August 19
Esther 4:1-7:10 | PS 26:1-12 | Prov 21:21-22 | 1 Cor 12:1-26
It's hard to watch the news, as it seems that evil is attacking from multiple fronts and seems to get worse with each passing day. It is easy to become overwhelmed and apathetic, thinking what can one person do. We must remember that for those of us indwelt with the Holy Spirit we are not asked to do everything, but we are gifted to do something. Whatever this "something" is we need to not hold back, but move forward boldly, as Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:4-7, "There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other." Rather than sit back and look towards leaders, we all have a role to play and a gift to use. We can't on one hand refer to ourselves as God's ambassadors, as His holy vessels, and hide. Ambassadors engage and that is what we need to do for God's kingdom, especially during these very dark times.
Before Queen Esther became queen she was a Jewish orphan living in Persia. The Jewish people have always been targeted by the forces of evil, often with the purpose of extinction. During this period the threat was coming through Haman, second in command, just below the king, himself. Everything was set up for their annihilation, the date had been chosen by the casting of lots or Purim , the funds were provided by Haman, and the Jewish people were greatly outnumbered. With this in mind, we read the exchange between Mordecai (Esther's uncle) and Esther in Esther 4:10-14, "Then Esther told Hathach to go back and relay this message to Mordecai: “All the king’s officials and even the people in the provinces know that anyone who appears before the king in his inner court without being invited is doomed to die unless the king holds out his gold scepter. And the king has not called for me to come to him for thirty days.” So Hathach gave Esther’s message to Mordecai. Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: “Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”" This one act of courage on Esther's part was used by God to destroy the plot of Haman.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: