Based on w3d5 of For Such a Time As This, by Love God Greatly, p109
Read: Esther 4:15-17 and SOAP: Psalm 32:8
I will instruct and teach you about how you should live. I will advise you as I look you in the eye.
Psalm 32:8
Esther’s story is full of drama, and for those unfamiliar with the story, there is undoubtedly intrigue. The Jews are facing annihilation by edict of the king. Mordecai has sent word for Esther to talk to the king about what is about to happen and why. Esther has responded with the reminder that she cannot do that because entering the king’s presence without invitation can end in death, and most recently, Mordecai has lovingly and necessarily admonished Esther with the reminder that “she may very well have achieved royal statusfor such a time as this.”Today, we read Esther’s reply, a beautiful and bold statement of her faith. May we be so bold with our faith.
Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast on my behalf. Don’t eat and don’t drink for three days, night or day. My female attendants and I will also fast in the same way. Afterward I will go to the king, even though it violates the law. If I perish, I perish.”
If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”
Esther 4:14
I’ve said it before, but this is one of those appropriate times to repeat myself – lol. Because I grew up in a Christian home and was in church all of my life, Esther’s story is more than familiar to me. So, it’s easy for me to assume that everyone has heard of Queen Esther and her story, and undoubtedly the words: “For such a time as this.” But the first time I taught this book to a group of women, at least three out of the six were unfamiliar with the story. Since then, I have always been careful not to make that assumption when I write or teach. Whether this study is the first time you’ve heard these words or you’ve heard and spoken them many times, I pray they are imprinted on your heart and mind. I pray you will be encouraged by them. I pray they will be used as inspiration to follow where God leads or perhaps to encourage others along your path. As they were for Esther, they can be for you, words that change not only your life but the lives of countless others.
Esther had replied to Mordecai’s plea that she talk to the King and make known the situation and plead for the lives of her people. She knew the rules and the danger of approaching the King without an invitation. So she sent Mordecai a reply with her concern/reason for not going. I love that Esther had a Mordecai in her life – who spoke truth into her life
Reflection: Do you have a Mordecai in your life? Are you willing to be a Mordecai who speaks truth into the life of another?
based on w3d3 of For Such A Time As This, by Love God Greatly, p101
Unfailing love and faithfulness protect the king; his throne is made secure through love.
Proverbs 20:28
Consider this question as you read today’s journal entry: When the ways or call of God on your life come with “high stakes,” what do you do?
I’ve shared today’s LGG Journal page … but what I encourage you to read is their blog post for this day. It’s truly one of the best I’ve ever read from them. Please use the link below, as we are a week behind their schedule. – Friends, if you are short on time, scroll past the devotion and read the blog post – you won’t want to miss it.
Corrie and Esther’s stories should encourage our unsteady hearts to not give way to fear but to trust that God’s faithful love will serve as our sure foundation. Earthly authority may not give an audience to our petitions, but as God’s royal daughters we always have total access to the loving ear of God Almighty. You and I can confidently approach His throne of grace today and find the mercy and help we desperately need for whatever situation we are facing.
LoveGodGreatly.com/w3d3blogpost – click the button below for the full post
“Like a bad tooth or a foot out of joint, so is confidence in an unfaithful person at the time of trouble.” Proverbs 25:19
Friends, I am having ongoing problems with my eye and am trying to limit my screen time. Unfortunately, since my job requires a good deal of screen time, blogging and studying must be curtailed for at least another week. Meanwhile, I will be posting the journal entries here along with the reading for the day, as well as links for more insight. – I hope you’ll stick with me for the journey and keep my eye situation in your prayers.
Based on the LGG Study, For Such A Time As This, w2d5
Read: Esther 3:5-11 and SOAP: Psalm 52:2
All day long you plot destruction. Your tongue cuts like a sharp razor; you’re an expert at telling lies.
Psalm 52:2
Due to an ongoing problem with a recent injury to my eye, I am having to limit my time on the computer. Thankfully, today’s Love God Greatly journal entry is absolutely fabulous. It is insightful into what’s happening in the story of Esther and Mordecai, and it is filled with wise instruction for us today. I’m reminded again of the children’s song from the days of my childhood that was used to train children to be careful with what they saw, heard, said, did with their hands, or went with their feet – always circling around to the the final line of each chorus: “… there’s a Father up above and He’s looking down in love … oh be careful little ‘mouth what you speak.” If you’ve never struggled with what you say or using your words to manipulate others, then this may not register with you as it has with me, but something tells me every reader can benefit from the teaching of this passage and journal entry. May it be a rich blessing – and a rich lesson both for how we speak and who we listen to.
