by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Esther 6-8
I wonder who kept King Ahasuerus from sleeping and brought to his mind the chronicles for nighttime reading. I think I can guess.
Our God has a way of getting the job done. While the king reads the books, he happens to notice that Mordecai had never been rewarded for saving his life. What a terrific time for him to notice! Just when the awareness is needed.
So Haman’s own plans turn on him. The honor he plans for himself goes to Mordecai, and the gallows he plans for Mordecai is where Haman winds up. There is a proverb which states, “The righteousness of the blameless will smooth his way. But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.” (Prov. 11:5). I think we are seeing this in action.
If you are facing some unjust issues, I would suggest that you really turn to God. Spend time with Him in prayer and reading the Word. He will guide you and He will take care of the problem for you.
There have been many times when I have faced problems which seemed insurmountable in the natural. As I would take the case to God, I would gain greater understanding and often some direction. In a couple of cases, He would show me that I was harboring unforgiveness toward those people. of course, i would have to let that go. Then he has ordered my steps.
The most exciting part, however, has been the times when I would see God at work – in a way that was impossible for me. he can get inside of hearts – with dreams, sending the right people across a path, having “just the right” TV programs come on the air. I have seen Him work in so many ways.
Our God is a God we can trust. If we do our part, honoring Him with our obedience, we will see His work on our behalf.
Acts 6
Stephen is a testimony to all of the lay people out there who want to walk in closeness with God. Sometimes people get the wrong impression that certain levels of closeness are only for the ministers. Stephen proves that idea to be wrong.
Stephen is a server. His job in the church is to serve the widows their meals. In fact, he is doing this so that the apostles are not burdened with anything but prayer and ministry of the word. So many might get the idea that Stephen isn’t that “spiritual.”
Wrong. Stephen is full of grace and power, and performing great wonders and signs among the people. (V. 8) When the religious leaders try to argue with Stephen, they are “unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.” (V.10)
Stephen is a sign to us, that we need to take the wraps off of our relationship with God. We don’t have to be timid or afraid that we aren’t valuable enough. God loves us all, and he wants our lives to be productive. Just as Stephen is shown with great wisdom, signs, and wonders, we can expect to the same.
Very few people, even good Christians, reach for God’s highest plan. It takes focus, energy, and fortitude to have that level of relationship with our Creator. But that relationship is available.
As we proceed with the New Testament, we will see more examples. Are you ready for the challenge?
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Esther 3-5
Pride personified! That’s Haman. He has conjured his way up the hierarchy so that he is second to the king, but his pride is about to bring him down.
Furious that Mordecai doesn’t bow down to him, Haman talks the king into killing all of the Jews. His lies seem to be working.
Little does he know that Esther, the queen, is a Jew, so he has a big surprise coming.
As the story unfolds, we see the bigger picture which God had all along, and we see that Mordecai knew how to walk it out. Remember, he had counseled Esther as she prepared for her selection as queen. His advice had procured that high position for her so that she now she was in the place of the king’s respect. Then he had advised her not to let her heritage be known. All of that advice will soon be paying off.
Now Mordecai solicits the help of his niece. It’s a risky thing he asks her to do, but he wants Esther to inform the king of her heritage now and ask for mercy on her people. Mordecai’s remark is one of the famous Bible passages. “Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this.”(4:14).
With all of the Jews fasting and praying, Esther begins the challenge and obviously has the king’s favor.
In the meantime, Haman’s pride is getting him in deeper and deeper. Furious over Mordecai’s attitude, he erects a gallows so that Mordecai can be hanged.
Tomorrow we will see the wrap up of these events.
Today, let’s remember Mordecai’s famous verse. There are times when the going seems tough as we walk out God’s plan for our lives. Yet this verse can bring great courage to us when we take it to heart. Each of us has a purpose, and the closer we walk with God, the closer we will get to the purpose. There will be times when we will realize that God’s hand on our lives is bringing us to a special moment. And we will be willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish what God has set before us.
Who knows, maybe you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this.
Acts 5:21-42
These disciples are unstoppable.
Yesterday as we left, the apostles had been let out of prison by an angel, and told to go and teach in the temple. So when the officers go to the prison to take them before the council, the apostles are not there. They are reported to be teaching in the temple again.
As the men are now brought before the council, they inspire rage in the leaders. Peter begins to preach to the leaders again. And the results are obvious. “When they hear this they are cut to the quick and are intending to slay them.”(V. 33)
Gamaliel saves the day by reminding these leaders that if they kill the apostles, they might be fighting against God.
