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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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Hope even in the most hopeless of times…. (devo reflection)

Ezra 7:10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statues and ordinances in Israel.

Ezra’s heart is for God. His goal is to study God’s law, to practice it, and to teach it. Artaxerxes wants to placate any gods of foreign conquests so that he and his sons do not face the deity’s wrath. It’s a security measure, but God uses it to help Ezra with his heartfelt quest of knowledge and teaching.

Ezra 7:23a Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of heaven….

This chapter brought Romans 8:28 to mind: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of the those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” When I think about all the mess I’ve seen, heard, and dealt with this semester, I know God can use all of it. He is using it. He is making a way where there is no way. Thanks be to God.

Ezra 7:23b …Why should His wrath fall on the realm of the king and of his sons?

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that You can use all things, even those things that seem impossible to be used for good. You can and will and do use all things for our good and Your glory. Give us hope even in the most hopeless of times, Lord, because You are making a way, even if we can’t yet perceive it (Isaiah 43:19). Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

Ezra 7:27 Praise be to the LORD, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s heart to bring honor to the house of the LORD in Jerusalem in this way.

Have a blessed day.

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The struggle with loss…. (devo reflection)

1 Samuel 1:6 Because the LORD had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.
Even though the story of Ruth brings so much hope, I still struggle with all the loss. Naomi lost her husband and two sons. Ruth lost her husband, her homeland, her way of life. And yet, what they gained was so much more, and more importantly, as Ruth’s son Obed is in the direct lineage of Jesus, our Savior, the world gained so much more.
1 Samuel 1:10 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly.
I was texting with a friend yesterday about struggling with all that was lost, even with the gain. Her response has given me much to ponder: “I think that very issue is at the crux of the division between God’s values and ours. God’s priority is our salvation. Our priority is a happy life/strife free life/ loving life/ on and on but always life. We want our life on this earth to be long and happy. God wants as many souls in heaven as possible.”
1 Samuel 1:20 So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the LORD for him.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for friends with whom I can honestly share my struggles. Thank You for the truth of Romans 8:28, for working all things—even those involving pain and loss—to Your glory. Thank You for loving the one so much that You go after that one wholeheartedly every time. Use us in Your kingdom work, Lord. Draw us closer. Amen.
1 Samuel 1:27 “I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of Him.”
Have a blessed day.

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Using all things…. (devo reflection)

Judges 4:1 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, now that Ehud was dead.
God knew, when the Israelites failed to drive out the Canaanites as He said, that the Israelites were still struggling with growth and maturity in their relationship with Him. So he used the Canaanites’ presence to increase the Israelites’s awareness of their need for Him. He used all things (to paraphrase Romans 8:28) for their good and His glory.
Judges 4:2 So the LORD sold them into the hands of Jabin king of Canaan….
The bottom line is that God loved the Israelites fiercely. They were His chosen people. They certainly weren’t perfect. They struggled often in their faithfulness to God. But He used even their bad decisions to draw them closer to Him.
Judges 4:3 Because he had nine hundred chariots fitted with iron and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the LORD for help.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that we don’t have to be perfect to be Yours. It is so easy to beat ourselves up when we fail, so easy to throw our hands up in defeat when we once again make a mess of things. Thank You for loving us so much that You use even our messes to bring us closer to You. Amen.
Judges 4:23 On that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan before the Israelites.
Have a blessed day.

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Seeking His will for me daily…. (devo reflection)

Joshua 10:8 The LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you.”
As I read through Joshua 10, I am strongly reminded of Joshua 5:13-14, when Joshua sees a man with a drawn sword and asks if he is with them (Joshua and the Israelites) or with their enemies. The reply is “Neither, but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” There is a solid message in Joshua 10 that “God is for us,” but I think it is crucial to remember that God is for them because they are for God, on His side, in line with His will for them.
Romans 8:32 “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
I believe that I am a deeply, fiercely loved child of God. I love my Savior deeply, and though I still struggle with fear, doubt, and bitterness, I am learning to trust Him and walk faithfully and obediently on the paths He has for me. Sometimes it is easy for me to see the way in which He wants me to go. Sometimes I have to go one next step at a time, praying, seeking, correcting my course. But I know that if I continue to seek Him and His will for me, I will find both every time.
Joshua 10:25 Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the LORD will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that it is crucial that I seek Your will for me daily. Thank You for the reminder that You are for me because I am for You. Help me, always, to make Your will my own. Draw me closer. Amen.
Joshua 10:42 All these kings and their lands Joshua conquered in one campaign, because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.
Have a blessed day.

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By faith and not sight…. (devo reflection)

Joshua 9:8 …Joshua asked, “Who are you and where do you come from?”
I would encourage you to take a moment and read through all four verses of scripture before reading my reflection. The Gibeonites had heard of the LORD’s power and the Israelites’ victories, and they were afraid. The Israelites were coming off an overwhelming victory at Ai and were feeling pretty good about life and their own abilities. Commentary says, “They walked by sight and not by faith.” They bought into the well executed ruse of the Gibeonites. Had they bothered to ask God what to do in this situation, God would have provided. He always does. But they didn’t.
Joshua 9:9 They answered: “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we had heard reports of Him: all He did in Egypt….”
Romans 8:28 comes to mind in this chapter. The Gibeonites created such an elaborate ruse because they feared the LORD and His power. They genuinely chose service to the LORD over death. The Israelites, once realizing their own error, were bound by their oath and were forced to press the Gibeonites into service for Him since they couldn’t destroy the Gibeonites. God could have wiped the Israelites off the earth for disobeying yet again, but He did not. He worked all things to their good and His glory.
Joshua 9:12 “This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But see how dry and moldy it is.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder not to trust our eyes but to come to You, seeking Your will, always. Thank You for Your willingness and ability to work all things for our good and Your glory if we will allow. Draw us closer. Amen.
Joshua 9:14 The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD.
Have a blessed day.

