Do you courageously fulfill your God-given role?

 22 Jun 26

Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One

Readings:

Esther 4

Esther 5

Esther 6

Acts 5:17-42

Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this? (Esther 4:14). 

Do you courageously fulfill your God-given role?

Haman hatches a plot to exterminate the Jews. King Ahasuerus authorizes the dastardly plot, not knowing the details of Haman’s plan. Uncle Mordecai calls Esther, who is in a position of influence as queen, to approach Ahasuerus to rectify the situation. No one can see the king without being summoned; violating the standard would result in death lest the king offers a pardon. Esther turns to the Lord before entering Ahasuerus’ presence. She tells Mordecai the following: “My maids and I will fast likewise” (Esther 4:16). Fasting, accompanied by prayer, elicits boldness in Esther and moves the hand of God, which touches the heart of Ahasuerus. “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD” (Proverbs 21:1). 

Employment Point: Seek God’s power through prayer and fasting to fulfill your God-given mission.

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Reflections

Esther 4:14 has been a verse that spoke to me at a time when I was feeling a bit confused about what the Lord wants me to do. I have been reminded that it doesn’t matter what work we do, being a servant of the Lord. What’s more important is the person we serve. Just that in the present season of my life, I realised I have really been plugged to a place for such a time like these. These are not permanent places but it is good for me to be there and be trained in the areas that the Lord has placed me.

 ““All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.””Esther‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

• I was thinking when Esther was saying those words, it was not because she didn’t want to help Mordecai but her circumstances (the king has not summoned her for 30 days), probably made her sceptical of whether it can be done. Of course there is a hint of fear of death due to the mentioning of approaching the king in the inner court. This means that she had thought about it but think it may not be a good idea.

“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?””

‭‭Esther‬ ‭4‬:‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

• I sometimes do wonder if wherever we are at are exactly where we should be in this particular season of life. We are not a mistake and things did not happen by coincidence. It is the Lord’s plan of using His people for different purposes, if we are willing vessels.

““Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.””Esther‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

• someone once said that to me..  “if I perish, I perish.” I am a leader and I need to weigh the consequences of actions. To me, I felt it was not a calculated risk I should take due to the too many unknowns. Besides, should anything really happened, the family would be so upset with me. But of course, we all have our freedom of choice or freewill. But at whose expense? 
• I think end of the day, I’m glad I did not accede to the request and the trip did help me understand how our bodies may be stretched differently and how different people have different perceived levels of risk.

“Haman boasted to them about his vast wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials.”Esther‬ ‭5‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

• it just seems that no good will ever come to those who boast. Better for us as children of God to remain humble and stay grounded

“That night the king could not sleep; so he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him.”

‭‭Esther‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

• to have this part recorded in the bible kinds of tells us that the Lord has His way to turn things around. Even when He himself has decreed death for all the Jews and perhaps even forgotten about it. It was in the reading that he was reminded that he still Mordecai the honour for doing good. 
• Isn’t this a great encouragement to us that rewards or honour come at the time where we least expect them but always in the perfect time.

“Afterward Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief, and told Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him. His advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, “Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has started, is of Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him—you will surely come to ruin!””

‭‭Esther‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

• I can imagine how Haman may be feeling. Totally defeated. He went out of the house ready to get Mordecai impaled on the pole he had set up and yet was met with the king’s request to honour him instead! Someone whom he wished dead is someone whom he had to robe and proclaim honour! How angry he must have been!!

“But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.””Acts‬ ‭5‬:‭39‬ ‭NIV‬‬

• Gamaliel spoke words of wisdom for once, coming from the Pharisees. We ought to give thanks to the Lord for His powerful hand over all His creation. Indeed nobody can win against God. If the Lord wills it, who can stop him?

