25th Week Esther Chapters 5-9 (Click here for video introduction)

-


 


Click the title to view the Video Introduction

Monday, Esther Chapter 5
Esther 5
Verse 9
Jeanie Boldt
May 29, 2006

Verse 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.

THOUGHT
How much of our time that we live is filled with evil thoughts about people, thoughts about revenge or bitterness? Are there people in your lives who you think about or places that you revisit or songs that you hear that remind you of unresolved forgiveness? Haman was so consumed with hatred toward Mordecai that he could not even enjoy the honor of being invited to Esther’s party. We cannot allow hatred and bitterness to build in our hearts. If even a mention of another’s name or event provokes us to bitterness or anger, we need to confess this and ask our heavenly Father for forgiveness.

The following are some things that I learned about forgiveness in the sermon on Sunday.

WHY MUST WE FORGIVE?
1. We must forgive because God has forgiven us.
     Col. 3:13 and Col. 2:13-24
2. We must forgive because resentment controls us.
     Job 18:4 and Job 5:2
3. We must forgive because we are going to need it in the future.
     Matt. 6:15

HOW DO WE FORGIVE?
1. We forgive by relinquishing our right to get even.
     Romans 12:19
2. We forgive by responding to evil with good.
     Luke 6:27-28
3. We forgive by repeating these steps as long as necessary.
     Matt. 18:21-22
4. We forgive by rescuing others with the good news of God’s forgiveness.
     II Corth. 5:18-20

I pray that you will take time to read these verses and think if there is anything on your heart that needs repenting of. Each day we sin. Let us remember to ask for forgiveness.

PRAYER
Heavenly Father, please forgive us for holding bitterness and thoughts and memories that we refuse to let go of. May we drop those at Your feet. May we also continue to forgive over and over again. As You have told us seventy times seven. May we learn to respond to evil with good and be a living example of a very humble and loving Christian. Take all bitterness and anger from our hearts and make them clean. Thank You for loving us just as we are and understanding that we need to seek Your forgiveness as a daily routine prayer.  In The Blood of Jesus.  AMEN



Tuesday, Esther Chapter 6
Esther 6
Jeanie Boldt
May 30, 2006

THOUGHT
I couldn’t help but think how fast our lives can change. Things can be looking so rosy and wonderful and then WHAM!!! — The thorns begin to show through, and the flowers lose their petals. 

Haman was all excited about the dinner with Esther and the King.  He also thought he was going to be recognized by the King for something he had done. However, WHAM!!!! — Things changed. He received no recognition and received no respect. We cannot buy respect. We must earn it by moral actions.  Just as things changed for the negative for Haman, WOW!!! Mordecai was blessed. Things began to go in the positive direction for him. 

Isn’t God’s timing and plan something? He has things planned for just when we need them. Although God promises to reward our good deeds, we sometimes feel our payoff is too far away. Be patient. God steps in when it will do the most good.

I can so parallel timing with so many of us.

1. Matt, Kristen and now their little one.
2. Heather and her wonderful friend, David.
3. Tanya and Alan and the girls who now have such a great home.

I’m sure we all have examples of how the Lord works, and His timing is perfect but hard to wait for. God is working on our behalf today so let’s trust in HIM.

PRAYER
Father God, we are so thankful that You are in control of our lives. We Praise YOU in all things even when we can’t see the good in them or how in heaven’s name You are going to work in them. May we wait.  May we be open to Your plan, and may we rejoice in You for being so faithful and loving and caring. I pray that as we close each day we look at the events that occurred and thank You for being present in each of our lives. Help us surrender ourselves to You daily so You can do a mighty work. AMEN

Wednesday, Esther Chapter 7
Esther 7
Jeanie Boldt
May 31, 2006

THOUGHT
The wise person knows what to say and how and when to say it. In her brief reply to the king’s question, Esther revealed her nationality, her danger, and the presence of an enemy in the palace. She gave no names but waited to see the reaction of the king. 

God gives us the wisdom we need when we need it. What a blow to the King’s pride to learn that the man he had promoted and honored was only a self-seeking traitor. Haman took Mordecai’s place on the gallows, and the king’s anger was appeased. “The righteous is delivered from the trouble, and it comes to the wicked instead.” 

Beware if you are digging a pit for an enemy; you may fall in it yourself. I think after reading this story we can so see that it is wrong to plot against where there is no wrong just for your own success. It will come back and get you.

PRAYER
Father God, help us live lives pleasing to You, and may our actions be to help others and not ourselves. May we think of others and daily thank You for where we are in our lives. Thank You for how You protect those who love You and are faithful to You.  Help us to 



Thursday, Esther Chapter 8
Esther 8
Verse 6
Jeanie Boldt
June 2, 2006

Verse 6:  “For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?”

THOUGHT
Family is so important. There are many special relationships be it, husband - wife; siblings; grandparents; aunts - uncles; great aunts - great uncles; cousins; in-laws; etc. This tie is deeper than any friendship. Esther could not stand to see any of her family or Jewish people hurt for no reason. She again went up to the plate and asked for another request. She asked that no harm be brought to her people. The tables turned completely and instead of the Jewish people being murdered, Haman was killed by his own weapon and Xerxes gave to Mordecai Haman’s old position. 

