Chester ARP Devotional Podcast

Queen Esther and Mordecai convinced the king to issue a decree allowing the Jews to defend themselves from the attacks of their neighbors. Their freedom was going to be won. 

Every decision we make has consequences, whether good or bad. This is especially true for our evil and sinful choices. Haman's story is an excellent warning to us. 

Haman's plot was exposed by Queen Esther during her second banquet with the King and Haman. It was not a good day for him. 

King Ahasuerus honored Mordecai for his discovery of the plot against the king's life. Haman was the one to honor Mordecai. 

Haman devised a plan for hanging Mordecai because he was angry over the fact that Mordecai wouldn't bow to him. 

King Ahasuerus welcomed Queen Esther into his court. God ordained that this interaction would be operate in that way. 

The news of Haman's plot against the Jews reached Esther, and Mordecai challenged her to do something about it. God will accomplish His will. The question is, will we be a part of it? 

Mordecai and the rest of the Jews tore their clothes, lamented, and wore sackcloth and ashes once they heard the news of the Jews' impending annihilation. They turned to their God, the only one to whom they could turn in that moment. 

Confusion set in the minds of Susa's residents when the evil genocidal plans of Haman and King Ahasuerus were made known. People didn't know how to process the news that the entire Jewish population would be annihilated. Neither do we. 

Haman was a little man emotionally and mentally. He plotted against the Jews because Mordecai refused to bow down to him. He couldn't handle any opposition. Many worldly leaders operate the same way today. 

God put Mordecai in a position to discover a plot to kill the King of Persia. He told Esther about the plot, and she told the king. As a result, Mordecai's name was recorded in the chronicles of the kingdom. God had good intentions then, and he still does now. 

God is at work behind the scenes in the Esther story. We see his providential hand throughout. He put her in the position to be queen and gave her favor with all those in authority. He works in our lives the same way. 

Queen Vashti refused the King's command to appear before his drunken buddies to show off her body. Her inspiring decision had significant consequences, but she was willing to pay the price for maintaining her dignity. 

King Ahasuerus had it all -- money, fame, power, wealth. No one was going to stop him. We live in a day like his and have the same call as the Jews in his day -- live faithfully with our God. 

Esther is a story for the exiles living away from their homeland. It's a story of survival. It's as applicable to us as it was its original readers. 

Nehemiah concluded his book with a list of reforms that he brought to Jerusalem while serving as the leader during the rebuilding of the wall. All reforms were meant to restore the worship of our true God among the people. Our call is similar in our day. 

Nehemiah brought religious and societal reform to the Jews when he led the work of rebuilding the wall. These changes were to purify Jerusalem. 

We praise the Lord for his good work in and through us. He deserves all the credit. 

The Judeans took practical steps to help them follow the Lord more faithfully. We can learn from them. 

God deals with his people faithfully, so we walk with him in faith. Recommitting our lives to him is the call on our hearts when he brings us back from wandering from him. 

God pursues his people in his grace. The story of the Judges reveals his great love for us. 

The Judeans found comfort in God's grace and faithfulness as they confessed their sins to him. We can know the same comfort when we confess our sins before the Lord. 

The Jews gathered to confess their sin to the Lord corporately. They had sinned as a people and needed to confess it as a people. We are to do the same. 

Nehemiah told the Israelites not to mourn, but to celebrate God's glory and grace. He had been kind to them, and they weren't to get lost in the darkness of their own self-pity. Neither are we. 

Recommitting to the Lord is a necessary thing for faithful followers of the Lord. We are to learn from the Jews and respond to God's grace in faith and repentance.