Monthly Archives: October 2017

Random Devotional Thoughts

The Story of Queen Esther, Part Eight.

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                                                              Promotion of Good.

  Esther 5: 20 — 6: 3
     We see God  moving in every chapter of this story…
 Chapter one shows the old queen removed (the old nature in a believer’s life); chapter two tells of Esther being given the place of honour (the new nature in a believer); chapter three brings the villain into the picture (Satan as a roaring lion)…..his hatred of Mordecai (the Holy Spirit protecting and guiding) which brings about his own demise ultimately. Chapter four shows Esther begin to bring about the solution, and chapter five sees Haman’s pride and impatience to get rid of Mordecai immediately.
    He was so excited as he rushed home to tell his wife and friends of the great honour of being the only other person invited to the queen’s  banquet.  The words tumbled out of his mouth and then his face fell as he remembered Mordecai. His wife said she didn’t  know why he put up with him, why not build gallows and then get permission from the king to hang Mordecai and get rid of him for ever? No sooner said than done! So that evening  they were built.

That night the king could not sleep. He tossed and turned and in the end he called for one of his scribes to bring his diary and read of his great deeds. After a few minutes, the story changed and he heard how there was a plot against his life, and how Mordecai had reported the danger.  “What was done for this man to thank him for this?” he wanted to know. “Nothing, Your Majesty”, was the reply.  “I must see to that in the morning” he thought, and rolled over to fall asleep immediately.

We can see how God was preparing the ground for Mordecai’s and Esther’s promotion although no-one realised it at the time.  We too, never know what God has for us around the corner. It pays for us to be preparing ourselves for whatever might lie ahead in the future. Take every opportunity that comes your way and make the most of it (Romans 12:1-2). This was not organised or pushed for by Mordecai; he was totally unaware  of any future change in his circumstances.

We are not to seek or push for promotion, but be ready to take whatever God sends our way. We might have some talents that seem irrelevant and unimportant now, but we are to keep our skills up. When God’s time is right, He will open the way for you to use them for His glory.

Mordecai is waiting in the wings,  Until God’s time promotion brings,    Keep up your  talents,  hone your  skills, For you to use when God  so                                                             wills.

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Random Devotional Thoughts

Story of Queen Esther, Part Seven

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Esther’s Request  

Esther 5: 1-9

    The queen prepared herself in the best way she could before approaching the king. This is a lesson to us….. we cannot approach God wearing the rags of pride or resentment against others or with an unforgiving spirit (Psalm 66:18)…..

Esther  knew that if the king  wasn’t pleased to see her, it could cost her her life. But when she appeared before him, she looked so beautiful that he held out his sceptre of acceptance to her. In the same way,  believers who have prepared themselves to approach God, can expect to have favour with Him. We cannot expect God to hear our requests  until we have confessed our sins first (1 John 1:9).

It is a continual cycle as God wants us to make our requests, and not to worry about what is going on around us. Then when we come to Him wearing the robe of righteousness which is given to every one who believes and is cleansed from their sins, we are beautiful in His sight. Unlike Esther, we need have no fear when we approach God in prayer and praise.

Esther didn’t pluck up courage to make her big request straight away, but asked the king if he and Haman would attend a banquet she was putting on that night.

Haman was so excited and puffed up with pride, when he received his invitation. But how true the saying that pride comes before a fall! As he rushed past the palace gates to go home after the banquet, there was Mordecai standing straight and tall as he watched him go by. How he hated that man! He determined that he was going to rid of him once and for all. Little did he know what lay ahead!

Esther did a feast prepare, Which Haman too was asked to share,            But Mordecai being at the  gate, Brought forth all of Haman’s hate!

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Random Devotional Thoughts

The Story of Queen Esther (Part Six)

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                             Esther’s Preparation.

Esther 4: 1-17

     Mordecai had heard the news of the Jews’ danger. He was very upset and grieved, and wore rags of mourning as he marched past the palace. Esther tried to give him decent clothes to put on but he refused, so she made a point of finding out what was wrong….

The lesson for us in this is that if we deliberately do wrong and sin, we grieve the Holy Spirit and we are told to not do this (Ephesians 4:30). We cannot cover sin up, we have to get to the bottom of the matter and put it right with confession and repentance if the fault has been ours.

Mordecai told her that she had to go to the king and tell him what Haman’s wicked plan was. If she didn’t,  her own life was in danger along with the rest of her people. Esther knew what the ramifications were…. if she went to the king before he wanted to see her, she could lose her life even sooner!

It wasn’t enough for Esther to find out what was wrong…. she had to DO something about it, and it was Mordecai who told her what to do. In the same way, the Holy Spirit prompts us to do what is right to fix problems (Psalm 51:3-12).

Esther went into a three day fast and prayer session with her maidens before going to the king, and we too must spend much time in prayer before attempting to fix any problem.

Esther’s cousin was very sad,                                                                                     She wondered why the news was bad,                                                                 But when she heard she then did care,                                                               And took it to the Lord in prayer.

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Morning Musings

The Story of Queen Esther (Part Five)

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    Enter Haman 

Esther 3: 1-15

    We now  see  the villain of the story come into view. Haman was a very ambitious and proud man who couldn’t stand the sight of  Mordecai outside the king’s palace….

When all the other men would bow and scrape to him, Mordecai remained upright. This made Haman boil inside and when he found out that Mordecai was a Jew, that made him even angrier. Who did he think he was? So he plotted to destroy all the Jews.

The king thought so much of Haman that he agreed to do whatever he suggested. Haman made his plans and presented them to the king. The date for the slaughter of all Jews was set and  notification sent out.

Haman certainly is a type of Satan who goes around among believers doing all sorts of mischief and looking for those he can devour and trip up. Peter says that Satan  is like a roaring lion and we are told to resist him firmly (1 Peter 5:8-9). The only way we can do this is to be firmly based in the teachings of Scripture. This is called the sword of God and it’s no use holding it without using it! (Ephesians 6:11-17)

So we see Haman rubbing his hands with glee at the thought of getting rid of the man he hated so much as he was  going to the king with his request!

Haman came in  filled  up with pride, But Mordecai he couldn’t abide;

To bow and scrape he’d just  refuse, So Haman planned to kill  the Jews.

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Daily Devotionals

The Story of Queen Esther, Part Four

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Esther, the Queen 

Esther 2:11-23

    We see  that Mordecai walked every day past where Esther was living,  to see how she was getting on. It is wonderful too, to think that God’s Holy Spirit is living inside each believer as we go about our daily tasks…..

   He is just as concerned about our feelings and thoughts as Mordecai ever was about Esther (Romans 8:9). When we neglect our times with the Lord, He is grieved (Ephesians 4:30), and when we rebel against what we know the Scriptures teach, His voice can be quenched (1 Thessalonians 5:19). But He is always with us.

Esther’s training lasted for twelve months and then it was her turn to go to the king to present herself before him. She made a great impression on him, and he loved her more than any of the other girls. So Esther became queen in the place of Vashti.

Even though she had such a high position, she was still obedient to Mordecai and he always kept near her. In the same way if we stay obedient to the Holy Spirit’s promptings, no matter what position we hold in life, God can use and bless us.

One day, Mordecai heard of a plot against the life of the king. He told Esther about this and she in turn told the king who promptly dealt with the men. Not only that, it was written in the king’s diary which he kept.

Esther now became the queen, And Mordecai was daily seen;

He kept in touch, was always there, And sought her daily life to share.

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