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Unearned and undeserved mercy and grace…. (devo reflection)

Esther 7:5 King Xerxes ask Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is he—the man who has dared to do such a thing?”

Lord, Today’s chapter feels uncomfortably close to today’s life—a leader who doesn’t take responsibility for actions he inspired, who allows emotion to rule him instead of reason, who looks to others when seeking “the man who has dared to do such a thing” instead of seeing his own culpability.

Esther 7:7a The king got up in a rage, left his wine and went out into the palace garden….

Lord, Even as I type, I realize that I am guilty of the same things in my own life—not taking responsibility for actions that I inspire, allowing emotion to rule instead of reason, looking to others instead of at my own culpability when seeking “the man who has dared to do such a thing.” Forgive me.

Esther 7:7b …But Haman, realizing that the king had already decided his fate, stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life.

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that You cover me with unearned and undeserved mercy and grace daily. Thank You for those gifts of mercy and grace. Allow me to see Your people through Your compassionate eyes, Lord. Help me to shine Your light. Amen.

Esther 7:10 So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai. Then the king’s fury subsided.

Have a blessed day.

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Moving past our own bitterness and wounded pride…. (devo reflection)

Esther 6:4 The king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the palace to speak to the king about impaling Mordecai on the pole he had set up for him.

Here we are back at the bitterness and wounded pride of one wicked man again (see last Thursday’s reflection to understand the reference). And still it is the word wicked that trips me up, still because it indicates that Haman is beyond saving. I truly don’t think any of us are beyond saving, but we have to recognize the need within ourselves and reach out and accept the gift of salvation that God freely gives. Haman does neither of those things.

Esther 6:6-7 When Haman entered, the king asked him, “What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?” Now Haman thought to himself, “Who is there that the king would rather honor than me?” So he answered the king….

Perhaps my compassion for Haman stems from the fact that I have similarly been a victim of my own bitterness and wounded pride. I was miserable and determined to make others miserable because I did not get something I felt I truly deserved. It took me much longer to move past the issue than it should have, but I am so incredibly grateful God never gave up on me.

Esther 6:10 “Go at once,” the king commanded Haman. “Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended.”

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for redemption and salvation, for helping us move past our own bitterness and wounded pride if we will allow. Help us to show the same undeserved compassion and grace to others that You lavish on us. Help us to shine Your Light, knowing that You will use it for our good and Your glory. Amen.

Esther 6:12 Afterward Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief….

Have a blessed day.

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Wisdom and choices…. (devo reflection)

Esther 5:9 Haman went out that day happy and in high spirits. But when he saw Mordecai at the king’s gate and observed that he neither rose nor showed fear in his presence, he was filled with rage against Mordecai.

One of the books I’m currently reading is The Subtle Art of Not Giving a… by Mark Manson. Be forewarned—there is language even in the title, but the concepts he talks about, I think, are pretty important, and Haman’s behavior in this chapter illustrates a concept that Manson just discussed in the chapter I was reading—we choose what we value and we choose and are responsible for how we react. 

Esther 5:10b-11 …Calling together his friends and Zeresh, his wife, Haman boasted to them about his vast wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials.

Haman, admittedly, has a lot going for him. Just read verses 11-12, and he gives us a list of amazing perks in his life. But the fact that he allows Mordecai’s behavior to negate all those pluses tells us a great deal about what Haman values and how he chooses to react, and it is definitely not pretty.

Esther 5:12 “And that’s not all…I’m the only person Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave. And she invited me along with the king tomorrow.”

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the ability to choose for ourselves what we value, what defines success to us,  and for the ability to choose how we react to the things and people in our lives. Help us to be wiser than Haman in these choices. Help us to focus on values that draw us closer to You. Help us to choose to respond in ways that help others to see Your light. Draw us closer. Amen.

Esther 5:13 “But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate.”

Have a blessed day. I love you.

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Bold confidence and bold actions…. (devo reflection)

Esther 4:14b “…And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (NIV)

I have been familiar with Esther 4:14 for a long time, but the actual verse is vastly different from the popular paraphrase that “…perhaps this is the moment for which you have been created.” While the paraphrase seems much more dramatic, the actual verse seems much more like God. 

