Category Archives: All Knowing

All Knowing, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Learning To Pray Effectively, Submitted / Servant, Suffering / Adversity

Let This Cup of Suffering Be Taken Away From Me

In this world we encounter times of anguish and distress. When we turn to God it is important to know how to pray. Some say to pray as if God will give us whatever we ask for, but this is not right. God loves us as a parent who loves their children. Sometimes children do not understand which is the right path and must rely on their parents. We need to trust God in this way.

Immediately before being taken into custody which eventually led to His brutal death on the cross, Jesus showed us how to pray when we are crushed under the weight of despair. He knew what was to happen next.  Matthew 26:36-46

36 Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” 37 He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. 38 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

40 Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? 41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”

42 Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away[f] unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open.

44 So he went to pray a third time, saying the same things again. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But look—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Up, let’s be going. Look, my betrayer is here!”

Jesus shows us that we can ask God to take away the suffering, but we should submit to His will. Do not be discouraged if your prayer is not answered the way you want. Do not stop trusting God or turn away from Him. Do not get discouraged and blame yourself for not having enough faith.

God did not “answer” Jesus’ prayer by taking away the suffering, but instead provided a way for all of us to receive salvation through Jesus’ death on the cross. I am glad he did. God knows best.

Take a few minutes in prayer right now. Bring before you any situation for which you need God’s help. Ask Him to take away your suffering, but trust Him regardless of how He answers. Give Him thanks that He provided a way for us to be reconciled to Him and that He gives us hope.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Knowing, All Powerful / King of All, Idols / False Gods, Infinite / Without Limit, Protector / Deliverer, Salvation

God Deserves the Top Spot in Your Heart and Mind

Often when reading about idolatry in the Bible, Christians can easily convince themselves to dismiss it as no longer relevant since it is not commonplace anymore to literally have false idols representing gods and worship them.  However, I challenge you to think of it slightly differently. An idol can also be a job, a house, money, a hobby, or even a person. An idol is anything you put in that central place in your heart that takes the place or priority of God. God should be first in your heart. That should be reflected not just in empty words, but in our time, energy, and money in how we live. It should be reflected in how we speak and how we treat people. If there is anything that you are putting at the top of your priority list and focus, you need to ask God to help you put Him above it!

Isaiah 46

Babylon’s Idols and the True God

1Bel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over;
Their images are consigned to the beasts and the cattle.
The things that you carry are burdensome,
A load for the weary beast.

      2They stooped over, they have bowed down together;
They could not rescue the burden,
But have themselves gone into captivity.

      3“Listen to Me, O house of Jacob,
And all the remnant of the house of Israel,
You who have been borne by Me from birth
And have been carried from the womb;

      4Even to your old age I will be the same,
And even to your graying years I will bear you!
I have done it, and I will carry you;
And I will bear you and I will deliver you.

      5“To whom would you liken Me
And make Me equal and compare Me,
That we would be alike?

      6“Those who lavish gold from the purse
And weigh silver on the scale
Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;
They bow down, indeed they worship it.

      7“They lift it upon the shoulder and carry it;
They set it in its place and it stands there.
It does not move from its place.
Though one may cry to it, it cannot answer;
It cannot deliver him from his distress.

      8“Remember this, and be assured;
Recall it to mind, you transgressors.

      9“Remember the former things long past,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like Me,

      10Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, ‘My purpose will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;

      11Calling a bird of prey from the east,
The man of My purpose from a far country.
Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have planned it, surely I will do it.

      12“Listen to Me, you stubborn-minded,
Who are far from righteousness.

      13“I bring near My righteousness, it is not far off;
And My salvation will not delay.
And I will grant salvation in Zion,
And My glory for Israel.

Spend a few minutes with God. Ask Him to show you any idols in your life and then ask Him to help you address them quickly and boldly. God and God alone brings salvation and righteousness.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross

All Knowing, All Powerful / King of All, Compassionate, Faithful, Protector / Deliverer, Strong in Our Weakness

I Am the Lord, and There Is No Other

There are several themes in Isaiah 45 I want to highlight.

