Verses: Esther 4 : 1 -
17
My thoughts about the verses:
Esther loved Mordecai as her own father. Here she is finding out that he is to die and that he is deeply saddened. She sends clothes to him and tells him not to be sad. Yet, he does not listen to her for he is grieving his own death. Imagine knowing that you will die that there is only one way to stop it and it depends on your Niece to take a stand that could kill her.
Esther sends her Eunuch to Mordecai to see what the problem is. He is told about the law and the fact that all her family will die on this particular day. He pleads with her to go to the King to stop this from happening. Now you have to understand that the law was simple only those invited to the King could go and see the King. Esther knew that she could be killed for going without that invitation.
Yet, Mordecai insists with reminding her that just because she is the Queen does not mean she will survive. He points out that God may have placed her in this position so that they could leave. Imagine being told that the reason that you are where you are is because God wanted to use you to save his people. Would not the burden be great. So her answer is for all of the Jewish community to fast while she prepares herself for the task at hand. You know for a young person this was a great burden, but she had no choice. She had to do what needed to be done to save her people. She had to be the sacrifice if that is what it took so others may live.
We have all been faced with a heavy burden. Some cannot even openly worship God out of fear of death. There are so many that hide in secret because if they stand up and fight they know that they will die.
I am drawn to what is happening right now in Russia. There are so many people in that country that are afraid to admit who they are because if they do they will die. To think that a country can say that being GLBTIQ is so wrong. How many people are suffering in silence and shame today because of this fear?
My mind also wanders to those places where serving Jesus is a mortal crime. That they must stay quiet or face death. To openly be a Christian is seen as a death sentence.
Then I look at my own life and see how easy it is for me. I live a simple life yet I am free to be the person God has created. I tell people all the time that I am a Christian that happens to be Gay. I am not ashamed of who I am and speak very openly about it. I think back to my early years and remember how hard it were to be both. I hid in a closet in two communities because they seemed to contradict each other. Yet, sometimes you have to take a stand and say that serving God is worth the sacrifice.
Even in the United States the land of the free there is persecution going on. There are so many people that have been defrocked from their churches because they were different from the norm. Those brave soldiers of Christ those were willing to stand up and say that I am a Gay Christian only to be removed from their leadership roles. When will the world understand that God loves all people. What must we do to help our brothers and sisters are the children God desires them to be?
Prayer:
Dear God we thank you for carrying us during the hard times. We thank you for giving us everlasting life. We ask that you keep us safe during our hard times. We ask that you give us strength as we are struggling. Dear God we ask that you help us take on the task that you need us to do. Dear God we know that there are hard times but we thank you for carrying us during those times. In the Name of the Creator we pray. Amen
Questions:
My thoughts about the verses:
Esther loved Mordecai as her own father. Here she is finding out that he is to die and that he is deeply saddened. She sends clothes to him and tells him not to be sad. Yet, he does not listen to her for he is grieving his own death. Imagine knowing that you will die that there is only one way to stop it and it depends on your Niece to take a stand that could kill her.
Esther sends her Eunuch to Mordecai to see what the problem is. He is told about the law and the fact that all her family will die on this particular day. He pleads with her to go to the King to stop this from happening. Now you have to understand that the law was simple only those invited to the King could go and see the King. Esther knew that she could be killed for going without that invitation.
Yet, Mordecai insists with reminding her that just because she is the Queen does not mean she will survive. He points out that God may have placed her in this position so that they could leave. Imagine being told that the reason that you are where you are is because God wanted to use you to save his people. Would not the burden be great. So her answer is for all of the Jewish community to fast while she prepares herself for the task at hand. You know for a young person this was a great burden, but she had no choice. She had to do what needed to be done to save her people. She had to be the sacrifice if that is what it took so others may live.
We have all been faced with a heavy burden. Some cannot even openly worship God out of fear of death. There are so many that hide in secret because if they stand up and fight they know that they will die.
I am drawn to what is happening right now in Russia. There are so many people in that country that are afraid to admit who they are because if they do they will die. To think that a country can say that being GLBTIQ is so wrong. How many people are suffering in silence and shame today because of this fear?
My mind also wanders to those places where serving Jesus is a mortal crime. That they must stay quiet or face death. To openly be a Christian is seen as a death sentence.
Then I look at my own life and see how easy it is for me. I live a simple life yet I am free to be the person God has created. I tell people all the time that I am a Christian that happens to be Gay. I am not ashamed of who I am and speak very openly about it. I think back to my early years and remember how hard it were to be both. I hid in a closet in two communities because they seemed to contradict each other. Yet, sometimes you have to take a stand and say that serving God is worth the sacrifice.
Even in the United States the land of the free there is persecution going on. There are so many people that have been defrocked from their churches because they were different from the norm. Those brave soldiers of Christ those were willing to stand up and say that I am a Gay Christian only to be removed from their leadership roles. When will the world understand that God loves all people. What must we do to help our brothers and sisters are the children God desires them to be?
Prayer:
Dear God we thank you for carrying us during the hard times. We thank you for giving us everlasting life. We ask that you keep us safe during our hard times. We ask that you give us strength as we are struggling. Dear God we ask that you help us take on the task that you need us to do. Dear God we know that there are hard times but we thank you for carrying us during those times. In the Name of the Creator we pray. Amen
Questions:
Are you struggling with stepping out and doing the impossible? Are you afraid of what would happen if you step out in faith? Are you doing the things God needs from you? Have you taken on the challenges that you need to do today to further the realm of God?
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