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The biggest difference…. (devo reflection)

Numbers 14:2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness!”
As I was reading Numbers 14 this morning, thinking once again how much I am like the Israelites at times, my sweet Savior whispered to my heart, “You are not the Israelites.” That got my attention, and I thought, “Cool. Now I know what I’ll write about today.” But trying to articulate my thoughts has been incredibly difficult.
Numbers 14:3 “Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword?…Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?”
The Israelites wanted an easy road. Who wouldn’t? But I know we live in a fallen world, and that it isn’t always going to be easy. The Israelites railed against God. But I’ve gone to God before, expressing my anger at life’s unfairness. The biggest difference I can see between us is that the Israelites would have gone back to Egypt, to slavery, if given the chance, and I would NEVER walk away from my Savior. Thank You, Jesus.
Numbers 14:9 “Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that I am NOT like the Israelites in a very crucial way. Thank You that I can be honest with You about my anger and frustration, but that my trust in You is greater than anything else. Thank You for my absolute trust in You and in Your promises such as Hebrews 13:5 (…”Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you”) and Romans 8:28 (And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose). Thank You for drawing me closer. Always. Amen.
Numbers 14:12 The LORD said to Moses, “How long will these people treat Me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in Me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them?”
Have a blessed day.

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Each with a purpose…. (devo reflection)

Numbers 4:5 When the camp is to move, Aaron and his sons are to go in and take down the shielding curtain and put it over the covenant law.
Numbers 4 puts me in mind of both 1 Cor 12:12 and Romans 12:4-5. 1 Cor 12:12 says: For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. Romans 12:4-5 reads: For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
Numbers 4:31 As part of all their service at the tent, they are to carry the frames of the tabernacle, it’s crossbars, posts and bases….
Numbers 4 talks about the different tribes and their responsibilities when moving the camp. Everyone has a specific job. No job is more or less valuable than another. Everyone must do his or her part to keep the whole working. This is the way of life, too. No matter your place, your job, it’s important to the whole. Without you to do your part, the process would begin to break down. What you do, daily, is important. YOU are important.
Numbers 4:32b …Assign to each man the specific things he is to carry.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this walk through Your word. Thank You for the knowledge and insight I am gaining. Thank You for the way You designed us—each with a purpose that only we can fulfill. Help us never to forget our role in Your plan. Draw us closer. Amen.
Numbers 4:49 At the LORD’s command through Moses, each was assigned his work and told what to carry….
Have a blessed day.

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The way of peace and hope…. (devo reflection)

Gen 50:15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for the wrongs we did to him?”
My heart hurts a bit for the brothers here. They are so firmly locked into the human mindset that they are afraid that now that Jacob has died, Joseph will exact revenge on them for their earlier treatment of him. Not only are they wary of Joseph’s true motives, believing his kindness was because of their father and not God, but also, they believe that Joseph’s forgiveness of them earlier was not genuine. Or perhaps they had not forgiven themselves, and that caused their skepticism. At any rate, their turmoil and fear floats just below the surface and is a bit heart breaking to see.
Gen 50:20 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good….”
Throughout the commentary on Genesis, there has been a parallel drawn between Joseph and Jesus. It is something I have never thought of before and definitely something I would like to think on and read about further, but I can definitely see, in Joseph and Jesus, an unwavering trust and faith in God’s sovereignty, regardless of earthly circumstances. I want that type of unwavering faith, and the peace that it brings, in my life.
Rom 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this walk through the book of Genesis. Thank You for the unexpected lessons and the timely reminders encountered here. Thank You for the reminder at the end of Genesis that Yours is the way of peace and hope. Help me to trust and obey. Draw me closer. Amen.
Gen 50:21 “So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
Have a blessed day.

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You are with us always…. (devo reflection)

Gen 39:1 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of the Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites….
The story of Joseph seems to be a story of faithfulness—both Joseph’s and God’s. Joseph has been wrongfully sold into slavery by his brothers, wrongfully accused of sexual advances by his master’s wife, wrongfully imprisoned because of those false charges. By human standards, he has every right to be angry because what keeps happening to him is not fair. But he remains faithful and finds a way to serve God, even in his unpleasant circumstances.
Gen 40:2-3 Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, and put them in custody…in the same prison where Joseph was confined.
In Genesis 40, I am reminded again and again of Isaiah 43:19 (…Do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness…) and Romans 8:28 (…in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him….). Potiphar, the master whose wife falsely accused Joseph, is the captain of the guard in the prison where he is housed. He shows Joseph kindness and favor while he is imprisoned, showing that he did not believe his wife’s charges against him. And with the addition of the chief cupbearer and chief baker, God is continuing to put things in place to move Joseph where He, God, can powerfully use him.
Gen 40:4a The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them.
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that You are with us always, even when our circumstances are unpleasant, unfair, or unbearable, even when we feel alone. Thank You that You can use all things for our good and Your glory and  for continuing to make a way in our circumstances. Help us to trust and obey. Draw us closer. Amen.
Gen 40:4b-5 After they had been in custody for some time, each of the two men…had a dream the same night.
Have a blessed day.