Category Archives: Peace / Rest

Courage / Fear, Faith / Trusting God, Peace / Rest

What Do We Do When Feeling Overwhelmed?

We all feel overwhelmed at times, or at least I certainly have experienced that. God’s word gives us clear guidance. I will share two scriptures that speak directly to it, but then also share one from Isaiah which paints a very specific example that God’s people experienced.

1 Peter 5:6-9

  6Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 8Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.

If hearing from Peter does not give us full conviction, then perhaps we also do well to listen to our Messiah on this point.

Matthew 6:25-33

The Cure for Anxiety

      25“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26“Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27“And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? 28“And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32“For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

      34“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

This is powerful if we get a hold of it. I also acknowledge from my own walk that it can seem challenging to really do this emotionally. One key, of course, is that we don’t use this as an excuse not to take action to remedy our situation. For example, if you are fighting finances and do not have full employment, go pursue it. While you do, lean into your faith and cast your anxiety onto God asking Him to help.  Do not use this as an excuse to sit on the couch without a job and simply say that you will not worry about it. Proverbs speaks over and over about diligence and hard work.

Isaiah 7 has another bold example of a situation in which people at war were feeling anxiety. Most of us would say that we would certainly understand that! However, God’s word through Isaiah is the same as above. After telling the king that God was going to protect them, Isaiah goes on to say, “If you will not believe, you surely shall not last.” Our faith is important to God. When He tells us He will do something, we need to embrace it! This does not mean that God will grant us success in all things we choose to do. Sometimes we are not doing what He has called us to do, like the conditions in Israel we read about in Isaiah chapters 1-6. In such cases discipline and repentance often are prescribed.

Isaiah 7:1-12

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.”’”

I invite you to pray with me:

Father God. Thank you that we can trust in You! When we feel anxiety and stress, help us to cast it upon You for we know you care. Grant us wisdom when we need to repent and change our ways or the things we are pursuing. Do not let us be prideful in assuming we are never in error, but instead help us to dwell in connection to Holy Spirit to lead and guide us. When we are with you and pursuing what You have called us to pursue, grant that we have the faith and courage to continue and to cast our anxiety and worry on You. We pray this in the name of Yeshua our Messiah. Amen. 

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

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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.

Interceding for Others, Money / Finances / Wealth, Peace / Rest, Protector / Deliverer, Provider, Thankfulness

A Psalm for Peace and Prosperity

Psalm 122 is a reminder and example for us to come before YHWH and ask for peace and prosperity and to give Him thanks. We can ask him for peace in our nation, our community, or even in our personal lives. Yes, it is also acceptable to ask him personally for prosperity. Let us be joyful, humble, and thankful in coming before the LORD while we do so.

Psalm 122

Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem.

A Song of Ascents, of David.

     1I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the LORD.”

      2Our feet are standing
Within your gates, O Jerusalem,

      3Jerusalem, that is built
As a city that is compact together;

      4To which the tribes go up, even the tribes of the LORD—
An ordinance for Israel—
To give thanks to the name of the LORD.

      5For there thrones were set for judgment,
The thrones of the house of David.

      6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you.

      7“May peace be within your walls,
And prosperity within your palaces.”

      8For the sake of my brothers and my friends,
I will now say, “May peace be within you.”

      9For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
I will seek your good.

I invite you to also pray through the psalm above. Do not simply read it as if it is an historical account, but pray through it, adapting it to apply to your life and your nation today.

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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.

Church / Body of Christ, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Hope, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Peace / Rest, Prophecy, Through Prophets

Joy, Peace and Hope Are Available

Yeshua came not only for the Jews but for the Gentiles also. No matter our lineage and ancestors, Yeshua came and died for us. All who seek Him wholeheartedly can be joined together as the family of Yahweh, accepting one another to His glory. It matters not from which city or country we come. All are welcome.  All may seek to be filled with joy and peace in believing, so that they will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:7-21

  7Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God. 8For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers,

9and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written,
“THEREFORE I WILL GIVE PRAISE TO YOU AMONG THE GENTILES,
AND I WILL SING TO YOUR NAME.”