So we have two unstoppable forces. The disciples are unstoppable in their determination to preach the gospel. The church leaders are unstoppable in their course of evil. No miracle, no word, not even the demonstration of Jesus’ reality by the wisdom in His men. Nothing catches their attention to change course. They are on a mission to stomp out Christianity, and nothing will stop them, if they can help it.
Stubbornness for the right cause shows character; stubbornness for the wrong cause shows foolishness. I pray that you and I will have the first of these two.
We need to be determined and diligent for our cause, but we have to stay teachable. Only the teachable will stay on the right course, and that’s where we want to be.
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Esther 1-2
Esther is the first of a few books which will be written during the Jewish captivity in Babylon. Even though these people are in a foreign land, having been judged by God, there are those who remain faithful to Him and they see tremendous miracles.
Ronald Reagan once made a remark which I thought was splendid.During an election season he was encouraged by some to speak more blatantly about some of his views. He refused. He said, “I have no intentions of jumping off a cliff, waving a banner, just because it feels good on the way down.” Now that’s what I call wisdom. His job was to get elected; not to rant and rave. He could openly lead his charge after he was president.
Esther seems to subscribe to the same wisdom. I have heard women describe this passage of Esther as someone who was willing to stand up for her rights (Vashti), versus someone who wouldn’t (Esther).
I see it in a different manner. I see someone who is foolish (Vashti), versus someone who is wise (Esther). Or someone who is prideful, versus someone who is humble.
Either way, I side with Esther. She’s the one who is going to get the job done.
Mordecai is a man of great wisdom, and he raised her as a daughter. She grew up knowing that it was good to accept his advice. She heeds his instruction concerning her preparation for royalty. and she heeds his advice when he wants her to remain silent about her heritage.
As we continue in this book, I hope you will put yourself in Esther’s place. As she humbly accepts the inevitable and works within the system – trusting God, she is in for some tremendous surprises.
I love to see God at work on someone’s behalf. When we are faithful to Him, He tops us every time.
Acts 5:1-20
Our God is a God of miracles. As we continue in our study of the early church. we see the people constantly witnessing God’s hand.
First Ananias and Sapphira fall dead after lying to the Holy Spirit. People are selling their land and bringing the money to the apostles. Ananias and Sapphira sell their land and pretend to be bringing all of the proceeds, but they are keeping some for themselves.(V.1-10). It isn’t that God requires them to give it all, it’s that he wants no hypocrisy. They are doing it for show and pretending to be more generous than they are. A big mistake!
God’s Spirit is Holy, and when He is present in our midst, darkness can’t stay.
Second, we see many signs, wonders, and miracles happening by the hands of the Christians. People are even bringing their sick on cots to the streets, so that when the disciples walk by they may be healed. Even Peter’s shadow heals the sick. (V. 15) What an anointing!
Third, we see the high priest and his crew trying to stop the activity, so they put some of the apostles in jail. But an angel comes and opens the gates so that they escape from the prison, and go to the temple to preach again.
These early Christians know what it’s all about. They throw themselves into their walk with God, and they hold back nothing from Him. These are exciting times in the kingdom. After all of the years of God’s dealings with the Jews, it’s becoming clearer what God has been up to all along. He has meticulously been bringing forth His plan for man to have His Spirit in them.
That’s still His plan. Over the years, people have tried to water down the faith. They have even tried to say that miracles no longer exist, but these nay-sayers are wrong.
I have witnessed many miracles, and expect to see more. Some you have to look for, but some are very obvious. I have seen sudden healings and restorative miracles. I have also seen people set free from drugs and alcohol. Any of these are miracles.
As we seek a greater closeness to God, we will see more and more of His handiwork. There’s nothing greater than being in His presence, hearing His voice, and watching Him do His work.
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Nehemiah 10-13
Nehemiah wants a do-over, it seems. By searching out the scriptures, he attempts to start once again in the Promised Land.
First he has someone recite a proclamation declaring the history of the Jews, and God’s faithfulness to them. Then he has all of the leaders sign a decree that they “are taking upon themselves a curse and an oath to walk in God’s law which was given through Moses.”( 10:29)
Next comes the division of land, just as when the Jews first entered the Promised Land.
They then gather together and dedicate the wall of Jerusalem – with great singing and rejoicing. “So that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar!”(12:43)
Finally, they search the law to see anything which isn’t being done correctly, and they try to straighten out the policies.
When comparing these chapters to the books of Moses, it’s easy to see that they are trying to recapture the first entrance into the Promised Land. Nehemiah and his gang are acknowledging all of the sin that has transpired, and they are trying to do it right this time.
When we read the scripture, it’s good for us to notice principles which are not being followed. We are no longer under the Mosaic law, but the New Covenant. Yet there are principles in this covenant which we have to follow.
