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As I sit and begin to write, I am wondering if anyone else feels as I do.  Is it time we moved on from the character of David?  He was, perhaps, the greatest earthly king in Israel’s history and there is no shortage of parallel between his life and our’s, but two weeks and four posts is probably enough, isn’t it?  It has been interesting sitting a while in search of the seeds of my anxiety.  I do not consider myself a child or victim of the times in which we live.  I am not anxious by nature or prone to consume things in small bites and rapid succession.  “Multi” is a word more apt to describe the grains in my bread, not my ability to process the tasks in my life.  So, why am I so anxious about the prolonged exposure to the life of David?

One of the interesting thoughts which surfaced during my searching, was the suggestion of a connection with a very real sense of insecurity with my own story.  Is David so blessed or broken (or both) a character that such focus in our writing is warranted?  Is Moses? Is Abraham? What about Job, Peter, John or Paul?  As these names (and more) flooded into my mind, I began to turn around and look inward.  Why am I suddenly thinking of myself?  Surely my name does not belong in the same conversation as theirs.  The longer my mind dwelled on these thoughts, the more God revealed my deep-seated need.  I was quick to be critical of myself and God whispered the question, “Why?”

What does God think about you?  What would God write if He was the author of these last four or five posts and His character of choice was you?  Would He have had enough “material” or thought you worthy enough to write four or five?  Would most, or all, of His posts been critical?  What do you (do I) really believe God thinks about us?!

I needed a reminder as I sat and searched.  I had allowed the great enemy of God to convince me of things which were simply not true.  They were easy to believe.  I had been easy to convince.

I found the reminder in the pages of God’s Word.  I share it with you because God shared it with me, and because I am convinced I am not the only one who needs reminding.  This was God’s answer to what I was believing, but was simply not true:

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

In my time of sitting and searching, I had written or spoken several answers to the question of what God thinks of me.  Many of them were penetrating and painful, very few were merciful and hopeful.

The mural that is my life has shape, form, value, line, color, space and texture that at times appears wild and woolly, and at others, purposeful and beautiful.  Yours is no different.  But no matter who stops and stands to look at it or for how long they do, God shouts boldly that it (and you) is His MASTERPIECE!  Both you and your story represent the bold strokes and full creative capacity of the Creator of the universe.  Sit for a moment (or stay for a while) in the bright light of that truth.  Then, go … go and be busy doing the good things he planned for you long ago.

Each and every detail of David’s story speaks the truth that he was created and chosen by God for a specific purpose and for specific moments and tasks.  The same is true of you (and me).  Do not allow the great enemy of God to convince you otherwise and keep you from the warmth of God’s embrace and His perfect and purposed plan for you.  DO NOT EVER FORGET, you are God’s great masterpiece!

Today’s article is dedicated to my late father-in-law, Albert Flinner. Yesterday, we visited the National Cemetery where he was laid to rest. It is an awe-inspiring place of honor, with grave markers that seem to stretch beyond the horizon.  Each one, a man or woman who served and fought for our freedom.

Memorials mean different things to different people.  My father-in-law was a highly decorated war veteran, having received a silver star with oak leaf cluster, a purple heart and five bronze stars.  He was a true war hero.  He knew what it meant, and took, to put his life on the line for his country.  When Memorial Day would come each year, he really understood its significance.  Having never served in the military, I can easily look at this special day as just a holiday and miss its significance.