These actions were so in God’s plan. In fact, God was preparing Haman’s downfall and the protection of his people long before Haman came to power under Xerxes. They wanted no harm to come to His people.  I can speak from experience in my own life.  As a wife and mother I did everything I could to
save the family unit that was so PRECIOUS to me. Family is a commitment to one another. I am proud to be a Salt Shaker. The love and strength that I receive from each of you is felt daily. It is wonderful to share our JOYS, CONCERNS and UNHAPPY TIMES with each other. I look to each of you as an extra source of strength from God our Father and please count on me to return that to you.

My sister has the middle name Esther for she would have been right in this place. Her mornings are spent in prayer for each of us. There is no greater way to hold the family unit together than with strength and blessings from the Lord. Thank YOU, Jane ESTHER. Now we can call you that name and know that you are so deserving to be praised and thanked by us all.

PRAYER
Father, thank You for this family You have blessed me with. Sharing JOYS and Concerns comes so naturally. Thank You for being in the middle of this family bundle and guiding each of us. May we continue to support each other during the good times and bad.  We thank the Holy Spirit that directs Jane’s prayers for us each morning. Thank You for guiding her to this mission. Into Your hands I give each of the Salt Shakers this day. Give us guidance, heal our ill feelings, forgive our sins, help us rejoice in our Joy and Happiness and keep our Family’s Love bound always with the strand of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  AMEN



Friday, Esther Chapter 9
Esther 9
Verse 22b
Jeanie Boldt
June 6, 2006

Verse 22b:  Their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration.

THOUGHT
When I read this chapter there was one point that really stood out. I thought after Haman got the boot, the fighting and abuse of the Jews would just be called off by the King; and there would be peace. Instead, God allowed the Jews to strike down their enemies with the sword and with killing. They were allowed to do what they pleased to those who hated them. 

We see time and time again when we leave punishment to the Lord, He will take care of it. The Lord did not want anything to happen to His people. All the bad was taken care of by the Lord. Then I see this verse that is refreshing. This is why we need to turn our vengeful feelings over to Him and not try to take care of them ourselves. He will turn a very unhappy situation into a very wonderful one. 

I guess I can’t help but think of Kristen and Matt since they are so on my heart right now. Fourteen months ago we were mourning the loss of their first baby with a miscarriage. Yesterday OUR GREAT CREATOR AND FATHER turned our mourning into a day of celebration with the birth of a new baby boy!!!!

PRAYER
Father, Thank You for answered prayers.  We praise You and honor You. Thank You for Esther and her story. How You work in our lives is wonderfully
majestic. Help us to be faithful and give You the glory in all things. May we realize that even in our mourning, we need to always be looking to the day of celebration when we will all be together with You. In The Name of Jesus. AMEN


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

210th Week, Song of Songs Chapters 5-8 (Click on Title for Video Intro)

-
Image
  Click of Title for Video Intro Monday, Song of Songs Chapter 5 Song of Solomon 5  Jane Jones THOUGHT The Book of Song of Solomon is really a truly amazing, love story. Solomon was very much in love; and just the fact that it is in the Bible, I think is truly amazing. It is a for sure fact that God definitely wants love to be first and foremost in our lives, first of Him, secondly for our spouse, and thirdly for our children. Chapter 5 tells us about a bad dream that Solomon’s lover had. Part of it referred to reaching out to her lover in the night, and he was gone. It was like a nightmare to her.  I’m sure we have all experienced nightmares at one time or other about our marriages, partners, or children. No matter what the nightmare, we do wake up in the morning to find that things are okay. That God has not left or forsaken us. We all have been praying so often, so hard, and so much for the Ruden Family. Our hope was that their house would sell soon, that Alan would fi...
Read more

3rd Week, II Thessalonians

-
Image
Week Three, II Thessalonians  Monday, Introduction II Thessalonians Intro Jeanie Boldt THOUGHT This letter was written by Paul about 2 months after he had sent the first letter to Thessalonica. Many in the church were confused about the timing of Christ’s return. Many thought that He could come at any moment so they stopped working for the Lord and just waited. Adding fuel to the fire was the continued persecution of the church. Many felt that indeed this must be the “Day of the Lord”. Responding quickly, Paul sent a second letter to this young church. In it he gave further instruction concerning the second coming and the day of the Lord. The letter begins with Paul’s trademark greeting. He mentions their perseverance in spite of their persecution and trials and uses this situation to broach the subject of Christ’s return. Paul shared that at this time Christ will vindicate the righteous who endure and will punish the wicked. We are closer to Christ’s second coming than the Thessal...
Read more

201st Week, II Kings Chapters 5-9 (Click on the Title for Video Introduction)

-
Image
  Click on Title for Video Intro Monday, II Kings Chapter 5 II Kings 5 Verse 13 Jane Jones Verse 13:  But his servants caught up with him and said, “Father, if the prophet had asked you to do something hard and heroic, wouldn’t you have done it? So why not this simple ‘wash and be clean’?” THOUGHT Why do we think that everything great that comes from God is huge, impressive, hard and heroic? Obedience to God begins with humility. These first five chapters have been such great lessons on humility. We must believe that His way is better than our own. We may not always understand His ways of working, but by humbly obeying, we will receive His blessings. We must remember that (1)God’s ways are best; (2)God wants our obedience more than anything else;  (3)God can use anything to accomplish His purposes. The only thing that Naaman had to do to have his leprosy washed away is similar to what we must do to have our sin washed away -- humbly accept God’s mercy. We need to be humbl...
Read more