Story 86: Ab'i-gail Conquers Da'vid's Anger ll

   One of the shepherds urged her to act before it was too late, and spoke of Na'bal as " such a son of the devil that no one could advise him." Ab'i-gail hastened to provide gifts which might appease Da'vid. Gathering two hundred loaves of bread, two bottles of wine, five dressed sheep, five clusters of parched corn, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, she had them loaded on beasts of burden and rushed off to meet Da'vid.
   Her arrival was just in time, for she and the servants who went with her had not traveled far before they met Da'vid at the head of his four hundred men. He was in an angry mood, and was muttering in his heart, "I guarded all that this prosperous man had in the wilderness, so that nothing was lost; and for this goodness he has requited me evil. I shall surely be avenged by slaying him and every man in his company."
   Ab'i-gail quickly dismounted, fell on her face before Da'vid, and cried, "Upon me, my lord, let this iniquity rest; and permit me, I beg you, to have audience with you." She then freely admitted that she had been badly treated by her husband, but pointed out the fact that Na'bal's very name means "fool" in the Hebrew language. She also explained that she knew nothing of the request of the young men until they had gone, and that they would have received generous aid, had they applied to her. She then appealed to the deepest emotions of Da'vid's heart, expressing herself in words to this effect: "I am happy to deal with a man who, though sometimes at fault in word or deed, is a true servant of the LORD, and who will not deliberately break His law." She went on to assure Da'vid of her sympathy in the persecutions suffered from Saul's hatred, saying that she was confident that he would be raised to the throne of Is'ra-el, and adding this beautiful prophecy: "Your soul shall be found in the bundle of life with God, and the souls of your enemies shall be flung out in the cup of the sling."
   Ab'i-gail then made a very touching appeal in which she reminded Da'vid that it would bring him great unhappiness, after he was king, if he had to look back upon any act in which he had shed blood without a cause. She then begged him to accept the provisions which she had brought to make up for the discourtesy shown by Na'bal, and earnestly sought forgiveness.
   Da'vid was completely overcome by the appeal of this noble woman, and was deeply impressed with her personal charm and worth. In reply to Ab'i-gail he said, May the LORD God of Is'ra-el be blessed, who sent you to me! Blessed be your counsel, and blessed may you be, because you have kept me this day from shedding blood and from avenging a personal grievance with my own hand. Had you not hurried and come to me, then certainly by tomorrow morning there would not have been left a single one of Na'bal's men."He then accepted the gifts which she had brought and sent her home in peace.
   When Ab'i-gail returnt to her husband she found him drunkenly enjoying the festivities of the sheep-shearing season, wholly unmindful of the peril from which his noble wife had saved him. She waited until the next morning, when he had sufficiently recovered from his drunkenness to understand what she said, to tell him how she had appeased the anger of Da'vid, and of the certain death from which she had saved her unworthy husband. Na'bal was so shocked by the news that he fell into a state of paralysis, and ten days later he died.
   When news was brought to Da'vid of Na'bal's death, he sang once again a song of praise to God for the deliverance from evil which had been brought to him through the wise counsel and prudent acts of Ab'i-gail. His admiration for her noble character and deep piety soon grew into a strong affection, and Ab'igail became a faithful and devoted wife of the young hero.