One particular Memorial Day weekend, my wife and I were with some friends for dinner.  Before giving thanks for the meal, the host said he was wearing a red shirt in honor of all those who had given their lives for our freedom.  It caused me to pause because of his sensitivity to what I was looking at as just a holiday weekend.  He got the significance of the price that bought our freedom.  Later that night the same gentleman read an email detailing the incredible devotion of the men and women who guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  Today, our President will lay a wreath at that very tomb.  The email detailed the unyielding commitment of those who guard that tomb (it has been guarded every second of every day since 1937).  Those who guard the tomb willingly give up personal comfort to live with discipline, precision and self-sacrifice for a cause they regard as greater than themselves.  Without a doubt, they understand the significance of the sacrifice which provides all of us freedom on this Memorial Day.  The creed that these dedicated men and women live by is below; What devotion!  It is called The Sentinel’s Creed:

My dedication to this sacred duty
is total and whole-hearted.
In the responsibility bestowed on me
never will I falter.
And with dignity and perseverance
my standard will remain perfection.
Through the years of diligence and praise
and the discomfort of the elements,
I will walk my tour in humble reverence
to the best of my ability.
It is he who commands the respect I protect,
his bravery that made us so proud.
Surrounded by well-meaning crowds by day,
alone in the thoughtful peace of night,
this soldier will in honored glory rest
under my eternal vigilance.
– Simon 1971

To give you a picture of their dedication, I want to share with you what happened in 2004 as reported by ABC news.  Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington, DC.  Because of the impending danger from the storm, the military members assigned guard duty at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend their assignment.  They respectfully declined saying, “No way, Sir!”  Soaked to the skin and marching through a terrific storm, these soldiers said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, but the highest honor afforded a service person. They understood the significance of what bought our freedom.

Remembering my father-in-law’s sacrifice, gleaning my friend’s sensitivity and learning the dedication of those guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier will make this Memorial Day more meaningful for me.  I will not let its significance pass me by in 2015.  What about you?  Flags will fly, parades will take place, and a wreath will be placed at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, representing to all of us the price of our freedom.  It will be a significant day!

There is another tomb which we should honor today … an empty one.  All Christ-followers are soldiers who were given freedom by the Savior who rose from that tomb.  Can it be said of you and me that our dedication matches that of The Sentinel’s Creed?  Will we choose to march amid the fierce storms of our testing and trials?  Let us renew our understanding and experience of the significance of this national holiday and this day that the Lord has made.  So many have died for our earthly freedom, and One has died for the freedom which is eternal.  If you have believed in Jesus, confessed that you are a sinner and received the gift of His forgiveness, this day of memorial is an occasion to thank and praise Him for what He did for you.  If you have not, don’t let the sun set on this Memorial Day without believing, confessing and receiving.  It is a significant day!

SPECIAL NOTE:  We at Journey onWord would like to say a very sincere and special thank you to each and every one of our readers who have served and fought for our freedom.

If you would like to have an interesting experience, take a moment and Google the top 100 phobias.  I’m guessing you would find at least one fear that tends to buffet you on the list. There are phobias for nearly anything you can imagine, and many sound a bit humorous (especially if they are fears that don’t bother you).  My wife’s greatest fear comes in at number two on the list.  She has a great fear of snakes and after having her foot grazed by a water moccasin, it makes sense that she doesn’t like creatures that crawl. Number three on the Top 100 list is one that I struggle with, the fear of heights.  I don’t like climbing roofs, riding high roller coasters or standing on a high ledge overlooking … a big drop off.  Our daughter feared the dentist as a child and still hates elevators. Before you think of us as a family of fearful, obsessive thinkers, remind yourself that you may also have some fears — such as fearing the dark, spiders, crowds, needles, the future … the list goes on.

The point is that fear in its various forms attacks us all. Some fears are legitimate and some can be fabrications of over-zealous thoughts.  Fear is real, and can cause any of us anxiety. The key is how we respond when the emotion of fear rises up within us. In my study of the Psalms there is a verse that has been meaningful to me over the years. Psalm 34:4 states:

I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.

Psalm 34 is a psalm of David when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who chose to drive him away.  I Samuel 21:10-15 gives us the context of this event in history.  David was on the run from King Saul, who wanted to kill him.  Considering David’s situation, (even with a great confidence in God) I could imagine battling the emotion of fear. 