  • God used Cyrus for His purposes, even though Cyrus did not know Him. There is no boundary or limit on who God can use and how. In this case, God used Cyrus for the sake of Israel.
  • God emphasizes that He and He alone is God. There is no other.
  • God’s power is supreme. Don’t quarrel with Him or act as if He is doing it wrong.
  • He saves His people.

As you read, consider if there are any aspects of your life in which you are challenging any of these key premises as they apply today. Are you doubting that God is able to take control of government and leadership should He decide He wants to do so? Are you doubting He can use even bad leaders, those who do not know Him, to His glory? Do you look for salvation and hope in something or someone other than God? Do you doubt God’s power? Do you quarrel with Him, as if He is doing something wrong in your life? Do you lack the hope of knowing that He saves His people?

Take heed and be encouraged. There is no other God and our God is all powerful and faithful to His people! Submit yourself to Him and believe.

Isaiah 45

God Uses Cyrus

1Thus says the LORD to Cyrus His anointed,
Whom I have taken by the right hand,
To subdue nations before him
And to loose the loins of kings;
To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:

      2“I will go before you and make the rough places smooth;
I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars.

      3“I will give you the treasures of darkness
And hidden wealth of secret places,
So that you may know that it is I,
The LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.

      4“For the sake of Jacob My servant,
And Israel My chosen one,
I have also called you by your name;
I have given you a title of honor
Though you have not known Me.

      5“I am the LORD, and there is no other;
Besides Me there is no God.
I will gird you, though you have not known Me;

      6That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun
That there is no one besides Me.
I am the LORD, and there is no other,

      7The One forming light and creating darkness,
Causing well-being and creating calamity;
I am the LORD who does all these.

God’s Supreme Power

8“Drip down, O heavens, from above,
And let the clouds pour down righteousness;
Let the earth open up and salvation bear fruit,
And righteousness spring up with it.
I, the LORD, have created it.

      9“Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker—
An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth!
Will the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you doing?’
Or the thing you are making say, ‘He has no hands’?

      10“Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What are you begetting?’
Or to a woman, ‘To what are you giving birth?’”

      11Thus says the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker:
“Ask Me about the things to come concerning My sons,
And you shall commit to Me the work of My hands.

      12“It is I who made the earth, and created man upon it.
I stretched out the heavens with My hands
And I ordained all their host.

      13“I have aroused him in righteousness
And I will make all his ways smooth;
He will build My city and will let My exiles go free,
Without any payment or reward,” says the LORD of hosts.

      14Thus says the LORD,
“The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush
And the Sabeans, men of stature,
Will come over to you and will be yours;
They will walk behind you, they will come over in chains
And will bow down to you;
They will make supplication to you:
‘Surely, God is with you, and there is none else,
No other God.’”

      15Truly, You are a God who hides Himself,
O God of Israel, Savior!

      16They will be put to shame and even humiliated, all of them;
The manufacturers of idols will go away together in humiliation.

      17Israel has been saved by the LORD
With an everlasting salvation;
You will not be put to shame or humiliated
To all eternity.

      18For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, but formed it to be inhabited),
“I am the LORD, and there is none else.

      19“I have not spoken in secret,
In some dark land;
I did not say to the offspring of Jacob,
‘Seek Me in a waste place’;
I, the LORD, speak righteousness,
Declaring things that are upright.

      20“Gather yourselves and come;
Draw near together, you fugitives of the nations;
They have no knowledge,
Who carry about their wooden idol
And pray to a god who cannot save.

      21“Declare and set forth your case;
Indeed, let them consult together.
Who has announced this from of old?
Who has long since declared it?
Is it not I, the LORD?
And there is no other God besides Me,
A righteous God and a Savior;
There is none except Me.

      22“Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth;
For I am God, and there is no other.

      23“I have sworn by Myself,
The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness
And will not turn back,
That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.

      24“They will say of Me, ‘Only in the LORD are righteousness and strength.’
Men will come to Him,
And all who were angry at Him will be put to shame.

      25“In the LORD all the offspring of Israel
Will be justified and will glory.”

Reflect prayerfully on the themes we have highlighted today.

