Category: First Things First Devotional

“If you keep silent at this time, liberation and deliverance will come to the Jewish people from another place, but you and your father’s house will be destroyed. Who knows perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.” Esther 4:14 HCSB

When I accepted a position with Lifeway Christian Resources as an editor of youth Bible study materials, it required that we move to the Nashville area. First we looked in the Franklin area but could not find a suitable home. We then explored homes in the Hendersonville area and even had contracts on two different homes that fell through due to some unexpected structural circumstances. Time for school to begin was quickly approaching and we needed to find a home so our children could get established in a new school. Reluctantly, we looked in the Murfreesboro area where we finally found a home. At the time, little did I know that four years later I would become the Minister of Education and Administration for Belle Aire Baptist Church in Murfreesboro. God knew that I would be there and made sure we relocated to that area four years earlier so my children would not need to move again.

God always knows what is best for His children. He places people in the right place at the right time to accomplish His will. Mordecai encouraged Esther to go before the king with her request. He recognized God’s hand in Esther being selected as the queen. God had placed her in her royal position for such a time as this so she could be a part of God’s plan to save the Jewish people.

Challenge: When you wonder why God has you in a certain place or situation, do not worry or complain, but rather thank Him for His love and protection, knowing you are exactly where He can best use you. God has a plan to prosper you and not to harm you. (Jeremiah 29:11). Listen to the song “Trust His Heart” as sung by Cynthia Clawson and Wayne Watson on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnOAJIYl2XM

Mordecai told the messenger to reply to Esther, “Don’t think that you will escape the fate of all the Jews because you are in the king’s palace.” Esther 4:13 HCSB

Jonah ran from God and what God had commanded him to do. When the storms came Jonah was thrown overboard and was swallowed by a large whale, but God took care of him and saved him from drowning. Jonah later repented of his sins and God used him in a great way to accomplish His will.

Although Esther was queen and enjoyed the protection of being in the king’s palace, she still needed God’s protection. Her position and wealth were not enough to protect her. Deliverance only comes from God. Mordecai warned her that eventually her secret of being a Jew would come to light and she would suffer the same fate as all of her own people.

Challenge: No one is exempt from facing problems in life. We cannot depend on our own strength and position to prevent suffering. We all need God’s protection, wisdom, and direction.

Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him to tell Mordecai, “All the royal officials and the people of the royal provinces know that one law applies to every man or woman who approaches the king in the inner courtyard and who has not been summoned – the death penalty. Only if the king extends the gold scepter will that person live. I have not been summoned to appear before the king for the last 30 days.” Esther 4:10-11 HCSB

In the past to help youth understand various church-related leadership roles, churches would honor the youth during an annual Youth Sunday and encourage them to assume all positions of leadership. When I was 14 years old, I served as the youth pastor on Youth Sunday. Another teen served as the Minister of Music, and others served as Sunday School teachers. When I stood up to preach that morning, I was afraid I would not do a job of excellence and embarrass myself and my parents. Despite my fear, by God’s grace I was able to stand and deliver the message God had given to me.

Esther was afraid (4:4). Her response to Mordecai’s request would have been, “Do you realize what you’re asking me to do?” Nobody knew that Esther was a Jew and she could have easily kept her secret. She was in a safe environment with many luxuries. Why would she have wanted to put her life on the line for her people? Mordecai encouraged her to be strong and have faith that God would protect her. God has provided protection and boldness to others who faced difficult situations (Joshua, David, and Paul just to name a few).

Challenge: If you yield to fear, you are communicating that God is not strong enough to take care of you. Our actions often speak louder than our words and impact others and the body of Christ. When facing difficult situations, trust God. He will not abandon you.

So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square in front of the King’s Gate. Mordecai told him everything that had happened as well as the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay the royal treasury for the slaughter of the Jews. Esther 4:6-7 HCSB

It has been very fulfilling for me to reconnect through Face book with former students in my youth ministry groups. I have been inspired to see how God has worked in their lives and how they now have families and are making a difference in God’s kingdom. I am amazed how God has used me to impact the lives of others.

Hathach was a servant of the Persian emperor. Obviously, he was assigned to care for Queen Esther and was a key player in the salvation of the Jews. Queen Esther is the main character, but God used Hathach to deliver the message from Mordecai to Queen Esther. He was not afraid to be seen with Mordecai for he met openly with him in the city’s public square. Nor was he ashamed to be identified with the Jews.

