I Will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.
Genesis 12:3
What joy and encouragement it is to know that we share in God’s blessing of promise and hope that He spoke to Abram so long ago. In all the chaos, pain, and suffering of this world may we never lose sight of the One to whom we belong. May we rest in the truth that He is faithful and trustworthy, and that His love never fails. And may we live lives that make these truths known to others – that they may also share in the blessing God spoke to Abraham.
Do you know the God of Abraham? Check out the truths that can make you part of the family of God. It would be my greatest pleasure to introduce you to Him. Click on the link below.
Don’t demand an audience with the king or push for a place among the great. 7 It’s better to wait for an invitation to the head table than to be sent away in public disgrace.
Just because you’ve seen something,
Proverbs 25:6-7
Have you ever watched a contest and at the end, just as the announcer says, “the winner is…” the loser, certain that she has won, begins to step forward – only to hear some other name announced? As I read today’s portion of Esther’s story, this scenario filled my mind. I can’t help but imagine Haman, who was so certain that the King meant to honor him that he gave details of all he hoped to receive from King Xerxes, never dreaming the rewards and honor would go to his arch nemesis. I can only imagine the shock and displeasure/anger at hearing Mordecai’s name instead of his own. However, the humility and anger he must have felt having to clothe Mordecai in the royal garments worn by the king and lead him around on a horse the king had ridden – all the while shouting out a statement of the king’s wish to honor Mordecai. All of this was a far cry from the death he had planned for Mordecai and ‘his people.’
Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.
Proverbs 16:18
Today’s journal entry from the LGG journal, p 145, is a wonderful commentary and correlation between today’s portion of Esther’s story, the SOAP passage from Proverbs, and Proverbs 16:18, where we are given a warning about the dangers of pride. May it be a rich blessing and an encouragement to lay down any pride or self-seeking attitude we might be battling.
3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.
Do not those who devise evil go astray? But those who plan good exhibit faithful covenant love.
Proverbs 14:22
Have you ever played the role of Haman? While I hate to admit it, I can look back on my life and see moments, if not seasons of ‘Haman’ in me. Perhaps you know the feeling as well … You know what you want in life, so you pursue it … There’s nothing wrong with that, but then you plan and plot and dwell on it. You are so focused on the end result that little else matters, and you chase after it at all costs. You find yourself unhappy with everyone and everything around you, and continue to plot and plan, determined to make your desire/dream a reality. Yet all the while, you are leading yourself further and further away from it.
Friends, one thing is clear – we cannot chase God’s way if our eyes are on ourselves and our desires, and/or the world around us.
Consider this, Haman already had a ranking position and the trust of the king, as well as the added glory of the people bowing to him. However, he was so angered by the fact that Mordecai would not bow to him … and so intent on destroying the Jews that he lost his way and fell prey to his own evil plans.
May God help us to keep our eyes on Him and always move toward what is good and right, that we might experience and exhibit His faithful covenant love. – Amen
The More We Know
Be sure and follow the link below for today’s wonderful post from Love God Greatly.
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.”
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.
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!
Me From the Inside Out 