  • God used Cyrus for His purposes, even though Cyrus did not know Him. There is no boundary or limit on who God can use and how. In this case, God used Cyrus for the sake of Israel.
  • God emphasizes that He and He alone is God. There is no other.
  • God’s power is supreme. Don’t quarrel with Him or act as if He is doing it wrong.
  • He saves His people.

Ask God to show you any areas of your life that you need to make changes in your actions or attitudes. Give Him thanks and praise for who He is and what He has already done for you!

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

All Knowing, All Powerful / King of All, Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Justice / Judgment, Protector / Deliverer, Repenting from Sin, Teachable, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Victory Does Not Always Come Quickly or Without Challenges

In our last reading, we focused in on the first 9 verses of Isaiah 7. Today we zoom out the focus a bit and take in the whole of chapter 7 to see what message it may reveal to us.

It starts with a war against Jerusalem. God speaks through Isaiah a message of encouragement to the king of Judah, Ahaz. Though the enemies are feared, God says in verse 4 to remain calm and do not fear. Picking up in verse 9, we see emphasis that if he does not believe, then he will not last. This certainly gives a hint that there are some hard times coming for Jerusalem. In fact, as we read the rest of the chapter, we get just that message.

How many times in our own lives do we feel like we face something overwhelming? We should seek God first. Trust in what He tells us. If He tells us that we will have victory and not to fear, but to remain faithful, that that indeed is what we need to focus on in our situation, just like Ahaz and Jerusalem. Just because God gives us victory does not mean it will be easy or quick. Sometimes we must be prepared to wait faithfully for it.

Isaiah 7

War against Jerusalem

      1Now it came about in the days of Ahaz, the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Aram and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not conquer it. 2When it was reported to the house of David, saying, “The Arameans have camped in Ephraim,” his heart and the hearts of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake with the wind.

      3Then the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jashub, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway to the fuller’s field, 4and say to him, ‘Take care and be calm, have no fear and do not be fainthearted because of these two stubs of smoldering firebrands, on account of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and the son of Remaliah. 5‘Because Aram, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has planned evil against you, saying, 6“Let us go up against Judah and terrorize it, and make for ourselves a breach in its walls and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” 7thus says the Lord GOD: “It shall not stand nor shall it come to pass. 8“For the head of Aram is Damascus and the head of Damascus is Rezin (now within another 65 years Ephraim will be shattered, so that it is no longer a people), 9and the head of Ephraim is Samaria and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you will not believe, you surely shall not last.”’”

The Child Immanuel

      10Then the LORD spoke again to Ahaz, saying, 11“Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; make it deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the LORD!” 13Then he said, “Listen now, O house of David! Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well? 14“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. 15“He will eat curds and honey at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good. 16“For before the boy will know enough to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be forsaken.

Trials to Come for Judah

      17“The LORD will bring on you, on your people, and on your father’s house such days as have never come since the day that Ephraim separated from Judah, the king of Assyria.”

      18In that day the LORD will whistle for the fly that is in the remotest part of the rivers of Egypt and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. 19They will all come and settle on the steep ravines, on the ledges of the cliffs, on all the thorn bushes and on all the watering places.

      20In that day the Lord will shave with a razor, hired from regions beyond the Euphrates (that is, with the king of Assyria), the head and the hair of the legs; and it will also remove the beard.

      21Now in that day a man may keep alive a heifer and a pair of sheep; 22and because of the abundance of the milk produced he will eat curds, for everyone that is left within the land will eat curds and honey.

      23And it will come about in that day, that every place where there used to be a thousand vines, valued at a thousand shekels of silver, will become briars and thorns. 24People will come there with bows and arrows because all the land will be briars and thorns. 25As for all the hills which used to be cultivated with the hoe, you will not go there for fear of briars and thorns; but they will become a place for pasturing oxen and for sheep to trample.