10Again he says,
“REJOICE, O GENTILES, WITH HIS PEOPLE.”

11And again,
“PRAISE THE LORD ALL YOU GENTILES,
AND LET ALL THE PEOPLES PRAISE HIM.”

12Again Isaiah says,
“THERE SHALL COME THE ROOT OF JESSE,
AND HE WHO ARISES TO RULE OVER THE GENTILES,
IN HIM SHALL THE GENTILES HOPE.”

13Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

     14And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another. 15But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God, 16to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God. 18For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, 19in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. 20And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation;

21but as it is written,
“THEY WHO HAD NO NEWS OF HIM SHALL SEE,
AND THEY WHO HAVE NOT HEARD SHALL UNDERSTAND.”

Reflecting on the scripture we also see how Paul, consistent with Jesus, points back the Old Testament scripture and demonstrates the consistency of God’s plans that were laid out in the Old Testament and are completely consistent with the continuation of His relationship with His people revealed through the New Testament. We see Paul teach about Christ by pointing back to Isaiah. Jesus’ life and death were not a surprise change of plans where God stopped one plan and created another. God wants to reach out to the Gentiles as well as the Jews. He makes no mistakes and knows everything even in advance. We should find great comfort in knowing God is in control and is never surprised. He never needs to change His plan based on new information. He had one perfect plan and we continue to have the chance to be part of it by discipling ourselves after Jesus Christ.

As we study, let us also not overlook the message within. Let us seek to be filled with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank you for Your word and those who help teach it with righteousness and passion, like Paul. Thank You for reaching out to the Gentiles and please continue to reach out to the Jews as well to draw them to You through Messiah. I pray Your people would be filled with joy and peace that would lead to hope abounding in us… hope not of our own making but of the power of the Holy Spirit! I pray this in the name of Yeshua, our Messiah. 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.

Am I on the path?, Church / Body of Christ, Faith / Trusting God, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Humility, Hypocrisy, Justice / Judgment, Love, Peace / Rest, Wise

Do Not Be Conformed to This World

How shall we treat one another as brothers and sisters in the faith? How shall we treat those who consider us their enemies? Let us not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind, so that we may prove that the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. We are to be different from the world even though we live within it.

Romans 12

Dedicated Service

      1Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

      3For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. 4For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

      9Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 11not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

      14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. 17Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. 18If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. 19Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. 20“BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.” 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

What a fantastic summary of how we are to be in this world if we are to be disciples of Christ! When we live like this we are certainly not conformed to the world. Through the Holy Spirit we can continue striving to live according to these instructions.

This scripture is worth reading over a few times and prayerfully reflecting on each element as it applies in our lives. Are there areas we can be encouraged that we feel we are living up to these instructions? What are they for you? Are there areas that you find the Holy Spirit reminding you that you need to do better? What are they? Pray that God would help you on your journey to be more like Christ. This is a great summary of some key attitude and behavior elements to focus on.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please lead and guide me. Grant me deeper understanding of Your word. Help me to live according to Your instructions laid out by Paul in Romans 12. Help all of Your people to do so. Let us be a light to draw others to You.

In Yeshua’s name I pray. 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.

Addiction, Consequences of Sin, Healer, Peace / Rest, Repenting from Sin, Strong in Our Weakness

Yeshua Can Set You Free From Addiction

Many struggle to deal with drug or alcohol addiction and to break the addictions and recover to enjoy the life that God intends for them. All too often recovery centers or organizations completely ignore the power of God and faith in recovery. I have identified a few online that indicate a strong focus on Christian faith as part of recovery. They each have a contact phone number to reach people who can talk to you and help you start on your path to recover. While I have not fully vetted these centers, I would encourage people to check them out and consider them. If you know of good Christian rehab centers or organizations, please let us know so we may add them to the site. You can reach us at the Contact Us page.

