For Such a Time, As This!

(***everything in Blue writing is actual word for word/paraphrase from my Bible – ESV study Bible)

“The book of Esther tells how a Jewish girl became the queen of Persia and saved her people from a plot to destroy them. She is assisted in this by Mordecai, her cousin and guardian. It also explains how a special festival, called Purim was established to recall and celebrate the deliverance that the Jews had experienced. “

Amidst this election and how many people are going to be so sure the world/USA is going to crap because of who was chosen President - A few things I want to point out, that I found in my Bible when reading (it’s a rather longer post than normal, but worth it I promise):

(1)               Divine Providence:

a.       Even when God is most hidden, he is still present and working to protect and deliver his chosen people.

In times like this, where there is so much chaos, stress, division and civil unrest it can be easy to say or think that God is not with us anymore, that he just forgot about us or gave us up as a lost cause. As Christians, should remember that God is ALWAYS present, even when he is not visible! He is working behind the scene to make HIS PLAN unfold. Our prayer should be for His will to be done, he is Alpha and Omega, he was the one who formed the earth and the heavens. Would anything be a shock to him or not have his say in it?

Throughout the Bible, there are examples of God working behind the scenes and in front, to protect and deliver his chosen. Specifically, for this post, I am going to focus on Esther. God is not mentioned at all in this book, yet you can see that “something/someone” is working to orchestrate the events to protect the Jews.

Bigthan, Teresh & The Plot to Kill

B & T (see names in heading above) were eunuchs of the King and guarded the entry to him. They became P-O’d at him; why they were mad is not made known, just that they were (my thoughts, although I could be completely wrong, is that if the King had made me a eunuch and cut off my manhood, I’d be pretty upset with him too lol, but that’s just my theory ;).  Anyways, they became mad enough that they plotted to kill the King! Now, usually people plotting to kill someone do not talk about their plot in any place they could be heard, they would take extra precautions to make sure they were not heard, right?

Well, by God’s divine hand, Mordecai happened to be in the right place, at the right time, to overhear them talk about their plan. He, in turn, told Queen Esther, who told the King; the King investigated, found it was true, killed B&T and recorded in the books that Mordecai saved the King.  {Do you think this plan would have been found out otherwise? What if someone else had heard the plot, who was against the King? What a good fortune it was that it was someone who respected the King rather than someone who despised him!}

The King Honors Mordecai

One night the King couldn’t sleep (Has God ever woken you up and not let you sleep because he wanted you to pray, or seek his Word?), he had the book of chronicles read to him and in it was the account of Mordecai saving his life from the plot but nothing being done to honor Mordecai. So, the King said whoever is out in the courtyard, to tell them to come see him. Get this – it was Hamman! (Funny how Hamman was in the palace, at that exact moment!). The King asked Hamman what should be done to the man whom the King wants to honor, and Hamman being quite vain, thought it was about him and that the King was thinking of honoring himself.

Hamman suggested a royal robe be placed on him that the King wore, that he ride in on a horse of the King by a nobleman, and a royal crown be placed on his head while the nobleman proclaimed throughout the city that “Thus be done to the man in whom the King delights”.  Oh, how divine is God!!! The King told Hamman to do all that he had suggested but for Mordecai (the person who Hamman absolutely hated with a passion because he would not bow to him and honor him). So instead of being bowed down to, he was now being humbled before the person he hated more than life.

Well this infuriated him even more and his wife gave him the idea to build some gallows to hang Mordecai on (there’s another lesson there – wives/women should be giving good counsel to their husbands/authority figures when asked, not suggesting silly revenge plots! We are supposed to be wise in our counsel!). You know how God works? Like this bam!! Hamman ended up being hanged on the gallows he built for Mordecai! God’s was always working behind the scene even though it didn’t seem like it because Hamman was in power at the time. Kind of like whoever is our President, even if they plan evil or make ten thousand mistakes, God’s hand is still working behind the scenes for his chosen people and his will!  We need not worry, we just trust that God knows what is going to happen and he knows how to guide us.

One other major example of divine providence in this story is Esther being chosen as queen. Out of the many girls that were brought to the palace to “compete” to become queen, Esther, a Jew, won. She was chosen for such a time, and God had his hand in it to allow her to become queen out of everybody else who were actual Persians (unlike her) because he knew she would ultimately carry out his plan.

Talk about divine providence!

(2)              Human Responsibility:

a.       Divine providence does not negate the responsibility of people to act with courage and resolve when circumstances require it.

Esther had free will and technically did not have to go to the King. God would have used someone else for his plan to save the Jews, but Esther not doing her responsibility to act, could have had dire consequences for herself as well had she not.

Even though God’s hand is over everything and he is in control of every outcome, it does not let us off the hook of doing what we are supposed to do, doing what God tells us to do. We are called to be courageous and show resolve even when circumstances around us are threatening or scary.

(3)              The absurdity of wickedness:

a.       The arrogant of this world are not nearly as powerful as they think they are and that when they oppose God’s people (and therefore God himself) they only succeed in bringing about their own destruction (Ps 2:4)

This has got to be the best example of “Karma” I can think of. Hammon thought very highly of himself and didn’t like when others didn’t see his viewpoint. He was arrogant and haughty and it caused his downfall like so many people. He thought he could manipulate and underhandly get his way, BUT GOD, would not allow his people to perish. Everything backfired on him. He let 1 person affect his whole outcome, it consumed him – just because one Jew would not bow to him, it ate him up on the inside and he refused to let it go. He had everything, he was the King’s right-hand man, but couldn’t get passed this one Jew who wouldn’t bend to his will and it cost him – HIS LIFE!