Remember from the earlier chapters of Isaiah, that God’s people had rebelled and were far from Him. This war and these tough times were brought as a result of that, perhaps to cleanse and refine them and bring about a repentance among the people. They needed a shakeup to return to the LORD. This is not a cruel God but rather a Father helping to steer His children back to the right path. Maybe a good lesson for us would be take care that we are not so hard hearted that God needs to be this direct with us when we need correction in our lives! Let us seek and expect the Spirit to guide us and be responsive with a lighter touch from the LORD.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please strengthen our faith in times of challenge and hardship. Help us to seek and find You. Help us to grow and remain strong in our faith, even facing tough circumstances. It is little test of faith when all is going well. All praise and honor to You, O Lord my God. You are all powerful and all knowing. You know what is best for us as Your people and can bring it about, even if it is uncomfortable for us. If we need discipline to get back in right relationship with You, then please bring that as You see fit. We want to walk in Your ways and in Your presence.  In the name of Yeshua, our Messiah, we pray. Amen. 

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Knowing, All Powerful / King of All, Protector / Deliverer, Strong in Our Weakness

God Works Behind the Scenes in Ways We Don’t Even See

God intervening in His own timing can be fun to watch for His people, but it must be frustrating to those who oppose them. In the record of Esther 6, only Haman really experienced the full irony of God’s timing. He was not amused. He had plans to kill Mordecai. He was having gallows built. That very preceding night, God saw to it that the king could not sleep and that led to wanting to honor Mordecai. The timing was perfect to foil Haman’s desire to kill Mordecai that day.

Perhaps a key lesson for us is to trust in God, even when we don’t see what He is doing for us. He may often be working behind the scenes in ways we don’t see or understand.

Esther 6

The King Plans to Honor Mordecai

      1During that night the king could not sleep so he gave an order to bring the book of records, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. 2It was found written what Mordecai had reported concerning Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who were doorkeepers, that they had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. 3The king said, “What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” Then the king’s servants who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.” 4So the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king’s palace in order to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows which he had prepared for him. 5The king’s servants said to him, “Behold, Haman is standing in the court.” And the king said, “Let him come in.” 6So Haman came in and the king said to him, “What is to be done for the man whom the king desires to honor?” And Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king desire to honor more than me?” 7Then Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king desires to honor, 8let them bring a royal robe which the king has worn, and the horse on which the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown has been placed; 9and let the robe and the horse be handed over to one of the king’s most noble princes and let them array the man whom the king desires to honor and lead him on horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him, ‘Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king desires to honor.’”

Haman Must Honor Mordecai

      10Then the king said to Haman, “Take quickly the robes and the horse as you have said, and do so for Mordecai the Jew, who is sitting at the king’s gate; do not fall short in anything of all that you have said.” 11So Haman took the robe and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city square, and proclaimed before him, “Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king desires to honor.”

      12Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman hurried home, mourning, with his head covered. 13Haman recounted to Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish origin, you will not overcome him, but will surely fall before him.”

      14While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and hastily brought Haman to the banquet which Esther had prepared.

If Haman thought the events in Chapter 6 were bad, he was really going to be surprised at the second banquet with Esther and the king.

We can reflect on this part of the story of Esther, and really the whole historical account, and see God at work behind the scenes. So, too, we should trust that God may be doing likewise in our lives. He may be involved working things out that we don’t even know or understand. Sometimes, we may never know how He arranged something, like Mordecai in today’s reading. He did not know that Haman wanted to kill him. He ends up having Haman honor him on behalf of the king.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for all the times You are working on our behalf, and we do not even know it.  Help us to find peace in serving You and living according to Your ways. Help us to increase in trust and faith in You. Please protect Your people from those who would come against us and against You. Amen.

Take a few minutes and pray for some of our brothers and sisters in faith who may be in other countries or places facing extreme hardship. Pray that God would intervene on their behalf and protect them. We may often overlook praying for them, focusing on our own lives and things close to us.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Knowing, His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways

God Uses Events in Our Lives in Ways We Can’t Anticipate

Sometimes we experience chapters in our lives that seem not to fit in with the flow of everything else we are experiencing. We do not realize how God is preparing something to be used later for His purposes. While the whole book of Esther fits in this category as a whole, there is also a smaller example within toward the end of chapter 2. Mordecai uncovers a plot to kill the king and foils it, but ultimately gets no reward or attention at the time. Truth be told, he could easily have been angry with the king given how he collected Esther, whom Mordecai was raising, into a harem with many other young women. We see later, in Esther 6, that God is using this situation to protect Mordecai and really frustrate Haman at the same time. Of course, Mordecai could have no idea how that situation would come back to benefit himself later. That was not his motivation, but clearly once again God was at work.

