Isaiah 55:8-9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.
Perhaps you've heard this passage before. Perhaps even quoted it to yourself or others. For comfort. For understanding or acknowledging the sovereignty, wisdom and prominence of God. This passage lets us know that God doesn't think or act in the ways we do. He is so far outside our realm of imagination, thought, or understanding and His plans are infinitely better than ours could ever be. He takes in every detail, not just of us but of the whole of humankind and history to work out His perfect will and dominion. He takes into account the large sweep of humanity as well as the tiniest dot of our lives and weaves them together to fit His loving and wonderful agenda for all.
There are a few things I've been praying about for a long time. I've yet to see the answers I want. I feel as if I haven't seen changes or improvement yet. A little here, a little there....slow seems to be a quick way to describe the wait. But our Father has once again provided the encouragement I need to hang in there and keep up the prayer, the obedience (I could do a little better here for sure!) and to just continue to wait on Him.
This was our last week in Esther for our Bible Study Fellowship curriculum. We've seen the evil Haman plat the annilation of the Jewish people in the Persian kingdom. We saw an edict go out from King
Xerxes that on a certain date, all the Jews were to be killed and their property seized. One of the heroes of our story steps in to approach the king for the relief of her people. Queen Esther, at the peril of her life seeks the king's help to deliver her kinsmen. Unfortunately, the king's edict that he had put in place could not be reversed.
But God....
Esther sought the king to change his mind. God had something different, something bigger and better, in mind. He had a plan of deliverance, but it would come in a way that she didn't see. He would use the Jewish people to annihilate their enemies AND save their lives. God's plan not only saved them, but it also caused them to be safe from those who would have continued to desire their demise. It also brought many converts to the Hebrew way of life, thus saving more people that may never have sought the One true God. Haman, his family, and likeminded countrymen were killed, taking out the threat to the captive Hebrew nation, and by extension, us, because the lineage of Christ was perserved. Hallelujah! God is amazing!
Being in this book has been wonderful and so timely for me. There has been so much of God's hand to see in a book that never mentions Him by Name. He has reached out in comfort, encouragement and direction time after time as I've gone through this book again. I highly recommend you spend time reading and meditating on it.
Lord, I can't express the gratitude that wells up in my heart for the tenderloving care You bring to each of Your children. We are often so lost and stumble through our days wondering when it will change and when deliverance will come. We hold so tightly to our picture of redemption and help that we miss Your beautifully perfect plan and lose the peace of resting in You. Help us to go beyond our ideas, plans and feelings to trust and wait for Your timing and Your solutions. We love You and know there is no better way than Your way. And please Lord, let us have the boldness and humility of Esther. It's in the Name of our loving Savior I ask this, Amen.
Esther 8 On that same day King Xerxes gave the property of Haman, the enemy of the Jews, to Queen Esther. Then Mordecai was brought before the king, for Esther had told the king how they were related. 2 The king took off his signet ring—which he had taken back from Haman—and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed Mordecai to be in charge of Haman’s property. 3 Then Esther went again before the king, falling down at his feet and begging him with tears to stop the evil plot devised by Haman the Agagite against the Jews. 4 Again the king held out the gold scepter to Esther. So she rose and stood before him. 5 Esther said, “If it please the king, and if I have found favor with him, and if he thinks it is right, and if I am pleasing to him, let there be a decree that reverses the orders of Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, who ordered that Jews throughout all the king’s provinces should be destroyed. 6 For how can I endure to see my people and my family slaughtered and destroyed?” 7 Then King Xerxes said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, “I have given Esther the property of Haman, and he has been impaled on a pole because he tried to destroy the Jews. 8 Now go ahead and send a message to the Jews in the king’s name, telling them whatever you want, and seal it with the king’s signet ring. But remember that whatever has already been written in the king’s name and sealed with his signet ring can never be revoked.” 9 So on June 25 the king’s secretaries were summoned, and a decree was written exactly as Mordecai dictated. It was sent to the Jews and to the highest officers, the governors, and the nobles of all the 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia. The decree was written in the scripts and languages of all the peoples of the empire, including that of the Jews. 10 The decree was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the king’s signet ring. Mordecai sent the dispatches by swift messengers, who rode fast horses especially bred for the king’s service. 11 The king’s decree gave the Jews in every city authority to unite to defend their lives. They were allowed to kill, slaughter, and annihilate anyone of any nationality or province who might attack them or their children and wives, and to take the property of their enemies. 12 The day chosen for this event throughout all the provinces of King Xerxes was March 7 of the next year. 13 A copy of this decree was to be issued as law in every province and proclaimed to all peoples, so that the Jews would be ready to take revenge on their enemies on the appointed day. 14 So urged on by the king’s command, the messengers rode out swiftly on fast horses bred for the king’s service. The same decree was also proclaimed in the fortress of Susa. 15 Then Mordecai left the king’s presence, wearing the royal robe of blue and white, the great crown of gold, and an outer cloak of fine linen and purple. And the people of Susa celebrated the new decree. 16 The Jews were filled with joy and gladness and were honored everywhere. 17 In every province and city, wherever the king’s decree arrived, the Jews rejoiced and had a great celebration and declared a public festival and holiday. And many of the people of the land became Jews themselves, for they feared what the Jews might do to them.
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