Esther 4:14b “…Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” (NLT)

God does have a plan for us. He has something we were uniquely created to do. So while I am in my current position, I need to keep an eye out for what He is calling me uniquely to do today. Right now. It’s not one moment for which I was created, it is a lifetime of chances and opportunities to contribute to His kingdom work.

Esther 4:15-16a Than Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me….I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law….”

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that You do have plan for our lives, a plan which includes daily opportunities, little moments, to serve You as we were created to do. Help us, like Mordecai, to be boldly confident that You will act. Help us, like Esther, to be bold in our actions for You. Draw us closer. Give us strength and hope. Amen.

Esther 4:16b “…And if I perish, I perish.”

Have a blessed day.

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Insecurity and wounded pride… (devo reflection)

Esther 3:2 All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor.

The final line of commentary about this chapter echos in my mind this morning: “…all of this came to pass because of the insecurity and wounded pride of one wicked man.” All we need to do is take a good look at yesterday’s top US news story to see exactly what kind of damage the insecurity and wounded pride of one man can do. 

Esther 3:5 When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged. Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews….

Interestingly, the word that trips me up is “wicked.” I’m not saying Haman is not wicked. His actions certainly indicate that he is. But wicked seems to imply beyond repair, and as God’s deeply beloved, I don’t think any of us are beyond God’s reach. We all know folks who have done wicked things. Sometimes those folks lead wicked lives for years and years. But I also know folks who turned from those ways and have come out on the other side, folks who are good, loving people.

Esther 3:8 Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs are different…and they do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. I am struggling with what to do with wicked, proud, insecure people, people whose actions hurt others, destroy property, disrupt democracy. We are all Your deeply beloved; we are all Your masterpieces. Show me how to see and love You, even within those who don’t acknowledge Your sovereignty. Help me cling to Gen 50:20 and Romans 8:28, knowing You are in control and can work all things, even things meant for evil, to our good and Your glory. Draw me closer. Amen.

Esther 3:10-11 So the king took his signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman…. “Keep the money,” the king said to Haman, “and do with the people as you please.”

Have a blessed day

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A heart for God…. (devo reflection)

Esther 2:1 Later when King Xerxes’ fury had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what he had decreed about her.

Going back to the fact that God is not mentioned by name in this narrative, I find it fascinating that, more so than any other chapter thus far, as I read this morning, verses about God readily popped into my head. As I was reading about Xerxes’ appalling attitude towards his wife, I thought of Gen 50:20: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” This certainly gels with what I know of the book of Esther.

Esther 2:2 Then the king’s personal attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king.”

And again, as I wrestled with this archaic beauty pageant, solely for the king’s gratification, I thought of 1 Samuel 16:7: But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” While Esther was clearly pleasing in outward appearance, she also has a heart for God. 

Esther 2:3 “Let the king appoint commissioners in every province of his realm to bring all these beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let beauty treatments be given to them.”

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder, the certainty, that You are with us, always, working for our good and Your glory, even if we can’t perceive Your presence or Your plan. Thank You that You can see past outward appearance and into our hearts. Thank You that You can take even things meant for evil and use them for good. Draw us closer. Amen.

Esther 2:4 “Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This advice appealed to the king and he followed it.

Have a blessed day.

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Even then…. (devo reflection)

Esther 1:19a “Therefore, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes….”

Commentary on several sites talks about the fact that God is never mentioned in the book of Esther, which is rather curious. Already I’m wondering why not? Where is God in this book? How will we see Him if He isn’t even mentioned? How does this fact change or shape the narrative?

Esther 1:19b “…Also let the king give her royal position to someone else who is better than she.”

It’s not so different than life in the middle of a global pandemic in a country with a contentious election where conspiracy theories abound and a person’s political leanings influence how people are treated. Where is God in this mess? How will we see Him if He isn’t even mentioned? How does this fact change or shape our narrative?

Esther 1:20 “Then when the king’s edict is proclaimed throughout all his vast realm, all the women will respect their husbands, from the least to the greatest.”

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that You are with us—even in the mess and the chaos of our world. Help me to look for You always, especially in the places I least expect You—like those who seem to be on the other side of the lines I’ve drawn. Help me to love You even then. Draw me closer. Amen.