Story 86: Ab'i-gail Conquers Da'vid's Anger l

   Da'vid seems to have realized that Saul's more friendly attitude would be short-lived, and that it was not safe for him to dismiss his followers and return to normal life again. He therefore removed to the wilderness of Pa'ran, which was an extended tract of country along the southern border of Ca'naan adjoining the Si'na-it'ic desert. There were two reasons which probably led him to choose this outlying district. One was the recent death of Sam'u-el, whose influence in Is'ra-el had done much to support the cause of Da'vid; the other, because it was becoming difficult to provide for his six hundred followers in the wilderness of Ju'dah.
   Living not far from the place where Da'vid had taken his new refuge was a wealthy man by the name of Na'bal. He owned large herds of sheep and goats, and employed many shepherds. Da'vid and his men had given aid to these shepherds in protecting their flocks from the roving tribes of the desert, and for this reason felt justified in calling upon Na'bal when they were greatly in need of food.
   Da'vid sent ten of his most courteous men to Car'mel, which was the home of Na'bal, with instructions to greet him in the name of the LORD, tell him of their friendly aid to the shepherds, and to explain the dire need of Da'vid's men for food. They were to ask Na'bal to send any food which he might spare from the feast which had been prepared for his shepherds and sheep-shearers, or from that which had been provided for the festivities of the seasons. All the circumstances justified Da'vid in making this request, and he had every reason to expect a generous response.
   Da'vid was soon to be disappointed, however, for Na'bal had the heart of a miser, taking no thought for those who were less fortunate than himself. He had been blessed by the LORD with an abundance of earthly goods, but instead of thinking of what he owed to the LORD and all around him who were in need, he used his wealth only for his own enjoyment. He spoke of his possessions as "my bread, my meat, my water, and my shearers." He was also most ungrateful, for had Da'vid's men not protected his flocks both day and night, he would have had fewer sheep to shear and less wealth of which to boast.
   Na'bal heard the request of Da'vid's men without the slightest feeling of obligation or generosity. He denied the request, speaking of Da'vid as a run-away slave who was in need because of misconduct.
   When Da'vid's men reported Na'bal's unfriendliness and insults, their leader became very angry. He ordered four hundred of his men to gird on their swords and follow him, planning to swoop down upon Na'bal's farm with vengeance and deadly destruction. He was wrong in allowing his temper to rule for the moment, but Divine Providence kept him from carrying out his intentions against Na'bal and his household.
   Na'bal's wife, whose name was Ab'i-gail, was an intelligent, kindly and deeply religious woman. She knew of Da'vid's excellent character and of his exile under the persecutions of Saul, and had been informed of the kindness of Da'vid's men to Na'bal's shepherds when they were in peril from bandits while out in the desert. When she learnt of her husband's boorish treatment of Da'vid's young men in refusing their request, she felt that Da'vid would be justified in causing trouble for Na'bal. She decided to take steps at once to save her husband from possible slaughter, and to prevent Da'vid from any rash deeds.

My Testimony: Mike Mulcahy

   When I was a kid, I grew up Catholic, but had my reservations? But I knew GOD was always there for me.
   When I was a teenager, I sold drugs, the police were walking into the bar room to search me, someone told me to get rid of what I had, Divine Intervention (1st save.) GOD'S Amazing!
   I was breaking & entering into establishments while drunk, night time (felony.) got arrested. Thank GOD & Governor Michael Dukakis for my pardon (2nd save.) GOD'S Forgiving!
   Too young when I enlisted in the army @ 17 to go to Vietnam, my unit & childhood friends went, friends never returnt, there's no one else to run with anymore. I was stationed @ Fort Hood for my tour of duty (3rd save.) GOD'S Powerful!
   In 2008 I went looking for GOD, found HIM in Brownwood, Texas, I was Baptized in 2012, in a horse trough, Born Again Christian (4th save.) GOD is Great!
   Beginning of this year I left South Carolina because I didn't like it there. The VA diagnosed me with stage III lung cancer, stopped chemo therapy, but still doing radiation therapy. Thank GOD & the VA (5th save.) GOD loves us all!
   I'm eternally grateful to GOD, HE'S Beautiful!
   I've devoted my life to GOD, helping people, & the VA. AMEN!

 Every morning I read this aloud:
    I want to thank You LORD, for this day. I am absolutely dependent upon YOU to enable me today
to live the life YOU want me to live and to do the work You've called me to do. I choose to abide in
YOU today. I ask YOU to make salvation the foremost thought in my mind, Your righteousness the 
 foremost impulse of my heart, YOUR truth the foremost motivation and desire behind all I do,
YOUR peace and wholeness the goal of all I want to accomplish. I ask YOU to help me walk in faith
against all forms of evil. I ask YOU to quicken YOUR WORD in my mind and in my mouth so that all I think and say will be in complete alignment with YOUR WORD. I choose right now to rely upon YOUR HOLY SPIRIT to give me the direction and guidance I need every minute of this day. I trust YOU to do this and I believe YOU are going to do this.

