Over the past few weeks you have heard a lot in our worship services about the importance of God’s word. You have heard it quoted from memory in an amazing display of how God has gifted us with the ability to retain His word! Throughout this time I have felt a need to change my personal approach to reading God’s word. So a couple of weeks ago I began a new plan that was recommended to me by Pastor Mark. This bible reading plan is from The Navigators and has readings from four different places in scripture each day. I have really enjoyed the variety of the different sections – two from the Old Testament and two from the New. If you are interested in following such a plan check it out here
A couple of days ago I began reading the book of Esther as part of the plan. It is such an interesting story of how Esther becomes Queen of Persia but also the amazing faith demonstrated by both Esther and her cousin and guardian Mordecai. I will leave it to you to read all the details of the story, but here is the short version. There was a proclamation issued calling for the extermination of all the Jews in Persia. Our protagonists Esther and Mordecai are Jewish! (Yes the Queen of Persia happens to be Jewish – go figure.) Anyway, Mordecai encourages Esther to go before the King and plead the case for their people and their own lives. But there is one big problem with this plan…
Anyone who goes into the presence of the king without being invited would be killed unless the king raised his golden scepter—pardoning the person and allowing them to live. In Esther 4:14 we find these amazing words from Mordecai,
“For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
So Mordecai expresses this amazing confidence that “relief and deliverance” would come for the Jewish people. He believed that God would rescue them from extermination – with or without any action by Esther! Even though she might die by going before the king without being summoned, Mordecai encourages Esther to step out in faith. He knew she and all the Jews were already under a death sentence because of the proclamation. Mordecai’s faith led him to believe that God had raised Esther to the position of a queen for the very purpose of saving the Jews. She became queen for “such a time as this”.
I encourage you to get into God’s word today. You will be amazed by the stories you read, even if you have read them before, because God’s word is alive! Take that step of faith just as Esther did. God will show you amazing things about Himself, the truth about yourself, and of course new truths about how much He loves you!!!
Dive into God’s word today! It will change your life!!