No matter what program you consider, come humbly before God and ask for forgiveness and help. Submit to Yeshua and seek the fellowship and support of others who are submitted to Yahweh through Yeshua to help you along your way. God has the power to truly set you free and restore your joy.

  • Christian Drug Rehab, at ChristianDrugRehab.com: Faith centered treatment solutions. Are you or a loved one struggling with addiction and need guidance to finding a treatment center that provides Christian-focused treatment? You’re not alone. We help many individuals find the right Christian drug rehab center that will relieve their addiction struggles both physically and spiritually. We can locate a treatment center that works with your specific spiritual beliefs.
  • Valiant Recovery, at ValiantRecovery.com: Programs are based around each Client and their individual needs, with programs ranging from 8 to 32 hours of 1on1 counselling. We treat the Roots behind Addiction not just the Surface Problems.
  • Three Strands Christian Drug Therapy, at RecoveryPlace.com: Three Strands is a truly differentiated treatment option for Christians in recovery. Whereas many Christian alcohol and drug rehab programs are essentially a “track” within a standard treatment program that offers an occasional Celebrate Recovery® group or transportation to a local church, Three Strands is a fully integrated faith-centered program for men ages 18 and older who would like to enrich their recovery with spiritual guidance and support.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help those struggling with addiction to find the help they need in You and in the body of Christ. Help them not feel trapped and alone or helpless. Let their struggle bring them deeper in relationship with and submission to 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.

Father / Yahweh, Grace / Forgiveness, Hope, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Peace / Rest, Suffering / Adversity

Can We Truly Have Peace and Rejoice During Difficulties?

How many of us naturally maintain a peaceful attitude even in difficult times? Some of us, some of the time? How many of us actually rejoice in our tribulations? Anyone… anyone? Not many, I suppose. However, this is precisely what Paul tells us about living a life submitted to Yeshua. What an amazing statement!

Yeshua is the only way to the Father. We come to know the Father through Yeshua and we can be reconciled with the Father by accepting Yeshua as Lord, asking forgiveness and repenting from our wrong ways. Yeshua was without sin and took our punishment. He died on the cross and rose from the dead. Because of His sacrifice, we can be forgiven and live in right relationship with our heavenly Father. A healthy relationship with our Father powerfully transforms our lives, if we embrace it.

In part, our peace comes through justification by faith. We don’t have to earn forgiveness from our sin by living to some perfect standard, constantly striving for perfection. We should still do our best to obey God, because we love Him!

Romans 5:1-5

      1Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Since submitting my life to Yeshua and making Him lord of my life I have certainly felt the Holy Spirit lead me to become better and better at living in peace regardless of circumstances. I still have a way to go. Sometimes I still allow circumstances to deflate my peace. I am definitely not yet exulting in my tribulations yet, but I am less frustrated by them.

Paul’s attitude is inspiring considering the truly difficult things he faced for his faith in Yeshua… beatings, jail, whipping, shipwrecks, stoning, and on and on. He points out how our heavenly Father can even use bad circumstances to help us get better and better at honoring and glorifying Him no matter what the circumstances we find ourselves in.

I encourage each of you to join me in prayer asking our Father to help us as disciples of Yeshua to rejoice even in tribulation, recognizing how He can use those circumstances to build our character and strengthen our hope in Him.

Father, thank You for Your written word to lead and guide us. Thank You for justification by grace that we don’t have to try to achieve it ourselves through our actions. Please forgive our sin. Help us to have peace consistently and to rejoice in our tribulation as it helps grow our character to become more like You want us to be. 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.

Faith / Trusting God, Peace / Rest, Tribulation

On Earth You Will Have Many Trials and Sorrows, but Take Heart

Yeshua tells us that we will have trials and sorrows in this world, but we may find peace in Him.

