Bible League: Living His Word "Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?"Esther was a beautiful young woman who was raised by her cousin and adoptive father Mordecai among the Jewish exiles living in the Fortress of Susa. She had been taken from Mordecai's home and placed in the harem of King Xerxes. The king loved Esther more than the other women and made her his queen. When Mordecai heard about the plot to destroy the Jews by Haman, the most powerful noble in the land, He implored Esther to petition the king for help. His words are the words of our verse for today. As Christians, we believe that God leads us and guides us. Indeed, we pray that God would lead us and guide us. Further, we believe that we should wait for the leading and guidance of God. Instead of following the dictates of our sinful selves, we believe we should wait for God to show us the way. Further yet, we believe that God has ways of making His leading and guidance known to us. He gives us an inner witness of the Spirit, or an inspired thought, or a dream, or any number of other kinds of indication. Although we believe God shows us the way, it doesn't follow that we have a perfect understanding of where He's taking us and why. When David contemplated the hand of God guiding him, when he saw that God had hemmed him in "behind and before," he declared that such "knowledge was too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain" (Psalm 139:5-6). It is true that God gives us glimpses of where He's taking us from time to time, but at bottom such knowledge is beyond human comprehension. We don't follow God because we've seen and pre-approved His direction for our lives, but because we trust Him. But then the moment arrives when it all makes sense, when the goal becomes clear. Surely Esther did not want to become a harem girl, surely she did not know why she became queen, but the moment came when God's purpose was revealed. Mordecai's words of our verse are rhetorical. Clearly, obviously, God had brought her to this point in time so she could help her people. Although God did not previously reveal His purpose, He was speaking forcefully now through the circumstances of life and Mordecai knew exactly what Esther had to do. Esther's God is your God too. He's been leading and guiding you to your "such a time as this" moments as well. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingEzekiel 13, 14, 15 Ezekiel 13 -- Reproof of False Prophets NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Ezekiel 14 -- Idolaters Condemned; Judgment Is Imminent NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Ezekiel 15 -- Jerusalem Is Like a Useless Branch NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Hebrews 11:20-40 Hebrews 11 -- Hall of Fame of Faith NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good.Insight We shouldn't make fun of those who don't agree with what we believe (“scoff at prophecies''), but we should always “test everything,'' checking their words against the Bible. Challenge We are on dangerous ground if we scoff at a person who speaks the truth. Instead we should carefully check out what people say, accepting what is true and rejecting what is false. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Lamentations 3:24 The Lord is my portion, saith my soul.It is not "The Lord is partly my portion," nor "The Lord is in my portion;" but he himself makes up the sum total of my soul's inheritance. Within the circumference of that circle lies all that we possess or desire. The Lord is my portion. Not his grace merely, nor his love, nor his covenant, but Jehovah himself. He has chosen us for his portion, and we have chosen him for ours. It is true that the Lord must first choose our inheritance for us, or else we shall never choose it for ourselves; but if we are really called according to the purpose of electing love, we can sing-- "Lov'd of my God for him again With love intense I burn; Chosen of him ere time began, I choose him in return." The Lord is our all-sufficient portion. God fills himself; and if God is all-sufficient in himself, he must be all-sufficient for us. It is not easy to satisfy man's desires. When he dreams that he is satisfied, anon he wakes to the perception that there is somewhat yet beyond, and straightway the horse-leech in his heart cries, "Give, give." But all that we can wish for is to be found in our divine portion, so that we ask, "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee." Well may we "delight ourselves in the Lord" who makes us to drink of the river of his pleasures. Our faith stretches her wings and mounts like an eagle into the heaven of divine love as to her proper dwelling-place. "The lines have fallen to us in pleasant places; yea, we have a goodly heritage." Let us rejoice in the Lord always; let us show to the world that we are a happy and a blessed people, and thus induce them to exclaim, "We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you." Daily Light on the Daily Path John 17:17 "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.John 15:3 "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Psalm 119:9,10 How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word. • With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments. Proverbs 2:10,11 For wisdom will enter your heart And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; • Discretion will guard you, Understanding will watch over you, Job 23:11,12 "My foot has held fast to His path; I have kept His way and not turned aside. • "I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food. Psalm 119:99 I have more insight than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation. John 8:31,32 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; • and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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