Tag Archives: Esther

October 9, 2024 · 5:29 AM

Go To The King

The Bible says that it rains on the just and the unjust alike. Jesus told us that in this world we w have trouble. There’s no escaping it. So what do you do when trouble comes? I’ve seen people circle the wagons and close themselves off from everyone else while they go through it. I’ve seen people get bitter towards God and leave the church. I’ve seen people crumble under the pressure. I’ve also seen people who reach out to get a prayer chain going. I’ve also seen people whose faith deepened during the hardest times. Pressure does different things to different people. One thing for sure is that it exposes the depth of what a person believes. When hard times come, our actions outweigh anything we’ve ever said.

In Esther 5, Haman had convinced the king to send out a decree to destroy the Jews who were living among his people. He was mad that Mordecai didn’t bow every time he went by. When the decree went out, Mordecai read it and tore his clothes in grief. He then took ashes and smeared them on his body to show he was in morning. He put on sackcloth, which was uncomfortable, to show he was in distress. Then, the most important thing he did was go to the king’s gate. He knew that only the king could reverse the order so he went there. When word got to Esther, she sent new clothes, but he refused and sent word of what was going on. He asked her to risk her life by going to the king to intercede for her people. She called for a fast and went to the king to save her people.

Hebrews 4:16 says, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (NLT). We need to be like Mordecai and Esther when we are hit with hard times. We must go to the King. We don’t have to be afraid like Esther. We can approach Him boldly and lay down our cares and burdens at His feet. We will receive mercy as He sees what we’re going through. We will also receive grace that is sufficient for the hardship we’re going through. It’s in our weakness that His strength is made perfect in us. Instead of running from God, we must run to the king who will give us everything we need when we need it most.

Photo by Ivan Aleksic on Unsplash

1 Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

September 30, 2024 · 5:45 AM

Controlling Everything

How do you handle it when everything is going wrong? There are times and seasons of disappointment that we all go through. For some of us, we start trying to control everything when things start spinning out of control. The truth is that we can’t really control anything except our response and our attitude. I’m not a person that is constantly worried about things, but in these seasons, worry tries to creep in. My sleep gets disrupted, my appetite goes away and I get quiet because I’m trying to handle it and solve it on my own. Doing all those things is still simply masking the fact that I’m trying to control the situation rather than my response. Ultimately I have to realize that only God can control my circumstances.

In Esther 3, Haman had been promoted to second in command. The king ordered that he be given the same treatment and respect as if he were king. People were told to bow when he went by them. Everyone obeyed the edict except Mordecai. Haman was infuriated and decided not to simply attack Mordecai. His response was to eradicate all Jews. He convinced the king to sign a law that gave people in every province of the kingdom to kill Jews and take their possessions. In chapter four, Mordecai read the decree and began crying and wailing. He put on mourning clothes, fasted and prayed for a resolution. He may have felt the blame for the situation and knew he didn’t have the answer, but he knew God did. He sent word to Esther about what was going on and God used her to save His people.

Psalm 121:1-2 says, “I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!” (NLT) When things are out of control, God is still in control. We must look to Him because He is the only one who can help in these seasons. He is the one who had the plan and people in position to protect you and bring the season to a close. Like Mordecai, we should turn our hearts toward heaven in fasting and prayer. Like Esther, we should be ready to do whatever God asks no matter how difficult. Things may look bleak, and times may get rough, but in those moments we must look to God and seek Him more than ever. He is still in control of everything and nothing happens without Him knowing. Control your response and let Him take the burden of controlling everything else.

Photo by Jezael Melgoza on Unsplash

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

April 28, 2022 · 5:30 AM

Critic’s Math

Several years ago I attended a conference for ministers. One of the speakers was Jon Acuff, and he spoke on critic’s math. The way critics math works is 1 insult + 1,000 complements = 1 insult. We can be praised by everyone for our work, but if one person didn’t like it, we allow that one negative comment to erase all the positive feedback we’ve received. It can be like we never even heard the compliments because our mind spends all its time focusing on the one negative comment rather than our feedback as a whole. Critic’s math is a dangerous thing for us to fall into.