Challenge: God can use you to make a difference in our world. Do not be afraid to take a stand and do what is right. Be bold as you openly take a stand for God and His people. God will bless you for being faithful in doing what is pleasing in his sight.

In the first month, the month of Nisan, the King Ahasuerus’s twelfth year, Pur (that is, the lot) was cast before Haman for each day in each month, and it fell on the twelfth month, the month Adar. Then Haman informed King Ahasuerus, “There is one ethnic group, scattered throughout the peoples in every province of your kingdom, yet living in isolation. Their laws are different from everyone else’s and they do not obey the king’s laws. It is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them. If the king approves, let an order be drawn up authorizing their destruction, and I will pay 375 tons of silver to the accountants for deposit in the royal treasury. Esther 3:7-9 HCSB

People play the lottery every day and select numbers they feel are “lucky” and will help them win. Others seek the advice of a palm reader or fortune teller to make decisions and plan their future. Still others read their horoscopes each day hoping to find direction from the stars.

Haman “cast lots” to determine the best time to plan his destruction of the Jews. The casting of lots was a common practice to make decisions. The soldiers at the foot of the cross of Jesus cast lots to determine who would receive His robe. Interestingly, Haman’s plan played right into God’s plan. The casting of the lots selected a time that was almost a year later. This gave Esther plenty of time to make her plea before the king. Also, the Persian word for lots was “purim”, which became the name of the holiday celebrated by the Jews when they were delivered, not killed, on the day appointed by Haman.

Challenge: Know that God is sovereign and has everything under control. We may not always completely understand God’s ways, but we must trust Him, knowing that He knows what is best and can bring good even out of the negative circumstances that Satan throws into our lives. When faced with a decision, seek God’s will instead of relying on “lots” and other worldly methods. God wants to help His children in every area of life.

And when he learned of Mordecai’s ethnic identity, Haman decided not to do away with Mordecai alone. He planned to destroy all of Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout Ahasuerus’s kingdom. Esther 3:6

It is hard to believe that in today’s culture there are people who are prejudiced toward those with a different skin color or cultural background. Some even think they are better than others. The riots and looting in Ferguson, Missouri in recent days are a result of racial tensions. Even today there are people who would like to eliminate the Jewish race from our planet. Having feelings of prejudice toward others is fueled by a selfish attitude and a sense of superiority.

Haman’s ancestors were enemies of the Jews. He was prejudiced toward the Jews and wanted to see not only Mordicai die, but he wanted all of the Jews dead. He hated a group of people because of their beliefs and cultural differences. Prejudice always grows out of a sense of personal pride – considering oneself better than others.

Challenge: Do you have feelings of prejudice toward others who may have a different color of skin? Do you treat differently those who have a different cultural background? God created everyone and loves everyone equally. Jesus died for all the people of the world – every tribe and nation. Pray that God will help you to have a proper attitude toward others and not consider yourself better than others in any way.

When Haman saw that Mordecai was not bowing down or paying him homage, he was filled with rage. Esther 3:5

The following statistics compiled from the NHTSA and the Auto Vantage auto club show that aggressive driving and road rage are causing serious problems on our roads.
* 66% of traffic fatalities are caused by aggressive driving.
* 37% of aggressive driving incidents involve a firearm.
* Males under the age of 19 are the most likely to exhibit road rage.
* Half of drivers who are on the receiving end of an aggressive behavior, such as horn honking, a rude gesture, or tailgating admit to responding with aggressive behavior themselves.
* Over a seven year period, 218 murders and 12,610 injuries were attributed to road rage.

One frightening statistic worth noting is:
* 2% of drivers admit to trying to run an aggressor off the road!

Cars did not exist in Haman’s time, but it seems that if Haman had owned a car he would have been a good candidate to exhibit “road rage”. Haman enjoyed the power and prestige of his position. He felt that he was important and deserved to have others bow down and worship him. When Mordecai would not bow down and pay homage, it enraged Haman. His anger was not only directed toward Mordecai, but toward all Jews and what they stood for – their dedication to the one true God who has complete authority and is the only One worthy of praise and worship. Haman must have seen himself as a god that deserved to be worshiped.

