“Ease his pain.” In the fictional movie “Field of Dreams” Ray, played by Kevin Costner, hears a voice telling him “Ease his pain” and “If you build it…He will come.” Since it’s a movie Ray instinctively realizes the mystical voice is telling him to build a baseball field in the middle of his Iowa cornfield so Shoeless Joe Jackson can come back from the dead to play baseball. It’s obvious, right? Anyway, there’s a powerful twist to the ending when Shoeless Joe’s ghost reveals that it was about Ray’s pain, not Joe’s. That revelation leads to an even bigger revelation for Ray. One he did not see coming.

In the story of Nabal and Abigail it would seem that the big reveal/twist ending was Nabal’s shocking death after hearing what his wife had done (or perhaps how close he came to bringing disaster on himself). Either way, it caught everyone by surprise. But if you thought that was the end of the story then you would be wrong.

In “Field of Dreams” the big reveal was the easing of Ray’s decades of pain because of conflict with his father that had never been resolved – until then. Suddenly the movie reveals that “He will come” wasn’t referring to Shoeless Joe Jackson, but Ray’s long dead dad. Ray’s pain was eased by reconnecting with his father. Well, in the real story of Nabal, Abigail, and David, there’s an even bigger twist to the end of the story than the “old fool’s” sudden and unexpected death.

If you will recall David had shown great bravery and complete loyalty to King Saul, even when fleeing for his life. Before going insane with jealousy, Saul had given his daughter Michal to be David’s wife, but to add to David’s pain of having to flee for his life, Saul took Michal away and gave her to another man (1 Samuel 25:44). David’s great pain from the fear and anxiety caused by Saul’s constant pursuit was compounded by the loss of his loving wife who had defied her father to protect David (1 Samuel 19:11).

To ease his pain David reached out to and married Abigail. David had been protected from evil by Abigail who was married to an evil man. When that “old fool” Nabal’s evil turned on him David and Abigail both benefited (1 Samuel 25:39-42). Who could have seen that coming?

The lesson for us is simple. Our future is unfolding one day at a time, so do not despair or become foolish. Live every day by faith (which by the way may require painful changes), and even if our pain is not eased in this life – the Lord is waiting for His faithful ones to join Him where there are no tears, sorrow, or pain. That ending has been promised to the faithful. Is it the one you’re seeking?