An example is in the Book of Esther. Haman was the King’s prime minister. He had been put in such a high position, that the king declared everyone should bow to him as he passed by. Everyone bowed down except one. Mordecai refused. In the fifth chapter, Esther had prepared a banquet for he and the king. When he left, everyone bowed except Mordecai. In verses 12-13, he told his wife and friends, “What is more, Queen Esther gave a banquet for no one but the king and me, and we are invited back tomorrow. But none of this means a thing to me as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the entrance of the palace” (GNT). He allowed critic’s math to cloud his thinking, and it ultimately cost him everything.

You and I need to accept that we can’t please everyone, and that pleasing people is not our goal. Pleasing God is. Ecclesiastes 7:21 warns, “Don’t pay attention to everything people say…” When you receive negative feedback, take it constructively, but don’t give it so much weight that it distracts you from what God has called you to. What He has to say is far more important than what any person has to say. Keep focusing on what God wants to do in your life and through you, and don’t let one person’s negativity keep you from reaching your potential or from finishing your race.

Photo by Nijwam Swargiary on Unsplash

Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

4 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , ,

December 28, 2015 · 6:29 AM

Risk Everything

  

With one year winding down and another about to begin, I think it’s always good to look back and reflect on the previous year. Ask yourself, “What went well? What do I wish would have happened differently? What changes do I need to make to have a better year next year?” You may be able to answer the first two pretty quickly, but take your time on the third. I would even recommend fasting and prayer so that you do the right things to get the right result.

When you read the story of Esther, you find that in the first month of the year, Haman sent out a decree to kill all Jews. Her first response was that she couldn’t do anything to change the course of her fate. She opted to stay silent and do nothing out of fear. What her uncle Moredecai knew was that if she did nothing, she would reap the consequences of doing nothing. If there was going to be a change, it required her to do what she had never done. It required great risk.

If you want a greater change in your life, you’re going to have to take a great risk. You can only guess what will result from the changes you make. Esther knew this too. That’s why she didn’t do it without seeking God first and having others pray with her. In Esther 4:16, she sent word to Moredecai saying, “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die” (NLT).

She was willing to risk everything to change everything, but she wasn’t willing to do it without fasting and prayer. If you feel like a major change is needed in your life next year, let me encourage you to seek God through fasting and prayer. Ask Him what you need to risk and change so He can do the miraculous for you. Ask Him to open doors that seem shut. Then, you will have to do what Esther did and take that step of faith that God asks you to do. Esther saved her people, not just because she prayed, but because she took a risk and went before the king uninvited.

I don’t know what stepping in front of a king looks like for you, but God can reveal it to you though fasting and prayer. Hebrews 11 is a chapter that reminds us of people who stepped out in faith and risked everything. They are the ones in the Bible who trusted God above all else, and they took risks without knowing they would get the reward. Verse 6 says, “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” If you will have faith and seek God, He will reward your faith.

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,

April 22, 2015 · 7:15 AM

Qualified Through Disqualification

My son loves to watch “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” on my iPad. I think he loves Daniel Tiger so much because he sings songs that are easy for him to learn. My son started singing one of those songs recently when I was hanging a shelf in my room. He wanted to help, but the shelf was too heavy and too high for him so I asked him to sit on the bed and watch. He sang, “Everyone is big enough, big enough to do something.” I couldn’t help but laugh and said, “You’re right.” I handed him the screws to hold and had him pass me my level. He was big enough to help with that.

So many times in our lives we feel inadequate and under qualified. We take ourselves out of situations God has placed us in because we think we aren’t the right person for the job. We underestimate the value that we bring and we use that as an excuse to not do what God has called us to. Esther felt the same way. She was just a girl who won a beauty contest and became the king’s wife. She had no authority, no royal blood in her and was an orphan. She was the least qualified to stand before the king and get justice for her people.

