Esther 9 - 10
The story of Esther was recorded during a very difficult time in Israel's history. They were oppressed and without a country. They wondered if God had forgotten them. They questioned their future. Esther's story was a powerful one that offered hope. It reminded the people that God is always at work, even when you cannot see the actions of God.
I believe that is a lesson that we need to remember. Difficulty and tragedy is a part of life. We are called to have faith in the midst of the struggles of life. We are to remember that God is always with us and will somehow bring good out of every situation.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
July 30
Esther 7 - 8
The King responds to Esther's pleas, Haman is destroyed, his property given to Esther and the Jews are saved. My only problem is how the new proclamation from the King now gives the Jews freedom to kill their enemies. That feels as bad as the Jews enemies killing them. Why is it that we just can't get along with people?
Sin is very powerful in our lives. Think in this story how many people die as the consequence of Haman's hatred of Mordecai. We can see incredible consequences of sin in the world; oil spills, war, fear, crime... The amazing thing is that God wants to forgive our sin and give us a chance to start anew.
The King responds to Esther's pleas, Haman is destroyed, his property given to Esther and the Jews are saved. My only problem is how the new proclamation from the King now gives the Jews freedom to kill their enemies. That feels as bad as the Jews enemies killing them. Why is it that we just can't get along with people?
Sin is very powerful in our lives. Think in this story how many people die as the consequence of Haman's hatred of Mordecai. We can see incredible consequences of sin in the world; oil spills, war, fear, crime... The amazing thing is that God wants to forgive our sin and give us a chance to start anew.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
July 29
Esther 5 - 6
"But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king's gate."
Haman's hatred of Mordecai is shaping his life. He tells his family of all that he has, how well his life is going, but it is meaningless because of his hatred of Mordecai.
I believe that a large part of why God calls us to forgiveness is what it does for us. If I don't forgive that anger begins to shape my life. Think about this in regards to Haman. He has become the second most powerful person in the Persian empire, yet he can't enjoy this because of his feelings towards one person.
Is there someone in your life that you need to forgive?
"But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king's gate."
Haman's hatred of Mordecai is shaping his life. He tells his family of all that he has, how well his life is going, but it is meaningless because of his hatred of Mordecai.
I believe that a large part of why God calls us to forgiveness is what it does for us. If I don't forgive that anger begins to shape my life. Think about this in regards to Haman. He has become the second most powerful person in the Persian empire, yet he can't enjoy this because of his feelings towards one person.
Is there someone in your life that you need to forgive?
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
July 28
Esther 3 & 4
Haman is enraged that Mordecai would not bow down before him. Mordecai had defied the law, but there was no reason to punish all of the Jews. One of the temptations we face in life is to be angry or afraid of a particular person and then project those feelings to a whole group of people. A Jew offended him therefore all Jews must be destroyed. Our temptation is to project our feelings on the basis of skin color, country of origin or language. Have you projected your feelings as Haman did?
Haman is enraged that Mordecai would not bow down before him. Mordecai had defied the law, but there was no reason to punish all of the Jews. One of the temptations we face in life is to be angry or afraid of a particular person and then project those feelings to a whole group of people. A Jew offended him therefore all Jews must be destroyed. Our temptation is to project our feelings on the basis of skin color, country of origin or language. Have you projected your feelings as Haman did?
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
July 27
Esther 2
Quite a transformation for Esther, so goes from being an orphan to becoming the queen. The crucial thing in life is not what happens to us but how we chose to respond to those events. I can't control the forces of life upon my life but I can control the decisions that I make.
Quite a transformation for Esther, so goes from being an orphan to becoming the queen. The crucial thing in life is not what happens to us but how we chose to respond to those events. I can't control the forces of life upon my life but I can control the decisions that I make.
Monday, July 26, 2010
July 26
Esther 1
This week we will be reading the book of Esther. Chapter 1 sets the context. Xerxes is the king of Persia. He is an incredibly powerful man who throws a huge party. Two ideas about their culture come forth in dramatic fashion. The first is no one should say "no" to the king. When the Queen turns down his command to display her beauty he is enraged. The second idea is that wives are to be submissive to their husbands. To reinforce the idea, Xerxes has that proclaimed all over the land.
Reading a passage like this focus attention on how different our culture is than many of the ancient cultures. It is good to look at those differences. Sometimes, as in this situation, I am glad that our culture is vastly different. Other times, I see the weaknesses in our culture and how it needs to change. I do believe it is good to look at our culture with a critical eye. While this is a great place to live, it is far from perfect.
This week we will be reading the book of Esther. Chapter 1 sets the context. Xerxes is the king of Persia. He is an incredibly powerful man who throws a huge party. Two ideas about their culture come forth in dramatic fashion. The first is no one should say "no" to the king. When the Queen turns down his command to display her beauty he is enraged. The second idea is that wives are to be submissive to their husbands. To reinforce the idea, Xerxes has that proclaimed all over the land.
Reading a passage like this focus attention on how different our culture is than many of the ancient cultures. It is good to look at those differences. Sometimes, as in this situation, I am glad that our culture is vastly different. Other times, I see the weaknesses in our culture and how it needs to change. I do believe it is good to look at our culture with a critical eye. While this is a great place to live, it is far from perfect.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
July 23
1 Corinthians 10
"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
Paul make is clear that we have a choice when it comes to temptation. God will not allow us to be tempted in such a way that we are simply overwhelmed and have no choice but to fall to the temptation. I can walk away from temptation. When I give into temptation it is because I chose to do so.
"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
Paul make is clear that we have a choice when it comes to temptation. God will not allow us to be tempted in such a way that we are simply overwhelmed and have no choice but to fall to the temptation. I can walk away from temptation. When I give into temptation it is because I chose to do so.
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