Come, let us bow down and worship. Let us kneel before the Lord, our Creator.
Psalm 95:6
This first portion of this Psalm is a reminder of who God is and what He has done but also who we, as God’s people, are in connection to Him. It is equally a beautiful invitation to not only consider who He is but to respond to Him in worship. The psalmist calls the people of God not necessarily to a particular physical posture but foremost to a posture of the mind and heart. For surely if God’s people recall that He has protected and delivered them, if they remember His greatness – His superiority to all other gods, and the fact that the earth and the seas are His – surely then – they will be moved to worship Him with every part of their being.
Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord. Let us shout out praises to our Protector who delivers us. 2Let us enter his presence with thanksgiving. Let us shout out to him in celebration. 3For the Lord is a great God, a great king who is superior to all gods. 4 The depths of the earth are in his hand, and the mountain peaks belong to him. 5 The sea is his, for he made it. His hands formed the dry land. 6 Come, let us bow down and worship. Let us kneel before the Lord, our Creator. 7 For he is our God; we are the people of his pasture, the sheep he owns. Today, if only you would obey him.
Psalm 95:1-7a
In today’s journey through Esther, we find Mordecai still among the servants in the king’s gates. This position has proven helpful thus far, but now he finds himself in a place where he is called to bow down and pay homage (a show of great respect and honor) to Haman, the king’s highest official. I am always delighted to read that Mordecai not only refused to bow or pay homage, but he also let it be known to the other servants of the king that he was a Jew, which was the reason he would not bow. While his revelation of his lineage stood in contrast to his instructions that Esther stay silent about hers, there was a time and purpose for both, which, as we will see in the story, God uses and honors both.
Friends, living in the twenty-first century, we may not find ourselves sitting in a king’s gates or living with rulers who make us bow down to them or “pay homage.” However, I think we would be careless to miss the things and/or people who, in many ways, whether by coercion or following the cultural norms we do often “bow down to” or give more homage to than we do our God. Like Mordecai, as children of the one true living God, we are neither to worship nor bow down to any other (man or god). In light of the warning/reminder found in Psalm 95:7b-11, may we be careful and faithful to “bow down” (whether physically or in our attitude) and worship only before the Lord, our Creator. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, the sheep He owns. Today, let us commit to living obediently with hearts and attitudes of honor and worship before Him.
Prayer
Father, there is no one like You, no other god, and no other man who compares to You. You are the true and living God who has loved us with an unfathomable love. You have lavished that love on us. We were prisoners on death row, and You offered us freedom through faith in Your Son, Jesus Christ. You have washed us white as snow and filled us with Your Spirit, empowering us to live and love like Jesus and to know You as a child knows his/her father. I am mesmerized by You and truly stand with hands raised and head bowed in awe of You. – Thank You for the example of Mordecai and for the reminder to bend our knees to no one and nothing else besides You. In the name of Jesus – for Your eternal glory, Amen!
You are Lord of creation And Lord of my life Lord of the land and the sea You were Lord of the heavens Before there was time Lord of all lords You will be … We bow down And we worship You Lord We bow down And we worship You Lord We bow down And we worship You Lord Lord of all Lords You will be
The second portion of Psalm 95:6 is in part an invitation to remember what happens when we turn away from God; yet it is also a warning of sorts. The people had seen what God could do and would do on their behalf, and yet they challenged His authority and tried His patience with their disobedience and refusal to return to Him. They chose other gods and the ways of the people around them, and roused God’s anger against them. May we remember this warning from the Psalmist: not to be stubborn but obedient. May we not challenge His authority and try His patience, but remember the work of His hands and heart for His people. May we not disgust Him as that generation did, but instead bring Him honor by obeying His commands. Let us be careful not to rouse His anger but faithfully press on to the high calling and one day dwell with Him forever.
Today, if only you would obey him. 8 He says, “Do not be stubborn like they were at Meribah, like they were that day at Massah in the wilderness, 9 where your ancestors challenged my authority, and tried my patience, even though they had seen my work. 10 For forty years I was continually disgusted with that generation, and I said, ‘These people desire to go astray; they do not obey my commands.’ 11 So I made a vow in my anger, ‘They will never enter into the resting place I had set aside for them.’”
Listen to advice and receive discipline, that you may become wise by the end of your life.