In studying this verse, I have struggled to define in depth how to apply it. Obviously, the context of David running from Saul and acting insane in a place called Gath is not a circumstance in which we would ever find ourselves. But out of this experience David’s words from Psalm 34 have blessed countless people.  He sought the Lord. David prayed, and God responded (he answered me). What wonderful words for David to share when he stated that the Lord delivered me.  And what was he delivered from? All my fears! The fears that you and I battle are different from the ones David encountered, but they are still fears and God still has the capacity to deliver us.

If you and I were having an honest conversation, and I asked you, “Where does fear tend to buffet you the most?” would you have an answer for me? And then if I asked you, “Do you think God can deliver you from that anxious fear?”  the spiritual response would be, “of course I do.” But the more honest response may be, “Yes, I believe He can, but emotionally, I’m not sure.”  It seems that we often believe truths about God and His power, but place the weight of conquering issues like fear squarely on our own shoulders.  The Lord is the one who answers prayer and does the delivering, and we can trust Him.

I am keenly aware that many fears are deeply ingrained and sometimes are even the result of illness or other issues like abuse.  But in the normal course of living, Christ-followers are carrying the weight of fears that God is more than willing to lift. In the simplicity of a child, we can believe and apply the words that David penned, I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.  We need to stop carrying the weight and release it to the Father.

If any fear is buffeting you, would you give it to the Father right now? And when you sense that anxiety welling up again, release the fear to Him.  Remember, He knows your fears, and has the capacity to deliver you.

Do you remember taking a road trip with your parents when you were young?  Maybe you have a trip planned with your brood this summer.  Somewhere between, “Are we there yet?” and “I have go to the bathroom,” a simple game for the car was invented, probably by some harried mother … The Alphabet Game.  It is really quite simple if you remember; each person takes a turn with a successive letter and either gives any word, color, country or sentence starting with that letter. The game was good for at least 20 miles of laughter and mind exercise for all.  Well, David had the same idea as he wrote Psalm 25; each verse began with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  It is an acrostic poem, however, David was not having fun when he sat down to pen these words.

Consider how many are my foes,
and with what violent hatred they hate me.
Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!
Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
 May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
for I wait for you.
Psalm 25:19-21 (ESV)

These were the “running” years for David, constantly fleeing from King Saul who was singularly focused on killing the young future king.  David and his men lived on the land, sleeping in caves with the constant danger of Saul’s pursuit.  These were dark years for the passionate David who poured his heart, fears and discouragement out in words giving us so many of the Psalms that continue to encourage us still today.

I was struck by one phrase that David used more than once in his words, “… your steadfast love.” He is, of course, referring to God’s steadfast love for him.  The word steadfast is defined literally as fixed in place.  Other definitions I found are firm in place, resolute, unwavering and firmly established.

Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!
Psalm 26:6-7 (ESV)

The favorite definition I read is this, “the word steadfast implies a sureness and continuousness that may be depended upon.”  Read that one more time.  Did it hit you?  Here is something that I have been taught from my youth — and have forgotten in times of great distress — God continues to love me.  It is a sure thing that God loves me.  I can continuously depend on God … for sure!

David was reminding himself of this as he wrote these words…let these words also remind us!

David’s story can assuredly be our story!

I’m going to take a bit of a departure from our purposeful orientation in writing this year.  In fact, I’m going to turn things around 180 degrees from our assertion that “their story is our story.”  Today, I see myself as the ancient and King David as the reader.  Today, I speak from my own experience.

I have a great deal of respect and admiration for the genuine and gifted gardener.  I do not feel as though God blessed me with the innate ability to paint on the canvas that is the created world.  My thumb is many shades from green, and my hands do not long to dig themselves into the cool, soft soil of spring.  But I do appreciate those who do, and who seem gifted by God himself to nurture nature into bold landscapes which burst forth with color and life.

I spent several days recently with my friend and brother who lost his wife to cancer last year.  Lisa, his wife, was one of those Rembrandt’s who could transform a hard or soft scape reeling from the ravages of winter, into a masterpiece which would engage all of your senses.  Her next door neighbor is equally skilled and I relished my early morning dog walks, passing by her landscape, taking in the vibrant colors and sweet smells.