For instance, Jesus talks a lot about forgiveness. Are we forgiving? He mentions alms and giving. What about that?
If our hearts are right, we will want to implement things which are God’s principles. We won’t be adhering to everything Nehemiah did, but we will have our own set of principles. In fact, our new set of principles are harder to implement than the old ones, because they are from the heart. (It’s not just that you don’t commit adultery, but you don’t even lust after someone).
Our principles are harder, but they are doable. Now, as born again believers, we have the ability to do what our Father desires because of the Holy Spirit who lives within us.
Acts 4
The new Peter even has the boldness to stand before the high priests and declare the truth of God’s Word – and the truth about Jesus. Starting with, “If we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well,”…and ending with, “there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.” Quite a sermon!
Their hearts must really be hard. After hearing all of the testimony of Peter, and all of the confirming scriptures, they still are angry and want this behavior to stop. To even make it more startling, these leaders admit that a “notable miracle” has taken place. They just want them to stop!
It’s hard to believe that leaders of the Jews, when seeing the Spirit of God now in the hearts of men, performing the same miracles that Jesus had done, don’t at least stop and think about their actions. But they don’t.
These leaders are so prideful and full of lust for power, that they have no compassion on a blind man who sees. They don’t care. They just want to keep their position and power.
Pride can cause unbelievable evil. Today, we wouldn’t deny Jesus and His healing power, but we still have to watch out for pride. With us it takes a different form.
It might be that we see people through judgmental eyes. Perhaps we judge based on education or status or ethnicity.
Any such judgment comes from a heart of pride. God doesn’t see us or them that way. He sees us through the eyes of Jesus. Using the prideful judgment, we never would have chosen Abraham, or David, or Gideon, or even Mary.
Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart.
As we pursue God with everything that’s in us, let’s be sure to watch for pride trying to creep in. It’s sneaky and it’s dangerous.
Yes, Lord, I want to be humble before You.
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Nehemiah 7-9
What a history these Jews have. After the walls are rebuilt and genealogies are taken, the people are gathered for Ezra to read the law.
These people have been in captivity in Babylon all of their lives, so they have never had any personal experience in the Promised Land. Yet it shows how the traditions have been passed on from generation to generation.
These have heard from their parents and grandparents about the wonderful land they left behind. They have heard the age-old stories about how God had called their ancestor Abraham, and how He had led them all of those years – through Egyptian bondage to the wilderness and to the Promised Land. They recognize themselves as God’s covenant people -who have always had His mercy and favor, but who have not been faithful to Him.
By pulling out the law for all to hear – and by enumerating in detail all of the years of God’s dealings with them, these people are committing their lives back to their one true God.
In the middle of these events, they have a tremendous day of celebration. In fact, the edict goes out that no one is to be grieved or sorrowful that day. It is a Holy day to the Lord, and everyone must eat, drink celebrate with joy.
Today there are those who are being called by the Lord to wake up and restore the age-old dealings the Lord has had with us. We do it the same way they did. We take out the Word of God, dust it off, and read, read, read.
Within the pages of our Bible there is a history and a promise to all who will walk with Him. Not every one is interested in such a walk, but some people are.
I want to be counted with those who are wiling to do just that. Now our Bible contains much more than theirs did in Nehemiah. Now ours contains the New Testament – with the completed work of Jesus on the cross, the Holy Spirit now living within us, and a fresh new vision from God – for all men everywhere who desire to be His.
As we read, we always see more of the mystery being revealed. We see more of what our covenant entails – and more of our mission from our Father.
We get energized and encouraged to run the race with vigor and determination, always keeping our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. (Hebrews 12:1-2).
Acts 3
A lame man, who has been set down at the gate of the temple every day so that he could beg alms, must have seen Jesus many times. Our savior went by that way as He taught in the temple and healed many others. For some reason, Jesus never healed this man. Obviously, the man never asked to be healed, but I think there was another reason. I think that Jesus was saving this notable miracle for His disciples.
So what happens here? He doesn’t ask to be healed, he wants Peter and John to give him alms.
But Peter gazes at him and says, “I do not possess gold and silver, but what I do have, I’ll give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, rise and walk.”(V. 6)
The man, who has been lame from birth, gets up and begins to walk, leap, and praise God for his healing.
Then, of course, the transformed Peter can’t help himself. He stands up again and preaches to the gathered crowd – once again proving the scriptures about God’s mighty deliverance through Jesus.
Peter and John are acting just like Jesus Himself. These transformed men are sights to behold! This Holy Spirit they have just received must really be something!
He is!