Esther 1:21 The king and his nobles were pleased with this advice, so the king did as Memukan proposed.

Have a blessed day

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Our deep need…. (devo reflection)

Nehemiah 13:6-7a But while all this was going on, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Some time later I asked his permission and came back to Jerusalem….

Nehemiah was gone for 10-12 years, and when he returned, he realized all the progress he made before had been undone. I feel like the problem was that the people were fulfilling Nehemiah’s dream, so when he left, it was easy to let things slide, eventually sliding back near where they were before he started. They weren’t really that personally invested in his dream.

Nehemiah 13:7b …Here I learned about the evil thing Eliashib had done in providing Tobiah a room in the courts of the house of God.

I think that’s a chief reason for God’s focus on free will and relationships. He is the Creator of the universe. He could make us do anything He wanted. But He wants a partnership, not a dictatorship. He wants us to understand our deep need for Him, which can only come through relationship. 

Nehemiah 13:10 I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them, and that all the Levites and musicians responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields.

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that You need me to partner with You for my own sake, so that I understand my deep need for You, so that Your dreams become my dreams, so I can live the life You planned for me. “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). Amen.

Nehemiah 13:23 Moreover, in those days I saw men of Judah who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab.

Have a blessed day.

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It’s about relationship…. (devo reflection)

Nehemiah 12:40 The two choirs that gave thanks then took their places in the house of God; so did I, together with half the officials….

Praise, portions, and purity. I was reading through today’s text trying to find a way to get at the heart of what the chapter is about. I think these three words sum up this chapter rather well. The walls have been rebuilt. The city has been repopulated, and now everyone has been reminded of their jobs: Praising God, providing portions for others—contributions, firstfruits, and tithes to keep things running properly, and purification of heart, soul, and body for worship.

Nehemiah 12:44 At that time men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms for the contributions, firstfruits and tithes….

The problem is that I have summed up the original into a tidy, alliterative list of rules. I’ve stripped the scripture of its power. The power lies in the entire story from Genesis until now. If that scripture is viscerally real to me, I know what I need to do to praise God—I’ve lived it with the Israelites. I do it because it has meaning and purpose. If I just go down the list—check, check, check and done—it’s not about God, it’s about rules.

Nehemiah 12:45 They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did the musicians and gatekeepers, according to the commands of David and his son Solomon.

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that praising You is not about rules, it’s about relationship, and relationship always involves time, effort, vulnerability. Help me to strengthen my relationship with You so that my praise always comes from a place of relationship. Help me, always, to trust You, to love You, to praise You with my whole heart. Amen.

Nehemiah 12:47 So in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily portions for the musicians and the gatekeepers….

Have a blessed day.

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I want to be all in…. (devo reflection)

Nehemiah 11:1a Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem….

It is hard for me to know what to write today because I know where this book is headed. The actions in this chapter seem quite positive—Jerusalem is rebuilt, it is in the process of being repopulated. The progress is beautiful and positive. They know it won’t be easy, but they are willing to try.

Nehemiah 11:1b … The rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten of them to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the remaining nine were to stay in their own towns.

This reminds me of a famous Yoda (from Star Wars) quote: “Do or do not. There is no try.” I kind of feel like I went through first semester with that attitude, and it resulted in a feeling of mere survival, not a triumphant, I am more than a conqueror, feeling of accomplishment for my Savior. And the problem is within me, with my attitude. “I’ll try” doesn’t imply seeking my Savior every day, trusting Him when things are utterly awful, praising Him for the blessings. “I’ll try” is a lukewarm, halfhearted commitment. Jesus, Help me.

Nehemiah 11:2 The people commended all who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that my attitude, my effort, my heart for You is vitally important in my day-to-day. I don’t want to make a tepid “I’ll try” commitment to You. I want to be all in, trusting You, praising You, working for You, with You, and through Your strength. Always. Help me, Lord. Amen.

Nehemiah 11:25 As for the villages with their fields, some of the people of Judah lived in Kiribati Arba and its surrounding settlements, in Dibon and its settlements, in Jekabzeel and its villages….

Have a blessed day.