Yesterday, I spent a good portion of the day in my own yard.  I made an intentional decision to enjoy the work and get down on my hands and knees rather than distance myself at the other end of a long-handled tool.  I loved it, and my senses were fully engaged as I connected with deep truths that most genuine gardeners who are also believers would be quick to confirm.

Perhaps the most valuable time was spent pulling out a large group of shoots of a trailing vine.  The shoots had appeared in a small strip in between our driveway and a neighbor’s fence.  Several years ago, we had uprooted some vines and flowers that were growing in that strip and replaced them with a thick layer of fresh mulch.  I loved the change, and in freshening the mulch each year the look was maintained.  This year, a cluster of shoots from the vine which grows primarily on our neighbor’s side of the fence, had appeared at one end of that small strip.  It turned out later to be an unwelcome thing with my wife, but one of my first priorities yesterday morning was “weeding” those shoots.

I decided I would get down on my hands and knees and pull out the shoots, rather than opt for a shovel or spade.  I began pulling at large clumps and became a bit frustrated at how difficult it was to pull them out cleanly.  I would mostly tear the leaves and a short length of stem, but the shoots were not pulling out by the root.  Although I was tempted to keep moving, I knew the truth every gardener knows, that unless you pull out the root, the stem will simply continue to grow.  Even if you are fortunate enough to get enough of them stem that it breaks even with the ground or maybe a bit below, it will simply reappear in time.  You must pull out the root to permanently kill the plant.

I sat for a minute considering how this truth resonated with my battles with sin.  Sin is a trailing vine, and you cannot kill it unless you pull out the root.  You can tear off the leaves or pull out the stems at ground level, or even a bit below, but unless you pull out its root, it will reappear in time.

I returned to the garage rather quickly to fetch a weeding hand tool my wife loves.  With it, I could easily target the root of each shoot and disturb the soil in a way that allowed me to pull it cleanly and completely.  A task well started and a truth well reminded.

As I continued, I happened upon a group of two smallish vine leaves grouped together which had stems less that two or three inches high.  I was tempted to simply pull them, but used my weeding tool and began to pull once the soil was disturbed.  As I pulled, the root began to emerge horizontally.  This particular root did not grow straight down and deep, but rather “east/west” and shallow.  I continued pulling, and when the full root finally emerged from the ground, it was nearly two feet long.  Two inches above the surface, but two feet below.  My mind went again to sin, and the truth that sin is most often the image of an iceberg … far more of it, and its potential for damage, lies below the surface.

As I looked at the root a bit longer, it dawned on me the horizontal trail of that particular root traveled to the other side of my neighbors fence.  I began to think of previous battles with sin, where I had done the work of pulling sin out by the roots in my own life only to see new leaves grow from the influence of my “neighbors.”  Many times we associate with people who are not fellow warriors either in our own battles with sin, or in theirs.  We pull sin out at the root on our side of the fence, only to see it grow back from the other side.

I know it might sound odd, engaging so deeply while pulling a few “weeds,” but I can assure you it happened.  The created world reveals God and His truth.  This truth was powerful in my own life today, and I trust it will be so in yours as well.  And I would wager that our brother in the kingdom, David would agree.  Today, I choose to see him reading and saying “his story is my story … their story is my story.”

Sin is a trailing vine, and in my best Scott from the Scott’s commercials voice, “weed your heart … weed it!”

He was arguably the greatest king in Israel’s history, into whose bloodline the King of Kings was born.  He was a shepherd boy, a literal giant-killer, a poet and a songwriter.  This was David.  Perhaps there is no more unlikely character with whom I can identify.  My life looks nothing like his, yet there are repeated examples of how his story is so much like mine.  For as much as God accomplished in his life, David was also a thief, adulterer and murderer.  How could this be so?!  This is a question I so often ask of myself.