John 16:33

33“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

Many of us find it easy to trust Yeshua when all is going well, but it is tougher sometimes to trust in Him when we are in the midst of difficulty. We are impacted by emotions and stress like waves and winds at sea tossing us about in a storm.

The disciples found themselves in this situation, literally, while on their journeys with Yeshua as told in Luke 8:22-25.

One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and started out. As they sailed across, Jesus settled down for a nap. But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. The boat was filling with water, and they were in real danger. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm. Then he asked them, “Where is your faith?” The disciples were terrified and amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him!”

 

Key points to draw from this as we encounter storms in our lives:

  • Yeshua tells us the storms will come. Expect them.
  • Sometimes Yeshua directs us into the storm for our growth or to serve Him. He knew the storm was coming when He told the disciples to get in the boat.
  • Several of the disciples were experienced fishermen, they would not easily be frightened by an average storm. This one was rough.
  • Yeshua models behavior showing that when we have faith we do not need to be living in fear or stress, even in a storm.
  • When we are scared or troubled we may not remember, but Yeshua is in the boat with us.
  • Even though Yeshua wants us to grow in our faith, He will answer when we earnestly seek Him.
  • When we get discouraged, lets remember that even those who walked with Yeshua still had trouble in the storm.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for the example, teaching, and sacrifice of Yeshua on my behalf. Thank You for Your written word and Holy Spirit to instruct me. Help me, and all of Your people, remember that we will face storms in this world, but that does not mean You have abandoned us. You are still with us. Help us to have strong faith in the storms. 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 Powerful / King of All, Faith / Trusting God, His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Peace / Rest, Protector / Deliverer, Provider

God Can Make a Way Where None Exists

I am sure the people of Judah did not see how they would get out of the Babylonian captivity. They certainly had not gained enough power on their own to break free and return to Jerusalem. They would remember the word of the LORD by Jeremiah that they would return, but they likely could not know how.

God makes a way when none seems to exist. He stirred the heart of Cyrus, king of Persia. The people were not only allowed and encouraged to go, but also supported financially. Then the LORD stirred up also the people whom He wanted to return to Jerusalem.

What are you facing today that may feel hopeless? What situations face you that you cannot see clearly a path forward to success or resolution? Call upon the LORD and trust in Him. Whether or not He delivers exactly what You are asking for, trust in Him! Know that He is able, and He may do it in a way that you don’t anticipate.

Ezra 1

Cyrus’s Proclamation

      1Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying:

      2“Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3‘Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem. 4‘Every survivor, at whatever place he may live, let the men of that place support him with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, together with a freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.’”

Holy Vessels Restored

      5Then the heads of fathers’ households of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites arose, even everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up and rebuild the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem. 6All those about them encouraged them with articles of silver, with gold, with goods, with cattle and with valuables, aside from all that was given as a freewill offering. 7Also King Cyrus brought out the articles of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and put in the house of his gods; 8and Cyrus, king of Persia, had them brought out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and he counted them out to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. 9Now this was their number: 30 gold dishes, 1,000 silver dishes, 29 duplicates; 1030 gold bowls, 410 silver bowls of a second kind and 1,000 other articles. 11All the articles of gold and silver numbered 5,400. Sheshbazzar brought them all up with the exiles who went up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

All of us face situations that are beyond our control. It may be seeking the right path for us or our children that God has for us. It could be challenges at work or school, illness, physical or other limitations, or even finding meaningful fellowship with others who strive to live as Jesus demonstrated.  Sometimes it may seem there is no way to control or plan with our own power to get to the outcome we want. I encourage you to turn to the LORD and diligently pray for Him to meet our needs and bless us in these situations in which we find ourselves striving but unclear on how to overcome.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help Your people trust in You. Help us to bring our burdens to You and ask diligently for Your help. Help us to trust You in the outcome. You may often answer in unexpected ways, but Your ways are higher than ours. Help us to find peace 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.