Proverbs 19:20
When we read today’s passage from Esther, we may be tempted to think that a lot of what happens is by coincidence. However, while we may not read God’s name on the page, rest assured, none of what we read happens by coincidence or accident. Everything, from the timing of the exile to Mordecai raising Esther, to Esther learning to listen to and follow his advice, to Esther becoming queen, and the fact that Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate, where he learned of the assassination plot, happened with a purpose. Look at the list – marvel and count the ways that God worked to accomplish His purpose. Some reveal how God’s hand has already moved, while the full picture of others will be seen later in the story.
Esther and Mordecai had been taken into exile.
Esther had been orphaned and raised by Mordecai, her relative.
Mordecai had instructed Esther not to divulge her lineage, and she willingly obeyed.
Esther, a young Jewish woman, was now queen of Persia.
Mordecai could check on Esther daily.
Mordecai was sitting in the king’s court and overheard an assassination plot against the king.
Mordecai was able to tell Esther, and she was willing and able to tell the king.
When Esther told the king, she used Mordecai’s name.
The king’s life was spared, and he not only hanged the conspirators, but he also had everything recorded.
Just as none of these events happened by accident, our lives will not reflect Christ to those around us by accident or happenstance. As today’s journal entry points out, if we desire to run the race well, we must be purposeful in seeking out godly wisdom and walking close to God, so that when we finish the race, we will hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
As for the SOAP passage from Proverbs 19:20, today’s journal entry points out that “it is a reminder that true wisdom often comes through listening to advice and accepting instruction. This can be challenging, especially when we think we’ve already figured things out. But a heart that’s willing to learn is a heart that grows. Like Esther, who listened to Mordecai’s counsel, we, too, are called to seek guidance from wise, godly people who can help us navigate life’s decisions.”
Excerpt from For Such A Time As This, p75
Prayer
Father, Your sovereignty inspires me and never ceases to amaze me. Thank You for the blessing of Your acts seen on the pages of Your Word, even where Your name does not appear. Thank you for the courage and the boldness of Mordecai and Esther, and for the teaching of this Proverb to seek and listen to Godly counsel so that we may become wise by the end of our lives. Help us to seek Your counsel above all others, but to heed the words of wisdom from those godly saints You have placed in our lives. I am also reminded by today’s events in the king’s gates that often You allow us to hear things so that we might be a help to others – make me a better listener, Father, not so distracted by self and the world, so that I might be a faithful servant in Your hands. – In the sweet and powerful name of Jesus – amen!
Note: Remember, the goal I mentioned earlier in our journey is to listen and watch for God. For while we do not see/read His name on the pages of the book of Esther, God was working all things together for the good of His people. Keep your eyes open and jot down glimpses you catch of Him throughout the journey. Training ourselves to do this can make such a difference in our own lives when we are struggling to see or sense His presence. – How have you seen Him working in your life? Do you see Him today?
And the king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she met with his loving approval more than all the other young women. So he placed the royal high turban on her head and appointed her queen in place of Vashti.
Esther 2:17
“And the king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she met with his loving approval more than all the other young women.” Regardless of how often I have read this story, this line gets me every time. I think it’s because, for me, seeing God work behind the scenes is the real beauty of Esther’s story. As I read it today, I could not help but think of David and Goliath. Weird, right? Yet somehow, the odds that a young shepherd boy and his sling would take down the mighty giant with one stone seem very comparable to a Jewish girl named Esther, being chosen as one of “many attractive young women,” paraded before the king, and being chosen queen of Persia. There was something different about Esther that stood out, something that caused her to not only find favor in the king’s eyes but to be loved more than any of the other women. I believe that, as surely as God was with David, providing all that he needed to defeat the Giant, He was also with Esther, giving her all that she needed to capture the king’s heart.
Seeing God work behind the scenes is the real beauty of Esther’s story.
Friends, in the daily battles to slay the giants and come out on top of the demands of the day-to-day to-do list and challenges life throws at us, may we find God at work within us. May we trust Him to give us victory even when the way seems or looks impossible. May we remember that the battle, whatever it is, belongs to the Lord our God. May we never doubt that nothing, absolutely nothing, is impossible with God!