Esther 2:20-23

Mordecai Saves the King

      21In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s officials from those who guarded the door, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. 22But the plot became known to Mordecai and he told Queen Esther, and Esther informed the king in Mordecai’s name. 23Now when the plot was investigated and found to be so, they were both hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the Book of the Chronicles in the king’s presence.

Esther 6:1-9

     1During that night the king could not sleep so he gave an order to bring the book of records, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. 2It was found written what Mordecai had reported concerning Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who were doorkeepers, that they had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. 3The king said, “What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” Then the king’s servants who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.” 4So the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king’s palace in order to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows which he had prepared for him. 5The king’s servants said to him, “Behold, Haman is standing in the court.” And the king said, “Let him come in.” 6So Haman came in and the king said to him, “What is to be done for the man whom the king desires to honor?” And Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king desire to honor more than me?” 7Then Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king desires to honor, 8let them bring a royal robe which the king has worn, and the horse on which the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown has been placed; 9and let the robe and the horse be handed over to one of the king’s most noble princes and let them array the man whom the king desires to honor and lead him on horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him, ‘Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king desires to honor.’”

Sometimes we will experience chapters in our lives that may not make sense at the time. We may be tempted to dismiss them as just random parts of life. God can and does use these situations at times to bring about blessing for us or to bring about His plans. I have personally experienced times like these where I learned a certain skill and then not too long later was able to use it to greater glory for God. To use a very simple example, I recall troubleshooting electrical outlets and switches in my house to learn how to solve a problem I had. It had never come up for me before. Not a few months went by before I had the chance to help a widow by a quick fix on her bathroom with the same exact problem. I think it is awesome to watch God work!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help us to trust You at all times. Help us to recognize when You are at work in our lives. Thank You for preparing us and leading us through the events that may seem random to us at first but are actually part of how You are preparing us for something in the future! May the glory be to Your name and not our own. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Knowing, All Powerful / King of All, Faith / Trusting God, Humility, Protector / Deliverer

Looking Deeper into Esther’s Story – Grace and Composure

If you really stop and consider what Esther experienced in the process by which she became queen, it is quite fascinating. At a high level, it may sound like a very positive experience. She wins a beauty contest and becomes queen and then is in position to save her people and God gets the glory. This is all true, but it is more complex than that, and understanding that can help us in considering how God may be at work in our lives.

As you read through the historical account in Esther 2, reflect on what it may have been like from her perspective. I don’t believe she had much choice in participating in the king’s round up. However, she maintained composure and wisely sought and heeded advice from others, such as Mordecai and Hegai. She gained favor among people, and not just the king. She likely had a very pleasing personality to go along with her beauty. This attitude she seems to have maintained throughout a very challenging series of events that must have seemed intimidating at times.

Esther 2:1-19

Vashti’s Successor Sought

      1After these things when the anger of King Ahasuerus had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her. 2Then the king’s attendants, who served him, said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king. 3“Let the king appoint overseers in all the provinces of his kingdom that they may gather every beautiful young virgin to the citadel of Susa, to the harem, into the custody of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let their cosmetics be given them. 4“Then let the young lady who pleases the king be queen in place of Vashti.” And the matter pleased the king, and he did accordingly.

      5Now there was at the citadel in Susa a Jew whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite, 6who had been taken into exile from Jerusalem with the captives who had been exiled with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had exiled. 7He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had no father or mother. Now the young lady was beautiful of form and face, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.

Esther Finds Favor

      8So it came about when the command and decree of the king were heard and many young ladies were gathered to the citadel of Susa into the custody of Hegai, that Esther was taken to the king’s palace into the custody of Hegai, who was in charge of the women. 9Now the young lady pleased him and found favor with him. So he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and food, gave her seven choice maids from the king’s palace and transferred her and her maids to the best place in the harem. 10Esther did not make known her people or her kindred, for Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make them known. 11Every day Mordecai walked back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and how she fared.