I SCREEN, YOU SCREEN...ll By Judith Hurley

LUNG CANCER: An annual low-dose CT scan of the chest is recommended for adults 55 to 80 who have a 30-pack-year smoking history and either currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years. A pack-year is the number of packs per day multiplied by the number of years the person has smoked. For example, smoking one pack a day for 30 years or two packs a day for 15 years both represent a 30-pack-year history.
   Annual prostate cancer screening using a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test was once recommended, but is no longer. The test does a poor job of identifying prostate cancer and can lead to unnecessary treatment. The American Cancer Society recommends that black men and men with a family history of prostate cancer talk with their doctors about the pros and cons of testing beginning at 45. Other men should do so starting at 50.
PREVENTION: While cancer screenings are important for detecting cancer early-when it is most treatable-there is a lot you can do to prevent cancer in the first place. Not smoking is a critical step, but so are other lifestyle behaviors. The World Cancer Fund estimates that 20 percent of cancers diagnosed in the United States could be prevented by adopting a healthy diet, avoiding excessive alcohol intake, getting regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight. All are habits worth taking up and keeping.

I SCREEN, YOU SCREEN...l By Judith Hurley

When it comes to fighting cancer, nothing beats early detection.
   The latest statistics on cancer are out, and the news is mostly good. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. death rate from cancer has dropped 25 percent since 1991. That translates to 2.1 million fewer cancer deaths a year. The decrease can be attributed to early detection efforts (such as colon cancer screenings and mammograms) and a drop in smoking rates.
   Yet cancer remains the second-leading cause of death among Americans, so if you haven't thought about undergoing recommended cancer screenings, you should. In the United States, 41 out of every 100 men and 38 out of every 100 women will develop cancer in their lifetimes, and the risk for cancer increases with age. The top three cancers in men are prostate, lung and colorectal. In women, they are breast, lung and colorectal.
   Accurate early-detection exams aren't available for all cancers, but they are for several of the biggies: colorectal, cervical, breast and lung. Nationally, however, screening rates lag behind their targets. In 2013, for example, only 58 percent of adults ages 50 to 75 were up to date on colorectal cancer screenings. The rates for cervical and breast cancer screenings were somewhat better
- 81 and 73 percent, respectively
-but still not optimal.
   While many cancer screening trends are positive, Blacks, Latinos and low-income Americans are less likely to be screened. Not surprisingly, they are also more likely to have cancer diagnosed at a later, less treatable stage and to die of it. Fear of the procedure, busy schedules, lack of health insurance and a high co-pay for expensive procedures such as colonoscopies are all barriers to screening.
Types Of Screenings:
   Depending on your age and risk factors, the guidelines for cancer screenings vary. Here is a roundup of the early cancer detection exams recommended by the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, an independent panel of experts that advises the medical community:
BREAST CANCER: Women 50-74 should get a mammogram every two years. For women 40-49, mammogram decisions should be individualized.
CERVICAL CANCER: Woman 21 to 65 who have not had a hysterectomy should have a Pap test every three years.
COLORECTAL CANCER: Men and women 50-75 should have either a fecal occult blood test (FOBT) annually, a sigmoidoscopy every five years plus an FOBT every three years, or a colonoscopy every 10 years. An FOBT detects cancer that is already present. A sigmoidoscopy examines the rectum and lower portion of the colon, while a colonoscopy examines the entire colon. In both procedures, polyps can be detected and removed before they become cancerous.