People may plot evil and wickedness, but God will protect his people and he laughs at those who are haughty and righteous in their own eyes.

Christians are sometimes called to live in a world that resembles the one Esther and Mordecai lived in.  Governing authorities are often indifferent and sometimes even hostile to the faith of believers and especially in the West, events often take their normal course with little or no evidence of the miraculous. But the book of Esther, like the NT, teaches how to live in that world with courage and integrity, carrying out responsibilities so the best of one’s ability and trusting God in his providence to protect and provide.

No matter who is president, God will protect and provide for us!

As NT Christians are not obliged to observe the Feast of Purim, but they are to take to heart the truth that God providentially watches over his own, and that no power leveled against them can ultimately prevail (Rom 8:28). “Purim is the most secular and one of the most joyful celebrations in the Bible. On the 14^th day of Adar, the story of Esther is read, exchange of gifts, giving food to the poor, performing Purim plays, and wearing costumes are had. It has become a celebration not just of the deliverance, but of the amazing survival of the Jewish people. “

I challenge you to read the book of Esther and see how many times you can see God’s hand move mysteriously throughout the book! Drop a comment below with your insights into Esther! 

Grace vs. Law

I have been listening to The Word of Promise on Audible and am in Leviticus which is all about the rules. It lists everything God's people can and cannot do, to the tiniest detail, like a woman on her period. (I kid you not, it is in there. Read it for yourself Chapter 15).

It reminded me of a few things:

1. Thank you Abba for not birthing me BC (Before Christ)

2. If I had been born in that time, I would have been stoned to death, there are so many rules, I would have surely broken one that got me killed. 

3. This book alone, plus the 10 commandments are almost impossible to keep all of them. Can you imagine the world that we live in today having to "keep" these laws and commandments? There is no way on God's green earth that would be possible for any of us. 

Yet, Abba knew that we could never maintain that holy of a lifestyle, especially in our day and time. He knew even back to the beginning of creation the impossiblity. So he made a plan because he loves us and wants us with him. We would need another way to heaven because we could not follow those laws perfectly enough to make it to heaven if the requirement was obeying the laws perfectly.

Because we couldn't do it on our own accord, he gave us the most amazing opportunity and lovingly formed a human who could be perfect, because he was God and was the law in human form. And because he was the law come to life in our world, he would be able to be the ultimate sacrifice for us not being able to keep all the laws because he broke the hold of the laws and gave us life through the cross.

Reading the book of Leviticus (like Numbers) can be very dry, yet it really shows you the "why" of our whole Christian faith and helps you understand just how much we needed a savior because we could not freely commune with Abba or have the assurance that we will spend eternity in heaven.

~ Keshia

Divides, Calling and a Heart that is breaking....

In a time where we should be sticking together, supporting and building each other up, we are stirring up conflict over petty, insignificant things and it’s breaking Abba’s heart. We are living in a season of “Offense”. Everybody gets offended by every little thing. We want to focus on all these outside things rather than fix the things in us, to make us a better example of Christ’s love. We don’t like to see the things wrong with us, there is always something wrong with other people, it’s always someone else. We can see the 100 little pins sticking out from someone else, but we can’t see the big silver shard protruding from our own center. We are shaming and disrespecting the people that God has placed in our life as leaders, we are tearing apart each other because of jealousy, vain imaginations and selfish ambitions (the 3 headed monster). We talk about the wars over in other countries, yet we are creating wars all the time by creating these divides.

We are called to show love to our enemies and turn the other cheek. Yet we cannot even set foot inside the same building as them when we have the opportunity to witness and have God move in their life. It is not easy to bless the person who just cussed you out, or got you in trouble, yet as Christians, that is EXACTLY what we are required to do and we ought to do it if we want to truly set an example of Christ. There are few greater ways to lead others to Christ, then by forgiving someone who doesn’t deserve it.

Ultimately, God is the one who changes us, but he calls us to lead others to him, to set an earthly example, to show his physical love, to give an encouraging word. So many want to know what their calling is – well here it is – it’s everyone’s ultimate calling – WE ARE TO BE LIKE CHRIST! We are to lead others to Christ by our lives, how we live, talk, react, in everything we do it should glorify Christ. People are always watching. They will see the light in you when you truly have Christ in you and they will want that – light calls to light, deep calls too deep. If you don’t have the light in you, others are not going to call out or want what you have, they are not going to want Jesus, they are going to RUN from you and from Jesus.

~~  Keshia ~~

Wholeness in Singleness 

(Part I)

We have to be comfortable in singleness and allow God to continue to be our source of fulfillment until he gives us the "yes" that's the best, that's the one I have perfectly made to mesh with you and help you walk in a deeper relationship with me. If you choose to make your own choice before waiting for God to give you the green light, you will have heart ache & consequences. 

  God is also not going to bless a relationship if the previous one is still in pending status. So many women and men are so lonely, they will not sit and be uncomfortable in being single. How can you be with someone if your dependent on them for things only God can provide? You are putting expectations and burdens on the other person they are not supposed to carry. Relationships works when two whole singles steps are brought to the same path by God.

~ Keshia