Did you know that in his last years, King David was very weak and very old? He was most likely bedridden. Anyway, his kin decided to hire a young and beautiful (their words, not mine) woman called Abishag to take care of him and keep him warm. They did not have sexual relations (again, their words, not mine).
When King David went to be with the Lord (i.e. passed away), his son Solomon was due to be king. But Solomon's half-brother, Adonijah, had a scheme to grab the throne from him. He asked Solomon's mom (Bathsheba) to ask Solomon if he could have Abishag. Bathsheba thought, why not, the poor kid has no kingdom anyway.
But when she told Solomon of this, Solomon saw through the ruse (because Abishag was technically part of his harem, and giving her to Adonijah would give him a foothold to usurp Solomon) and ordered for Adonijah to be put to death.
During this whole time (from the last days of King David, till the time when Adonijah was put to death), nobody took notice or and effort to ask Abishag what she felt about anything. She quietly and graciously did her work. When it came to the time to decide on her future, she didn't even have a say in it - she may as well have been part of the furniture!
I guess the main thing we learn from her life is this: most of the time in life, we may go unnoticed or unvalued for our contributions, whether it's at work, home or with your friends. And that can get frustrating, especially if you feel your efforts aren't acknowledged, or when people don't ask you for your input on things!
But know this: You have IMMENSE value. The Maker of the universe knows YOU, and he never loses track of you.
Sometimes, the roles we play can seem small and insignificant in the eyes of the world, but know that everything you do matters in God's Big Picture.
You may feel your contribution is small physically, but in the eyes of God, He only sees your heart. And if your heart is sincere, true and loves God, that's enough for him.
Get to know Abishag's story in 1 Kings 1:1-4, 2:13-24
(The information for today's post comes from Tyndale Life Application Study Bible)
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