Challenge: Do you get angry while driving? Have you been a victim of “road rage”? Do you have an anger issue? Pray and ask God to help you stay calm, cool, and collected when faced with stressful situations or with someone who is exhibiting “road rage”. Remember you are a representative of the One True God.

The members of the royal staff at the King’s Gate asked Mordecai, “Why are you disobeying the king’s command?” When they had warned him day after day and he still would not listen to them, they told Haman to see if Mordecai’s actions would be tolerated, since he had told them he was a Jew. Esther 3:3-4 HCSB

In general all four of my children enjoyed being together as children and even today I am blessed that my adult children still enjoy getting together to spend time on vacation or to celebrate a birthday. There were times as young children that they seemed to enjoy getting the other one in trouble. Sometimes one of the them would “tattle” or “tell” on one of the others in hopes of getting the other sibling in trouble. At times this was a ploy to divert my attention to one of the other children in an effort that he or she could get the other child in trouble and find favor with me.

That is exactly what the royal staff was doing. They ran to Haman to “tattle” on Mordecai. They told Haman what Mordecai was doing with the hope of getting him in trouble and finding favor with Haman. Being a “tattletale” is not a becoming characteristic and usually stems from selfish attitudes and the desire to be seen as supportive of someone. The royal family may not have liked bowing to Haman, therefore did not like the fact that Mordecai was getting away with disobeying the king’s order. They decided to point out that Mordecai was not following the king’s command; furthermore they wanted Haman to know that Mordecai was a Jew.

Challenge: Have you been a tattletale in an effort to get someone in trouble? Evaluate your personal desires and ambitions. Think of others more highly than yourself. Focus on what would be best for others instead of what is best for you, then seek to do what would benefit other people.

After all this took place, King Ahaerus honored Haman, son of Hammedatha the Agagite. He promoted him in rank and gave him a higher position than all the other officials. The entire royal staff at the King’s Gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, because the king had commanded this to be done for him. But Mordecai would not bow down or pay homage. Esther 3:1-2 HCSB

Listverse.com reports: A 62-year-old homeless woman from Calgary, Canada found a purse stuffed with over $10,000 in cash, and even though she was living at the local YWCA shelter at the time, she chose to turn it in. “It never crossed my mind to keep the money,” she said. “It’s not mine to keep.” There are many stories of people who have chosen to do what it right even though it cost them in some way.

Mordecai decided to do what was right, even if it cost him his life. He evaluated the risk and had the courage to take a stand against the pressure to bow down and worship Haman. Mordecai was a Jew and He knew it was wrong to bow down and worship anyone or anything other than the one true God. It would have been easy to rationalize that he could bow down but not really worship Haman, but he decided to go against the crowd and what was popular to follow God. Mordecai had faith in God and was determined he would not bow down and worship Haman.

Challenge: Choose to do what is right. Often doing what is right is not the most popular thing to do. You will be in the minority. Pray for strength and courage as you stand up to the pressure of the world to follow God’s plan and will for your life.

Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s word to you. As you carefully observe the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith. Hebrews 13:7 HCSB

I have had the fortune of having many people in my life who have influenced and guided me. I can remember my fourth grade teacher who encouraged me when I was struggling with school. Dr. Tom Graves was my youth minister who influenced me to go into ministry. Dr. Bill Cromer was a seminary professor who taught me how to be a youth minister. Dr. Winfred Moore gave me a wonderful opportunity to serve as the youth minister at First Baptist Church, Amarillo, Texas which opened many other doors of ministry for me. Veryln Bergen gave me the opportunity to work as the youth consultant in the Sunday School department for the Missouri Baptist Convention. Dr. Roger Hatfield has been a close and encouraging friend over the years. I have been richly blessed by the people God has placed in my life.

We all owe much to those who have preceded us and have walked along side of us to teach us and model how we should live. This verse reminds us to observe the lives of those who have influenced us and to imitate their faith. Certainly, there have been parents and teachers who have taught each of us about God, His Son Jesus Christ, and how we can have forgiveness of sin and receive eternal life. In turn, there are others who God has placed in our lives that we are influencing in some way.

Challenge: Would you want others imitating you? Live your life in such a way that you are setting a good example and modeling how to live life as a follower of Jesus Christ. Thank God for those He has placed in your life who have influenced you to grow in your relationship with Him..