Like anyone else in that situation, she made excuses as to why she couldn’t do God’s will. Her uncle, Mordecai, was unwilling to accept her excuses and sent her word that said, “Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” He understood that when God calls us to do something, He qualifies us to do it. He puts us right where He needs us in order to do what needs to be done. It’s not up to us to use how we got into that position as a disqualifier.  It’s up to us to recognize why God has us where He does.

Each of us are qualified to do something for God. There are none of us who are perfect. None who are sinless. None who haven’t made huge mistakes we regret. God, in His mercy, doesn’t allow our past to keep us from doing His will. Instead, He embraces it and uses it to qualify us to carry out His will. What we think disqualifies us, God uses to qualify. What we think should keep us from helping Him is the very thing He wants to use. He uses the broken and scarred to help heal those with fresh wounds.

Don’t ever fall for the lie that you cannot be used by God because of something you’ve done. If you have been forgiven by God, then you are just the person God is looking for. You don’t have to sit on the sidelines and watch like I tried to do with my son. You can hold out your hands and let God use them to accomplish what He can only do through you. Who knows, perhaps you went through what you went through for such a time as this? He can use your scars to prove He heals open wounds. He can use your brokenness to show how He mends the broken-hearted. He can use you, no matter what. 

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

September 10, 2014 · 8:06 AM

Respons-ability

If you know the story of Esther, you know that after she had been made queen, Haman plotted to kill all of the Jews. Since he was the kings closest advisor, the King agreed to what he suggested. In Esther chapter 4, her uncle Mordecai found out that his race was being targeted for genocide. He responded by mourning and fasting. Somehow Esther had not known about the news. It wasn’t until her maidens saw her uncle weeping they told her about it. She then sent someone to find out why he was in distress.

When Mordecai sent word back, he also told them to tell her that she had a responsibility to go before the King to save her people. Her first response was fear. She told him that she couldn’t go before the King or she would be killed. She must have felt that since she was queen she would be saved from the massacre. Mordecai wouldn’t have any of it. He very frankly told her that if she didn’t respond to the challenge so done else would, but she and her family would perish.

Just like her, you and I face situations in our life that we’d rather ignore and hope they go away. The problem is that they won’t in most cases. The longer we wait to respond to them, the bigger they can get. Our ability to respond has to overcome the fear of the situation. Mordecai also sent the encouraging word, “Who knows? Maybe you’ve been put in this position for such a time as this.” He pointed to God’s providence in her life. He began to see why things had happened the way they had so that she could be the answer.

Where you are today and the situations that you’re facing are not an accident or a surprise to God. He has groomed you and placed you where you are because you have the ability to respond the way He wants you too. You could say it’s your respons-ability. You can say, “But I don’t know how to handle this.” James 1:5 says that if any man lacks wisdom he can ask God for it. Proverbs 15:22 says there is wisdom in a multitude of counsel. You can ask God and or others what to do. Mordecai gave excellent advice to Esther.

We never know why we have the burdens of being in difficult situations. Not responding isn’t the right choice. We have the respons-ability to seek wisdom and to respond in a way that pleases God. Difficult situations require difficult choices. In my own life, it’s been those times that have grown my faith the most. I’ve had to step out in faith and trust that God had my back. Esther did too and her people were saved. Life isn’t easy, but you were made for a purpose and are where God needs you right now in order to respond accordingly. Trust what He says and step out. It may be difficult, but doing what He says is less difficult than the results of disobedience.

Leave a comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

August 28, 2014 · 7:20 AM

The Signet Ring

IMG_0087.JPG

I’ve come across a few places in the Bible were a signet ring was used. One of the first places was in Genesis when the Pharaoh took off his signet ring and gave it to Joseph. He made him second in command, and gave him all the authority of Pharaoh through that ring. In Esther, the King gave Haman to give him authority to destroy the Jews. The King later took it back and gave it to Mordecai. In the New Testament, we see the father give the ring to the prodigal son when he returned. It was symbolic in saying, “This is still my son. He has my authority to do things in my name.”