“The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.”Acts‬ ‭5‬:‭41‬ ‭NIV‬‬

• the apostles had just been flogged and told not to preach in the name of Jesus before they were set free. Yet instead of complaining or being bitter, they rejoice! 
• Would we have a similar reaction if the same thing happens to us? This is something worth reflecting about

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The Unchanging Law of Judgment

BY OSWALD CHAMBERS

June 22

With what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. —Matthew 7:2

This statement is not some haphazard theory, but it is an eternal law of God. Whatever judgment you give will be the very way you are judged. There is a difference between retaliation and retribution. Jesus said that the basis of life is retribution— “with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” If you have been shrewd in finding out the shortcomings of others, remember that will be exactly how you will be measured. The way you pay is the way life will pay you back. This eternal law works from God’s throne down to us (see Psalm 18:25-26).

Romans 2:1 applies it in even a more definite way by saying that the one who criticizes another is guilty of the very same thing. God looks not only at the act itself, but also at the possibility of committing it, which He sees by looking at our hearts. To begin with, we do not believe the statements of the Bible. For instance, do we really believe the statement that says we criticize in others the very things we are guilty of ourselves? The reason we see hypocrisy, deceit, and a lack of genuineness in others is that they are all in our own hearts. The greatest characteristic of a saint is humility, as evidenced by being able to say honestly and humbly, “Yes, all those, as well as other evils, would have been exhibited in me if it were not for the grace of God. Therefore, I have no right to judge.”

Jesus said, “Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matthew 7:1). He went on to say, in effect, “If you do judge, you will be judged in exactly the same way.” Who of us would dare to stand before God and say, “My God, judge me as I have judged others”? We have judged others as sinners— if God should judge us in the same way, we would be condemned to hell. Yet God judges us on the basis of the miraculous atonement by the Cross of Christ.

Esther 6-8; Acts 6

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

Jesus Christ is always unyielding to my claim to my right to myself. The one essential element in all our Lord’s teaching about discipleship is abandon, no calculation, no trace of self-interest.

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Reflections

I think it is indeed true when people say that it takes one to know another. If we can see that sin in others, we know that sin and would likely had committed that sin. That is how we know. We recognise the patterns and the signs of sin. Either it is by God’s grace that He managed to transform us to turn for the better or we may still be sinning as we were before. Prompting us to change. 

Looking at sin is like looking at the mirror. It reflects back what is seen and cannot be hidden. When the Lord exposes such sin in others life and made it known to us, sometimes it is a prompting that others see our sins as well and it is then up to us to take actions to undo, correct, confess and repent.

“Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.”

‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Those reflections are meant to be like reminders. Telling us which areas are dirty and need to be cleaned. Telling us if there are anything which we may not see but is able to see through a mirror. It becomes an avenue for us to reflect upon. Especially the things in our life that the Lord wishes to change or transform.

Specifically to the sin of judgement, we are also reminded not to judge else whatever we used to judge would be used on us. The greatest reminder being Jesus asking anyone who had no sin to be the first to throw a stone at the woman who sinned. They all recognised that no one is perfect and since that is so, who are we to judge a fellow brother or sister who is also imperfect as we are and all made in the image of God?

There may be things which are even subtle and we don’t even realise it. For example, the following are some things I have heard and seen it myself, which makes me reflect and think twice.

• calling someone an idiot because they acted terribly
• talking in a sarcastic or unloving manner
• Shouting at someone
• Trying to be right
• Being self-entitled 

I think we may all been there done that or even still stuck in one of those because we need to recognise that we are all work-in-progress. There is no guarantee that we will definitely improve in time but it is guaranteed that the Holy Spirit will continue to prompt and shape us to be more Christ-like if we continue to seek Him.

Let’s pray:

Heavenly Father, we come to you to repent of our sins of judgment. We are sorry that we should not be judging our fellow brothers and sisters but none of us, including myself is perfect. Instead of judging, Father may You grant us a heart of grace and peace, so that we have the skill as well as the heart to encourage, care and love these people. Help us to persevere to the goal that You have set before us to eternal life. Thank You Lord. In Jesus’s most precious name we ask and pray. Amen 🙏🏻