Story 85: Da'vid Spares The Life Of Saul ll

   He then went on to say, "The skirt of your robe which I hold in my hand is proof that I bear no ill-will against you, although you wickedly seek my life." Referring to his own feeling of unworthiness to meet the armies of Is'ra-el in battle, he added, "I am as harmless as a flea, and as insignificant as a dead dog, and should be regarded as beneath the dignity of your pursuit." Appealing to GOD'S Justice, Da'vid ended his sublime words of defense by saying, "May the LORD judge between me and you, observe the injustice of your pursuit upon my life, and deliver me out of your hand."
   Saul was overcome by these words of Da'vid and by the mercy shown by one whose life he had sought. His cruel, hardened heart was melted by the forgiving spirit of the noble exile, and for a moment his sense of justice was awakened. When he realized that his life had been spared by Da'vid's mercy to a bitter foe, he said, "You are a better man than I, for you have returnt me good when I had done you evil. When the LORD placed me within your power, you did not kill me; and may GOD give you a good recompense for your kindness. I know that you are to be king of Is'ra-el, and I beg that you give me an oath that you will not cut off my sons after me, and that you will not destroy my name in the annals of Is'ra-el's history."
   Saul then gave up the war against Da'vid and he and his men went home. Sad to say, however, his confession of guilt and shame were not sincere, for he soon renewed his determination to kill Da'vid and all who befriended him.

Story 85: Da'vid Spares The Life Of Saul l

   Da'vid took advantage of the rest provided by Saul's engagement with the invading Phi-lis'tines to escape into the wilderness of En-ge'di, a region filled with steep mountains, deep ravines, and hundreds of caverns, on the western shores of the Dead Sea about thirteen miles northwest of Ma'on. As soon as Saul's armies had succeeded in driving off the Phi-lis'tine raid, the angry king sent three thousand picked soldiers in pursuit of Da'vid. It was during this pursuit that there occurred one of the two incidents in which Da'vid showed his nobility of character by sparing the life of the king when it was placed within his power by a strange Providence.
   Da'vid and his men were hiding among the rocks and caverns of that region, which was so steep and dangerous that only wild goats lived there. It so happened that Saul laid down to sleep at the entrance of one of the great caverns in which Da'vid and a few of his bravest men were taking refuge. While the king slept, unaware of his danger, Da'vid's men urged that he be put to death. They declared that the LORD had given them this opportunity of vengeance upon the wicked king who had sought to kill them without just cause.
   How many strong, but conflicting desires must have throbbed in the heart of Da'vid! Apparently GOD had placed his cruel enemy in his power, and the urge to take revenge must have been hard to resist. Had not the time now come to bring peace to the land by ending the reign of a king who had been rejected by the LORD? Would he not bring a blessing to the entire nation by carrying out the sentence which had long since been pronounced upon the man who had been unfaithful to the LORD? Should he not take advantage of a remarkable opportunity which seemed to make it possible for him to become king at once?
   Against these natural feelings of Da'vid and the urgent persuasions of his men, who insisted that he rid himself at once of his chief enemy, there remained the fact that Saul was still the king of Is'ra-el, and that Da'vid had never lifted up his hand against "the anointed of the LORD." Da'vid, therefore, gave up all thought of revenge, and forbade his men to harm the king. The fear of GOD held first place in his heart, so every idea of harming Saul was overcome by the teachings of True Religion. Da'vid merely cut off a small part of the king's robe, intending to show it to Saul at some later time as proof that he had spared his life when he might easily have taken it.
   Later, when Saul awoke from sleep and renewed his search for the young exile, Da'vid ran after him, waving the piece which he had cut from the king's robe, and calling him to to stop. Da'vid then made a wonderful speech in his own defense, declaring anew his loyalty to the king, and denying that he had ever rebelled against him.
   Never has there been a man with better reasons for deserting his leader than Da'vid. He deserved Saul's deepest gratitude, but was shown nothing but ingratitude and cruelty. He was a loyal subject of the king, and his flight had been one of self-defense rather than defiance. While he could not honor Saul as a man, he respected his position and authority as king of the nation. In his moving defense of his own conduct, Da'vid appealed to Saul's reason and to GOD'S Justice. Addressing him as "My lord the king," he said:
   "Why do you give heed to the people who tell you that Da'vid seeks you harm? See how the LORD has this day delivered you into my hand, and my men urged me to kill you; but I have spared your life and will not put forth my hand against my lord, for you are the LORD'S anointed."