Samuel was deeply disappointed with Saul's kingship and mourned for Saul (15:35). Samuel mourned to such an extent that eventually God said to him, "How long will you mourn for Saul, though I have rejected him from being king over Israel?" (16:1a).
Although Samuel was disappointed with Saul's kingship, he died with the encouraging expectation of David's kingship. This was a comfort to him. When he died, he was assured regarding the Davidic kingdom, a type of the kingdom of God. I believe that as Samuel was dying he was full of joy concerning this.
First Samuel 25:1b-44 is an account of David's dealing with Nabal and Abigail.
In verses 2 through 9 David sought help from Nabal, a wealthy man. David sent ten young men to Nabal, instructing them to say to him, "Live long; and peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have" (v. 6). The young men were also to say, "Give whatever you may have on hand to your servants and to your son David" (v. 8). Here David was very humble, considering himself a servant and a son to Nabal.
In his folly, Nabal rejected David's entreating and insulted David's servants. Nabal said to them, "Who is David, or who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants today who break away from their masters. Shall I then take my food and my water and my meat that I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men who come from I do not know where?" (vv. 10-11). When David's servants told him what Nabal said, David charged each of his men to gird on his sword (vv. 12-13). Then David said, "It was certainly in vain that I guarded all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that he has; for he has repaid me evil for good. May God do so to David's enemies, and even more, if I leave so much as a male child of all that he has until morning" (vv. 21-22).
David's word here indicates that he was offended by Nabal. In this matter David did not pass the test. He bore the cross under Saul, but in this small cross he failed. If David had taken the cross in this situation, he might have praised the Lord for Nabal's refusal to provide food. Then God might have come in to inspire Nabal to repent and come to David with an abundance of food. However, with Nabal David did not take the cross.
The situation is often the same with us today. It may be easy for us to prevail in bearing the bigger crosses, but we may be careless in bearing the smaller crosses. Through the small crosses the flesh is exposed.