In Haggai 2:23, God said to Zerubbabel that He would set him as a signet ring. He said, “I will set you as a signet ring, the sign of my sovereign presence and authority.” The King of Kings basically gave Zerubbabel all His authority. Instead of giving him a ring, He told him, “You are my ring. You are my authority. You are my presence on earth. You bear my mark and will leave my imprint on everything you touch.” It was very significant that God did this.

A signet ring was important. It had the seal of the king engraved on it. With it, he sealed or stamped letters to prove it was his word. It also represented authority. Anyone that the King would give that ring to had his authority. Whatever they said or did, it was as if the King himself had declared it. The ring had executive authority and power. It was not to be taken lightly by anyone who wore it. So I find it interesting that instead of giving Zerubbabel a ring, God said he would be as one.

Let’s fast forward to when Jesus was on earth. He spoke to His disciples in Luke 10:19 and gave them all authority. He in essence gave them His signet ring. Then, just before He ascended in Matthew 28, He reminded them, “All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to me.” It wasn’t just some of it or most of it. He has all of it. He then sent them out with what’s known as the Great Commission giving them the authority to use His name as their authority.

You and I have been given that authority as followers of Christ. We are His signet ring on this planet. We have the authority of the King, but we don’t always act like it. I believe it’s time we did. If the enemy has come against you, invoke the authority of the name of Jesus. If you need something to accomplish His will, use your God given authority through Jesus. You are a child of the King of Kings. Start acting like it. You shouldn’t live your life with a defeated mindset. You should have a victorious, over coming mindset because that’s what you’ve been given. Go and use your authority wisely today.

5 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,

February 20, 2013 · 8:19 AM

God’s Golden Scepter

I love the story of Esther. There are so many old things in that book that I could go on and on for days. If you aren’t familiar with her story, the king had a beautiful wife and wanted to show her off after partying for seven days. When she refused to be shown off, he killed her. He then held a beauty pageant to find a new queen. Enter Esther. She was an orphan who was raised by her cousin Mordecai. The king loved her more than the others and made her queen.

After some time the king promoted a man named Haman. He was prideful and arrogant. He wanted people to bow to him as he paraded through the streets. Everyone did except Mordecai. Haman was upset, talked to the king and got him to agree to kill all of Mordecai’s race. Mordecai sent word to Esther to see if she could go to the king for help since she was the queen. Esther’s response is what I want to discuss today. She said, “All the king’s officials and even the people in the provinces know that anyone who appears before the king in his inner court without being invited is doomed to die unless he holds out his golden scepter.”

The God we serve is the King of Kings. He is above all others who are here on this earth. He does not behave like earthly kings though. We don’t have to be afraid to go into His inner court. We do not have to worry about Him killing us if we go before Him without an invitation. In fact, He encourages it. There is nothing that God wants more than for you to pray and go before His throne.

Hebrews 4:16 says, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most (NLT).” We don’t have to be afraid to enter the throne room of the King of Kings. The scripture says we’ll find both grace and mercy when we do! Esther didn’t think she would receive either when she went before the king. In fact, later on in her conversation, she knew she had to go in there to do something. She said, “Although it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.”

When is the last time you went to God that determined with your needs? When is the last time you were willing to risk everything by going to God and entering into His presence to the point that you were willing to die? I think if our prayers had that kind of guts, that kind of determination and that kind of boldness we’d see a lot more answered. Instead our prayers are weak, timid and frail. I’m putting myself in the mix with you. I’m guilty of offering timid prayers.

God honors bold prayers. He honors us if we are willing to go beyond the outer courts of His presence and enter into the inner courts. Hebrews 4:16 ends with “we will find grace when we need it most.” When we need something most, we don’t let barricades stand in our way. We don’t let what others will think of us sway us. We don’t let tradition stop us. We go to God in desperate need with boldness to present our needs. When we do that, He will raise His golden scepter and we will receive mercy.

3 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,