The extra mile
Nabal's servants went beyond the call of duty even when it meant going against their master.
1 Samuel 25.1-19
Reference: v. 15 Yet these men were very good to us. They did not mistreat us, and the whole time we were out in the fields near them nothing was missing.
Explore: David had gone to Nabal to ask him to supply them needed food, seeing as though David and his men had guarded his servants at another time. Nabal refused which made David very unhappy. Yet the servants remembered the care of David’s men and so went behind their cruel master’s back to try to persuade his wife of the care David had shown them in the past.
Application: People remember when you go the extra mile. It’s one thing to be nice to someone or to be friendly, but to go the extra mile means to stick your neck out and make some kind of sacrifice for another. David’s men had gone the extra mile for Nabal’s servants. I’m not sure whether this was custom for the day but it had certainly been remembered fondly by the servants. One of Jesus’ commands is to ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ This sounds like quite a simple request; to treat another person as you would like to be treated. Yet when it does actually happen you find the response similar to Nabal’s servants, gratitude and dedication.
Prayer: Lord, I know I should love others more but sometimes it seems so challenging. Give me your strength as I go the extra mile. Amen.
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.