Today’s reading: Esther 9:1-10
Esther 9:1-10 is a difficult passage because of the violence and death that takes place. So when I read this account, I always start by making sure I’m keeping in mind that this is a historical account from long ago that took place in a different country and culture and in a time that is quite different from today.
God’s provision and the way in which He protected the Jews stood out prominently to me today. As I look back over my own life and think about many accounts in the Bible, often the way God moves and answers our prayers is so much different than what our limited human minds envision. The Jews had asked God to help and protect them, and He absolutely did–in His BIG and unique way. Rather than God simply safeguarding the Jews as the designated day of Haman’s edict played out, He provided complete and ongoing protection through the edict from Mordecai, which gave the Jews a protective status and allowed them to go on the offensive against those who hated them and planned to do them harm. Verse 1 states: “…on the very day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, the reverse occurred: the Jews gained mastery over those who hated them.”
What’s your experience with God making BIG provision for you and your family? How does knowing that God’s ways are different–bigger, more creative, beyond our human thinking–impact your prayers going forward? Tami
Source: Tami’s Blog
