“Sometimes it's hard to be a woman
Giving all your love to just one man
You'll have bad times
And he'll have good times,
Doin' things that you don't understand”

“Stand By Your Man” is by far Tammy Wynette’s greatest hit. Released in 1968 it seemed to be just a simple condescending song about women being forced to stay with a bad husband. But, in reality it’s a complex anthem to the difficulties women face in remaining committed to their husbands when, “after all he’s just a man”. It’s a call for a woman to stand by her man, not crawl under his foot, or be crushed under his thumb. That’s not some wilting flower – that’s a woman that any man would be lucky to have as his wife.

Today’s Morning Minutes in the Bible finds us looking at Abigail, Nabal’s wife, who was just such a woman. Previously we looked at David’s angry response to Nabal that was leading to disaster for Nabal and David (1 Samuel 25:2-13). David was headed to Nabal’s house with murderous rage in his heart. Thankfully disaster was averted by a woman who stood by her man (1 Samuel 25:14-35). When Abigail found out what her husband had done, and the doom that was coming, she quickly prepared supplies and hurried to meet David. Reaching him in time she begged for her husband’s life, and successfully saved him and his family from death, and David from a great sin.

Even though Abigail knew her husband was a foolish man, and could have stood back and let him be killed, she stood up for him. Normally a wife should build up rather than tear down her husband when talking to others, but in this case she had to be brutally honest to save his life. The text records her saying, “Please do not let my lord pay attention to this worthless man, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name and folly is with him.” (1 Samuel 25:25). Ouch! That had to hurt, but it was better than hiding the truth and risking disaster.

Most of the time women are able to lovingly overlook spousal failures without having to openly declare it to the world, but sometimes only the cold hard truth can save their lives. Thank God for Abigail, and may He give us more like her; wise women who know when to just smile and when to speak up. Yes indeed, “Sometimes it’s hard to be a woman!”