      12Now when the turn of each young lady came to go in to King Ahasuerus, after the end of her twelve months under the regulations for the women—for the days of their beautification were completed as follows: six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and the cosmetics for women— 13the young lady would go in to the king in this way: anything that she desired was given her to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. 14In the evening she would go in and in the morning she would return to the second harem, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not again go in to the king unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.

      15Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai who had taken her as his daughter, came to go in to the king, she did not request anything except what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the women, advised. And Esther found favor in the eyes of all who saw her. 16So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus to his royal palace in the tenth month which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

Esther Becomes Queen

      17The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor and kindness with him more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18Then the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his princes and his servants; he also made a holiday for the provinces and gave gifts according to the king’s bounty.

      19When the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate. 20Esther had not yet made known her kindred or her people, even as Mordecai had commanded her; for Esther did what Mordecai told her as she had done when under his care.

God brought Esther through a series of events for which none of us would likely volunteer ourselves or our daughters. She had no choice in what she experienced other than how she would handle it personally. She managed it very effectively maintaining her composure, humility, and I would have to assume a cheerful disposition. (I assume a cheerful disposition because it is very hard to find favor with people when you are a grump or pouting.)

God may similarly bring us through circumstances we don’t want, but we will have the choice on how we act in those circumstances. We may not even know how He plans to use the circumstances we experience while we are going through them. He does not always tell us in advance and show us the map of His plans. We do well to learn to trust Him and conduct ourselves with grace and composure in all circumstances.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, help us a Your people to trust in You in all circumstances. Help us to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of representing You. Encourage us in tough times. Thanks and praise to You that You can use even strange or difficult circumstances in our lives to bring about Your purposes. Amen.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Knowing, All Powerful / King of All, Peace / Rest

God Is Never Surprised or Unable to Accomplish His Will

God can make a way to accomplish His will, even using situations that are completely independent of His people. As we will read in Esther as we progress, there was a crisis looming for the Jewish people in which Haman was going to destroy them. God chose to put Esther, a young Jewish girl in place as queen of Persia so that she could be used to save His people at the right time.

For that to come to pass, Queen Vashti had to be removed as queen. We read in Esther 1 about the circumstances by which that took place.

Esther 1

The Banquets of the King

      1Now it took place in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces, 2in those days as King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne which was at the citadel in Susa, 3in the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his princes and attendants, the army officers of Persia and Media, the nobles and the princes of his provinces being in his presence. 4And he displayed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor of his great majesty for many days, 180 days.

      5When these days were completed, the king gave a banquet lasting seven days for all the people who were present at the citadel in Susa, from the greatest to the least, in the court of the garden of the king’s palace. 6There were hangings of fine white and violet linen held by cords of fine purple linen on silver rings and marble columns, and couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and precious stones. 7Drinks were served in golden vessels of various kinds, and the royal wine was plentiful according to the king’s bounty. 8The drinking was done according to the law, there was no compulsion, for so the king had given orders to each official of his household that he should do according to the desires of each person. 9Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the palace which belonged to King Ahasuerus.

Queen Vashti’s Refusal

      10On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, 11to bring Queen Vashti before the king with her royal crown in order to display her beauty to the people and the princes, for she was beautiful. 12But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command delivered by the eunuchs. Then the king became very angry and his wrath burned within him.

      13Then the king said to the wise men who understood the times—for it was the custom of the king so to speak before all who knew law and justice 14and were close to him: Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media who had access to the king’s presence and sat in the first place in the kingdom— 15“According to law, what is to be done with Queen Vashti, because she did not obey the command of King Ahasuerus delivered by the eunuchs?” 16In the presence of the king and the princes, Memucan said, “Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king but also all the princes and all the peoples who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 17“For the queen’s conduct will become known to all the women causing them to look with contempt on their husbands by saying, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought in to his presence, but she did not come.’ 18“This day the ladies of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen’s conduct will speak in the same way to all the king’s princes, and there will be plenty of contempt and anger. 19“If it pleases the king, let a royal edict be issued by him and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media so that it cannot be repealed, that Vashti may no longer come into the presence of King Ahasuerus, and let the king give her royal position to another who is more worthy than she. 20“When the king’s edict which he will make is heard throughout all his kingdom, great as it is, then all women will give honor to their husbands, great and small.”