There can be little argument about the best compliment ever paid to David.  It came directly from the mouth of God and was recorded in Acts 13:22…

After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’

Could there be any higher honor than to have God himself call you a man or woman after His own heart?  The context for this statement is David being installed by God as the king who would succeed Saul.  David had been on the run from Saul and repeatedly rejected opportunities to take the rightful throne by the force of his own hands.  He could have insisted on his own timing and taken Saul’s life on several occasions, but David insisted on this being in God’s time and by God’s hand.  This was resolve worth emulating.  This was unparalleled submission and strength of character.

And then David went and messed it all up…

In a series of events, which represent one of the most epic train wrecks of all time, David lusted after and took for his own another man’s wife.  He then called that man home from battle in a plan to cover-up his own sin.  When the man (Uriah) refused to be with his wife out of loyalty to David, David issued orders for Uriah to return to the fiercest front, for his fellow soldiers to retreat and leave Uriah perilously exposed.  Uriah would soon die, and his wife would eventually bare King David a son.

Are you at all wondering how I could identify with David?  How in the world could I ever suggest that his story sounds even remotely like my own?!  The answer is quite simple.  A mess is a mess is a mess.  David is no more or less a child of God than I am (or you are), and he is no more or less a sinner.  God chose him for a unique purpose, and He has chosen us as well.  David made disastrous decisions; decisions which he, no doubt, thought would define the remainder of his life.  I have also locked myself in prisons of my own making for sins, which I was convinced could never be fully forgiven, only to experience God’s scandalous and limitless grace and forgiveness.  David’s story is also mine.

I wonder if you feel the same.  I wonder if those “prisons” I just mentioned sound familiar to you.  Who or what is your Bathsheba?

There is consequence for sin, but God is also merciful and gracious.  Our lives in Him are not defined by what we do (whether for His glory or ours) but rather by what He does in and though us.  Cease striving to be who you think you should be and choose instead to be who God created you to be.

Paul Harvey brought smiles to millions with The Rest of the Story. However, his humorous and profound stories are no match for the rest of the story found in Job chapter forty-two. What we see of Job’s life through the pages of Scripture causes us to “feel his pain” and genuinely hurt for him. Losing his family, being directly attacked by Satan, and having his friends condescend to him all took their toll. We catch a glimpse of his pain through his emotional and passionate words. But then something happened — God spoke! — and the rest of the story is a picture of grace, forgiveness, healing and restoration.

If you have read the book of Job, you know God speaks in chapters 38-41. The counsel of others brought hurt, not help, in the midst of Job’s plight, but when God moved in, Job was deeply moved. Principles from Job chapter forty-two provide a dramatic conclusion. Let the rest of his story give hope for your journey.

Job 42:2-3, 5-6
I know that you can do all
things; no plan of yours can be
thwarted. You asked, ‘Who
is this that obscures my counsel
without knowledge?’ Surely I
spoke of things I did not
understand, things too wonderful
for me to know.

My ears had heard of you but
now my eyes have seen you.
Therefore I despise myself and
repent in dust and ashes.

After God spoke, Job got the message. He acknowledges God’s sovereignty and speaks to God’s wisdom. Although I can’t know the depths of verse five, I believe Job saw with eyes of complete faith and understanding, giving him the full measure of what he needed to accept God’s plan. Can you remember a time where your hearing became seeing, and your view of God’s plan became clear? When Job’s eyes were opened, repentance came. Whether at the moment of salvation, or along the spiritual journey, when our eyes are opened to our sin, repentance is required.

As the rest of the story nears its conclusion, the reconciliation of Job and his friends comes into full view. God gave strong instructions to Job’s friends, and Job prayed for them. It was after his prayer that God restored prosperity to Job and blessed him again with ten more children. I sensed a heart of forgiveness in Job as he prayed for those who abused him. I sensed a heart of grace from God in restoring Job’s wealth and His gift of children. I am profoundly touched by the words of verse twelve:

The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first.

WOW!  When we face trials, do we really believe that what God has for us is better than anything we could imagine or wish for ourselves outside of that trial?