From Such A Time As This, journal entry p71
Prayer
Father God, I am so grateful for all the ways I have seen You work in my life. I look back to my childhood and I see Your hand, through my teen years, my married years, childbirth, hardships, joys, and sorrows. Even in the days that I ignored You or fled from You – I look back and see how in love You pursued me. As a child, when I was hit by the car – you spared me. When I had the tubal pregnancy – it was You who brought me through the emergency surgery. When I struggled with overwhelming anxiety – You came to my rescue and delivered me from captivity to fear. Father the list is endless and each memory strengthens me for the battles of today – for I look on them with confidence that You my God are with me – You have gone before me and come behind me and have filled me a hope that pierces through the darkness and guards me from the pits that seek to engulf. Your purposes are trustworthy and and good. Blessed be Your holy name, O Lord God Almighty! The battles and the victories belong to You! – Amen and amen!
How blessed is the one who obeys (fears) the Lord, who takes great delight in keeping his commands.
Psalm 112:1
Have you ever found yourself chasing after the things of the world, believing or even hoping they would bring the happiness/contentment you were looking for? Let me clarify—I’m not necessarily referring to the ‘bad’ things of the world, though that would be a valid question as well. However, let’s just assess the ‘good’ things we might chase after, like family, friends, a dream-sized body, dream jobs, dream homes, even dream churches, or how about the dream ‘happiness’ that everyone else seems to have. I’ll be the first to say that I have, and I’m guessing the largest percentage of those reading this would answer yes.
Being the first to say yes to the question, I certainly haven’t asked it to cast guilt or shame, but rather to offer encouragement to stop and reflect on today’s verse from Psalm 112:1. How blessed is the one who obeys (fears) the Lord,who takes great delight in keeping his commands. This is one of the many verses throughout the Bible that point us to the only true and lasting source of a blessed (contented, happy, joy-filled…) life. Speaking from experience, there is nothing more frustrating and often heartbreaking than chasing after something or someone that we believe will fulfill our joy/happiness, only to find disappointment as the happiness soon disappears or leaves us wanting more. “The truth is, we can never fill the deepest desires of our hearts with the things of this world. Yet, there is a different kind of joy, a lasting joy, that can only be found in the fear of the Lord and delighting in His ways.” As believers, we must realize this truth, teach it well to our children or others around us, and make the necessary changes in our hearts, minds, and lifestyles.
The truth is, we can never fill the deepest desires of our hearts with the things of this world. Yet, there is a different kind of joy, a lasting joy, that can only be found in the fear of the Lord and delighting in His ways.
For Such A Time As This, p67
Because it is vitally important to grasp this truth and let it take root within us, I am sharing portions of today’s journal entry with the hope that you will understand what it is to “fear the Lord,” and the importance of delighting in His commands/ways. When this becomes our lifestyle, happiness may still seem elusive, but we will most assuredly know the blessings and joy of the Lord.
“Psalm 112:1 gives us a beautiful reminder of where true joy and blessing are found – in fearing the Lord and delighting in His ways. To ‘fear’ the Lord means to stand in awe of His greatness and to live with a deep reverence for who He is. When we hold God in His proper place of honor, everything changes. Our hearts begin to delight in His Word. The emptiness of our hearts goes away as He fills that void, and we find the lasting joy we’ve been searching for. This fear of the Lord is not a fear of punishment but a life-changing reverence that brings us closer to Him.”
For Such A Time As This, p67
Friends, like Esther and Mordecai, we are people living in a foreign land. It is a land full of uncertainties, temptations, and demands, and we are warned that though we live in the world, we must not copy the behavior and customs of the world. Instead, as our journey through Esther will reveal about her, we must choose — “to walk in obedience to God and His calling on our lives. “She found her strength and purpose in seeking and honoring Him, and God’s protection followed. In the same way, when we live in awe of God, trusting Him in every situation, we will experience the kind of joy that isn’t dependent on our circumstances.”
True happiness isn’t about what we have or where we are; it’s about who we know — God Himself. When we turn to Him and seek His ways, He fills our lives with a joy that can’t be shaken.
For Such A Time As This, p67
Prayer
Father, while Your name is not on the pages of Esther’s story, Your presence is clearly seen. I see Your protection and Your provision in Esther finding favor with Hegai and being placed in the best quarters and in a place where Mordecai could daily see how she was doing. I see Your wisdom and sovereignty through Mordecai’s instructions that Esther not divulge that she was a Jew. Father, in a world and time when we sometimes can’t see You in our struggles, this passage brings hope and encouragement. It brings instruction and admonishment to live as people who fear/obey You and take delight in keeping Your commands. Help us to remember that happiness isn’t about what we have or where we are, but about knowing You. Let us keep our eyes on You and faithfully follow Your ways – that we might know the blessings of Your joy and peace and not be shaken. – In the name of Jesus – Amen.
Me From the Inside Out 