here’s the funny part: fools still get opportunities! They get the jobs, the marriages, some even become parents! The problem isn’t getting things; it’s keeping them. Their foolishness eventually ruins what they once had.
Now, let’s talk about Abigail. This beautiful, sensible woman looked at Nabal and said, “I do!” A whole Abigail married a whole fool. And not just any fool; one so certified that even his wife called him that!I can’t help but wonder, how many fires did Abigail have to put out because of her husband? How many apologies did she have to make on his behalf? How many times did she rush to clean up the mess he created? Because when you’re surrounded by fools, guess who gets stuck doing damage control? You! And let me tell you, that life is exhausting!
Everyone makes foolish decisions now and then, it happens. But there’s a big difference between making a foolish decision and being a fool. Don’t be that friend. You know, the one no one asks for advice because they already know whatever comes out of your mouth will make zero sense. Refuse to be the Nabal of your circle! Ask God for wisdom, so you don’t become anyone’s cautionary tale. The book of Proverbs has so much to say about fools that sometimes, when you’re reading it, you start wondering, “Wait… is Solomon talking about me?”
But here’s a question, when you look at your life, how many of the people around you are wise? How many give you sound advice? How many can actually be trusted? And most importantly, how many truly believe in God? Because according to the Bible, the first qualification for being a fool is not believing that God exists. So, before worrying about fools around you, make sure you’re not the one Solomon’s been warning us about!
“A wicked fool says to himself, “There is no God.” Fools are evil. They do terrible things. None of them does anything good.”
Psalms 14:1 ICB
Wisdom is profitable. 🌸