      21This word pleased the king and the princes, and the king did as Memucan proposed. 22So he sent letters to all the king’s provinces, to each province according to its script and to every people according to their language, that every man should be the master in his own house and the one who speaks in the language of his own people.

There are a number of different questions we could explore in this chapter, but one that comes up quite often is “Why did Queen Vashti refuse the king, knowing the likely consequences?”

The king and the men he was entertaining had been feasting and drinking for seven days. The only reference as to why he was calling her is to her beauty. You can be sure it is very unlikely the king had any noble purposes in mind. It was most likely that she would be humiliated in some way while being asked to entertain a bunch of drunk men.

Ultimately, however, we can return to the over-arching context of the book of Esther. The queen had to be removed to put Esther in place before Haman’s plot unfolded. God was putting Esther in place for His own purposes and thus had to remove Vashti in some way. If God wants to influence the hearts and minds and actions of the king of Persia and possibly the queen, He is certainly capable of doing so. One could also consider the king and his advisors over-reacted by our standards in their response, but that may have been typical for their culture and time or God may have hardened their hearts as He did Pharoah at the time He delivered the Israelites out of Egypt.

One last observation is that the author of the book may not have been Jewish and that this seems to be written more as an historical account of these events without the mention of God or explicitly pointing out how He was working in the background of the events. This has a different tone and feel than other historical books of the Bible which tend to call out more explicitly God as He is working through the lives of the Jewish people.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for working in the lives of Your people, even when we do not see it or understand it. Help us to be brave and focused on honoring You and helping one another, even when it comes at some personal risk to ourselves. Help us to have peace and comfort knowing that You are never surprised. You are never unable to address any situation. We can trust in You! Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Knowing, All Powerful / King of All, Courage / Fear, Faith / Trusting God, His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Introduction to Books of Bible, Peace / Rest, Persecution / Glorifying God

Introduction to the Book of Esther

We are going to start a walk through the book of Esther. As a way to get started, I wanted to share just a touch of backstory, or context. I am copying from my Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible (NASB), whose Executive Editor is Spiros Zodhiates, Th.D. This is an excellent resource and I highly recommend it.

The name of this book comes from its main character, Esther, a young Jewish girl who later became Queen of the Persian Empire. Through the providence of God, she was in position (Esth. 4:14) to prevent the annihilation of her entire nation. The Feast of Purim commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people on that occasion. There is no organic connection between the Book of Esther and the rest of the Bible, but scholars believe that this book is our only glimpse of Jewish life under the Persians during the period between the first and second returns of Jerusalem. Although there is no mention in the Book of Esther of Palestine, Jerusalem, the temple, or the Law of Moses, the events took place within the general timeframe of officially-approved migrations of Jewish exiles back to their homeland. Esther lived during the reign of Ahasuerus (Xerxes I)  in 486-465 B.C. Early in his rule, his armies fought the Greeks for the first time. His empire extended from India to Ethiopia and included twenty satrapies, which were divided into many provinces. Jerusalem was only a tiny outpost in his kingdom. Though the name of God never appears in Esther, God’s power is implied everywhere in the book. The Book of Esther teaches that God’s providence is active in every facet of human life. We cannot escape Him. His purposes, though sometimes hidden, are far-reaching. We can be confident of God’s care and protection. 

