HONOUR AND DISHONOUR
Today’s Reading: Esther 5-6
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
A horse grazing among the ruins of ancient Jerash in Jordan. Jerash was a Greco-Roman city located 80 miles north of Amman, the capital of the modern kingdom of Jordan, near the place where Gideon and his 300 crossed over Jordan.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verses: Esther 5:13, 6:1
Yet all this avails me nothing as long as I see Mordecai, the Jew, sitting at the king’s gate…That night the king could not sleep. So he commanded to bring the book of the records of the chronicles, and they were read before the king.
“Great riches,” “multitude of children,” “promotion and advancement,” and the Queen’s invitation to dinner were meaningless to Haman because of his wounded ego. When this world’s gain is all we have, the least thing that goes wrong can spoil it all. Scripture teaches, “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (read 1 Timothy 6:3-11).
A couple of movies have been made in recent years on “Esther” (click here for one, and here to watch another). It would be humorous if it was not so tragic, that Haman gets his just desserts when he has to do for the Jew what he thought was the honour he, himself, deserved. We cannot miss the protecting hand of God on his servant Mordecai. Haman, at the suggestion of his wife, built a gallows so high that everyone in the capital city could see who was hanged on it. Haman was hung on his own gallows. What are we building in our lives? Is it on a foundation of truth and a structure of love and righteousness, or is it a gallows on which we ourselves will be hung?
Let us meditate on Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” These words would not be written by Paul for another 540 years, but Mordecai knew the truth of this promise from God. Amen!!! Probably Mordecai knew the truth of God’s promise to Samuel, the prophet of God, written at least 500 years before, “Those who honour Me, I will honour” (1 Samuel 2:30b).
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, You promised that if I acknowledge You (know who You are and recognize You), You will direct my paths (Proverbs 3:6). I pray that I will fully embrace Your promises and know without doubting that You keep Your promises. Thank You for this amazing grace! Amen!!!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
Proverbs 3:5-6 are Norma-Jean’s life verses. Among the songs she has written, she has put some verses of Scripture to music. Below is her sheet music for that song “He Shall Direct Thy Paths.”
On my way to the church where Norma-Jean and I were married (now a French Roman Catholic Church where I have brought the message to the R.C.s in French), I prayed, “Lord if this marriage is not Your perfect will, You can still stop it.” I surely did not want it stopped, but my understanding of the promise of God’s direction is that I must be willing for Him to intervene and change my direction. I’ve experienced His intervention to stop my intentions several times. I have the gas pedal and the brakes of my life under my control, but I take my hands off the steering wheel, trusting Him to steer my life. Is that good advice or not? If I happen to see Mordecai sometime in the eternal future, I’ll ask him what he thinks!
Yours for God’s overruling guidance based on our willingness for Him to be in control of our destinies,
David
P.S. Below is the published sheet music of Norma-Jean’s song that I referred to above. Click on the images to enlarge them (and print, if you wish).
Lord God, thank You for good leaders You have put in place in the past and even today. Thank You for guiding us, your people. Help us to do what You made us to do. Please keep your hand on this country and guide us as we move toward this election. May your good and perfect will prevail in Canada, Lord, we ask in Jesus’s great name
Amen
Amen!
Amen Rob
Praying along with you Rob, for our country and leaders!
Also praying for the U.S.A…may God’s will be done!
Thank you. Bless David’s family this day.in Jesus name amen
Praying for the peace of Jerusalem and that The Lord of the Harvest will send forth labourers into the fields and into the platforms of our leaders. Great blessings to our blog partners and, especially, for the Maines family.
Such discerning prayers, thank you bloggervites! Confessing to chuckling at Pastor David brilliantly revealing the irony of evil Haman planning to kill Mordecai, but winding up being hung on his own gallows! (There, but for the Grace of God go I!) Sunday’s holy Scriptures included ‘The Parable of the Rich Fool [LUKE 12: 13-21] who Jesus admonishes for feverishly hoarding his wealth having succumbed to the allure of earthly security instead of seeking God’s treasure of eternal life! (The Haman effect!) Ecclesiastes echoed a similar warning by revealing the folly of “vanities”, i.e., greed! [1.2; 2.21-23] And Paul’s letter to the Colossians [3.1-11] detailed sinful behaviours jeopardizing a life with Christ…thus, he teaches the community to always strive for “heavenly things”. Love how David provides powerful questions helping us to guard against deceptions, i.e., “What are we building in our lives? Is it on a foundation of truth and a structure of love, or is it based on the deception of worldly gain and position…gallows on which we ourselves may get hung…