Good day dear friends.
Today is the day the shuttle is scheduled to land; recent reports say it was waved off Florida and should be landing in California later this morning. Our prayers for a safe landing.
Our prayers for those facing difficult decisions, especially about their health; our prayers of comfort for those who have lost loved ones. For Terry Estes and her family on the death of her father, Tom. Memorial services are pending at his church. Our prayers for those who travel.
We continue our look at faithfulness and how we can keep a positive attitude towards God in spite of situations that may not be the best for us.
Here is our study guide for today:
Tuesday: Last week we read Esther 1 and 2 as we studied courage. Read Esther 3 and 4 to find out about faithfulness. Read how the main characters find it easy to be faithful to their God when everyone else around them were ordered to follow another “god.” How easily are you influenced to stay or stray from our God? How can this change?
Like we did last week, we'll place the scripture passages at the end of the devotional for they are a bit lengthy. However, please make time to read them at your leisure.
The story of Esther comes down to these two chapters in helping the Jews to survive. As you read the story, you find that a hateful man, Haman, was made second highest ruler in the government of King Xerxes. Because of that position people were expected to bow down to him as if they were worshiping him. All except Mordacai, Esther's uncle and Haman's nemesis. As a result, Haman persuades the king to issue an edict that all Jews in the land should be killed. And as a gesture of good faith Haman said he would pay for it himself and deposits 375 tons of silver into the treasury. The edict is made public and every corner of the land had it in writing that all Jews were to die.
Mordacai finds out and rips his clothes and begins wearing sackcloth as a sign of his mourning towards this pending action. The action will take place in the 12th month and most of the action we're reading about is happening in the first month. Still, not much time for doing much except worrying about one's death. It all comes down to Esther and her position in the government and her access to the king. Yet, for Esther to simply go before the king is certain death, and to not go before the king is certain death for all Jews. The decision to act is a difficult one (her uncles says, "Who knows? Maybe you were made queen for just such a time as this." (v. 14 of chapter 4), and Esther realizes that it is one best reached by fasting and asks her uncle to tell all Jews to fast as she and her servants would also fast to see what could be done about this situation.
Faithfulness involves our knowing that sometimes we don't have an easy answer or path to take. This is where God comes in. We can pray and fast and await for God to share with us that which is best for whatever we are facing. Mordacai had the faith that help was on the way because he tells Esther, "If you persist in staying silent at a time like this, help and deliverance will arrive for the Jews from someplace else." But why wait and say like we do so many times, "If I don't do it somebody else will." Sadly in the case of the Holocaust the Jews did not have someone to step forward to save those who perished and that German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemoller wrote these words:
"They came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unions, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one to speak up."
Faithfulness is receiving strength from God to do what is needed for the good of God's people.
Where is God calling you to speak today? It may be simply a word of hope. It may be a word of peace. A word of joy, strength, or comfort. God will also give you the courage you need to share that.
PRAYER: O God of words, speak clearly to my heart and soul about what I should say today to the one You may point out as needing to hear. Let me not keep silent as my brother or sister may already be deaf from the roar of silence in their life; use me to speak truth and life. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day!
e.v.