As we reflect on the historical context of Esther, we see an example of God’s power and protection permeating throughout the historical record. God puts Esther and even Mordecai in position where they will need to be in order to protect God’s people. God is fully aware of what will confront His people. He is not surprised. He does not need to come up with a “plan B” when this situation develops. We can rest assured that God is in aware of all situations and is able to prepare a way through adversity consistent with His broader plans. This assurance should give us peace in knowing that we can trust in God even during very challenging times when we may not understand how He is working. We should focus on Him and on what role he may want us to play in addressing whatever situations we encounter. Let us not overlook that Esther had to step out in great faith, after fasting and prayer, to protect her people at significant personal risk. She had not experienced an obvious “burning bush” encounter where God told her clearly what she must do.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help Your people to find peace in knowing You are not surprised by any situation. Help us to trust in You even when we do not understand or see how You are moving in a situation. Help us to have clarity and conviction for when and how You want us to act to bring about Your will.  Thank You for Your written word which documents Your relationship with Your people, from which we can learn and be encouraged! Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Knowing, All Powerful / King of All, Faith / Trusting God, His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways

Why Does God Answer Some Prayers and Do Some Miracles And Not Others?

Many people are confused about when and why God does miracles or answers prayers. It is difficult to understand why He answers one prayer and seems to not answer another.  He heals one person and not another. Why does he allow some to be martyred for their faith, but save others?

There are many reasons why God may choose not to answer our prayers the way we want Him to. Sometimes He answers “yes”, sometimes “no”, sometimes “not yet” or “not the way you think is best but rather the way I know is best”. To study more about prayer, please consider our teachings about prayer, Learning To Pray Effectively, and Is God Ignoring My Prayers? Additionally, we encourage you to review other devotions listed in the “Prayer” category. (Once you click the link “Prayer“, just scroll down through the devotions to review them.)

It is good to seek to understand why God may not be answering our prayers and to test ourselves and our motives as to whether we are submitted to His will in righteous prayer and trusting Him or demanding our own outcome.

It is very important to trust God and submit to His will. His ways are so far above ours that we cannot hope to fully understand our all-powerful, eternal, all knowing God.

[Isaiah 55:8-9]    8“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. 9“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.

It is really that simple. Even a dog learns to trust a good master with no hope of ever understanding all of the master’s plans. So too a small child who has good parents learns to trust them. We are to do the same with God.

Few have had as much motivation as Job to feel that God has abandoned him and seek to understand why He allows certain things in this world. Job was a righteous man, yet God allowed Satan to torment Him through personal loss of family and wealth and through personal illness. Job’s “friends” and wife, which he is allowed to keep, seem to be more a curse than a blessing. For the full series of events refer to the book of Job.

[Job 1:1]   1There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.

Job was blameless, upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil. I strive to achieve such a righteous description for it is the description of one who submits to God and serves Him wholeheartedly. Yet God allowed Job to suffer incredibly. After enduring much suffering, Job struggled to understand why these things were happening to him.

God’s response takes up four chapters (Job 38-42) which basically can be summarized to say “Who are you to question God?”

Along the way, Job is humbled again.

 [Job 40:3-4]   3Then Job answered the LORD and said, 4“Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You? I lay my hand on my mouth.

[Job 42:1-3]  1Then Job answered the LORD and said, 2“I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. 3‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ “Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.”

We can see with Job that it is not because of sin that God allowed bad things to happen to him. Yahweh had His own reasons. While sin is a reason for Yahweh not to hear our prayers, sometimes He just has other plans and sin has nothing to do with it. If Job does not convince you of that, then consider Yeshua asking the Father to be spared the pain and suffering of the cross.

Matthew 26:39

      39And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”

We know the Father had good reason for Yeshua to experience that suffering, so that we could be forgiven. Yeshua was perfect and righteous… and the answer to His prayer was “no”. He set a perfect example in remaining fully submitted to the Father.

To be sure, it is fine to ask God to show you why He does or does not do some particular miracle or answer a prayer a certain way or why He allows certain events. We should ask as a child asks a father… humbly, respectfully and without challenging authority or complaining. He may answer or He may not. We are to trust and love Him either way, submitting to His will rather than insisting on our own.

I would invite you to pray with me:

Father, help me to fully trust in You, even when I do not understand. Help me to understand if there is sin in my life from which I need to repent to draw nearer to You. Help me to endure hardship with hope and even joy based on my relationship with You. Father, thank You that You have chosen me to know You. Help me know You more and more closely. Amen. —-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.