God knew what He was doing with Job. He knows what He is doing with you. He knows the rest of your story. So when your seasons are tough, hold tight (as Job did) to our Sovereign God.

There is someone in your life who elicits thoughts of man from long ago, Job.  The person that comes to mind has gone through a great tragedy … or several such tragedies.  In our minds, it is very difficult to emotionally rationalize how so much pain has befallen this person who we love.  Often, when we try to comfort those who have just experienced deep pain, our words seem so shallow.  Over the last week, I have read and re-read the first two chapters of Job with the thoughts of giving clarity to the events. But the more that I read, the more I am convinced that the depth of the tragedy and the depth of the interaction between God and Satan is beyond me.  And that’s okay because God knew what He was doing, and He still does!

Job was the first of five poetry books in the Old Testament.  Some believe it is the Bible’s oldest book, and it could be dated as early as 2000 B.C. Job was a righteous man, and man of wealth.  Even a quick read of chapters one and two of this book can cause us to feel great compassion for Job and ask, “why did so much pain have to be poured out on one man?” Job lost his wealth, his family and his health.  Further reading shows that even those friends, who came to comfort him, gave anything but comfort.  This book may bring to mind the age-old question, “Why do the righteous suffer if God is really loving and supremely powerful”?

Early in the first chapter of Job, we catch a glimpse of a heavenly discussion between God and Satan.   

The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

Job 1:7-12 (ESV)

Then, in the course of one day, Job lost his children and his wealth. Can you even imagine? Then in chapter two there is another God-Satan conversation.

And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.”

Job 2:3-6 (ESV)

Satan then struck Job with sores from the soles of his feet all the way to the crown of his head. Wow! And his wife told him to curse God and die.  I can easily see how some people could say, “Why would the Lord allow this?”

For the last two Sundays, I’ve heard our pastor say, “God always has a better way.” Emotionally, it is sometimes hard to accept that. But He does! It is obvious (just look at the Scripture above) that God chose to let Job endure deep trials, but not without purpose. God may use trials to teach us, to prepare us for ministry to others or for whatever other purpose He chooses. But He never walks us into suffering and pain without caring or without control.  We would never choose the road of suffering, but “God always has a better way.” Moving from the first two chapters of Job to the last chapter helps put God’s grace and care on display as Job’s fortune is restored, and God gives him a new family.

I haven’t been able (or tried) to answer the cosmic questions of suffering and pain and why, but I have been refreshed with the thought that God is in control, and He always has a better way. And if that way is suffering … He is sovereign and knows what He is doing.  Accepting and trusting the preceding nine words is more important than knowing the “why.”

In our last article, we talked about Esther, one of the true heroines of Scripture.  Through her bravery she was able to expose a true evil-doer, reveal the truth to the king, and save the Jewish population of Persia.  She is truly the “star” of this narrative (the name Esther is actually Persian for “star!”).  But this short book of the Old Testament is multi-layered in its cast of characters, and there are lessons to be learned from each of them.

Ahasuerus, or Xerxes
The king of Persia who ruled a kingdom stretching from India to Ethiopia.  Many Jews chose to live within his prosperous and peaceful kingdom

Vashti
His queen whose strong willed and independent spirit brought about her replacement.

Haman
The anti-Semitic officer who put his personal, vindictive agenda above his duty to the king.

Mordecai
A Godly Jew who raised the orphan Esther as his own daughter and served King Xerxes with respect.  Mordecai was also a hero in his own right:

Chapter 2
In those days, as Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. And this came to the knowledge of Mordecai, and he told it to Queen Esther, and Esther told the king in the name of Mordecai.  When the affair was investigated and found to be so, the men were both hanged on the gallows.  And it was recorded in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.

This is where the evil Haman comes on the scene – he had recently received a big promotion from the king, and some scholars believe he actually took the credit for saving his life, too!  He ordered the servants to parade him through the square so that everyone could bow down to him as he passed and “pay homage.”  Mordecai, who was a respected Jewish leader in the capital, refused — this would be against Jewish law to bow down or worship anyone except God.  So Mordecai stood as Haman passed, and this enraged Haman.  His anger and wrath rose to such a level that he not only wanted revenge on Mordecai, but on the entire Jewish population of Persia! He even goes so far as to offer a bribe.  Chapter 3 says:

Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from those of every other people, and they do not keep the king’s laws, so that it is not to the king’s profit to tolerate them.  If it please the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay 10,000 talent of silver into the hands of those who have charge of the king’s business, that they may put it into the king’s treasuries.”

Have you ever had someone steal your thunder?  Take credit for your hard work?  Seek attention and praise that was undeserved?  Me too … we could share some stories, couldn’t we?  Now, I hope none of you experienced that to the point of your life being threatened, but it’s disheartening, to say the least.  This is why I love this man Mordecai:

• He never sought the credit or glory for saving the king’s life.  Only Esther knew he was the one who uncovered the plot
• He never sought payback upon Haman
• He never compromised his beliefs.
• And He never hesitated to take action to save the Jews of Persia.

Mordecai now understood that he and Esther were in that place, in that time, “for such a time as this.”  His God, the true God in that pagan nation, was in control all along.

Through God’s perfect plan, the Jews were saved, Haman was exposed and Mordecai was exalted.  If you love a happy ending, read these verses from Chapter 10:

And all the acts of his power and might, and the full account of the high honor of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia?  For Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Ahasuerus, and he was great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brothers, for he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people.

Their story is our story.

It is one of my favorite accounts in Scripture.  Jealousy, revenge, bravery, conspiracy, royalty and of course, love — It sounds like the latest best-seller on the New York Times list.  The book of Esther in the Old Testament reads like a suspenseful novel; I find myself cursing the bad guy and cheering the good guys every time I read it.  And when the team asked me to write on another female character that we were studying this season, I had a hard decision on whom to focus my one page comments.  Each of the main players could easily have one entire blog written just on them.  The evil Haman, the noble Mordecai, the all-commanding King Xerxes, and of course the heroic Esther – each had their own story.  But with the first of two articles on this wonderful book, the choice was obvious that we had to talk about Esther.

Esther – Scripture tells us she was beautiful, an orphan, Jewish, and basically a slave in the Persian empire of King Xerxes.  Her uncle, Mordecai, took her into his home and raised her as his own daughter.  When the king ordered all the young virgins to be brought to him for an … uh … audition to become the next queen, Mordecai paced in front of the palace every day.

 Esther had not made known her people or kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her not to make it known.  And every day Mordecai walked in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and what was happening to her.
Esther 2:10

Mordecai had instructed Esther, a.k.a Hadassah (her Jewish name), not to reveal to anyone in the palace that she was a Jew.  Remember, this was not a voluntary thing for Esther; Scripture says, “many young women were brought to the (king).”  — the word “brought” is translated  by force.  Dads, can you imagine your young daughter being taken by the king?  No wonder Mordecai was pacing daily…

Esther is chosen by the King.  Out of all the virgins in the capital city, Esther is chosen.

The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.
Esther 2:17

Eventually, through a series of events involving Mordecai and the evil Haman, the king is tricked into signing an irreversible decree that on a certain future day, any and all Jews in the kingdom can be legally murdered!  Mordecai knows there is only one person who can save their people, and he pleads for Esther, the chosen queen, to have the courage to do what she must do with these immortal words:

Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews.  For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
Esther 4:13

FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS … Esther, chosen from all the women in the kingdom.  Esther, a secret Jew in the palace of the King.  Esther, an orphan slave, becomes the only hope for all the Jews in Persia.  She asks for prayer and fasting, then develops a life-threatening plan (her own life!) to get to the king with the truth.

FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS … Where has God placed you for such a time as this?  Who has God seated you beside for such a time?  Why were you paired with that person for such a time?  What does God want you to do in such a time as this?

Doing what God has for you takes bravery and courage sometimes.  Let us have the courage to ask the Lord, “Is this such a time?”