You are alive today for such a time as this. We see this truth expressed to Queen Esther by her cousin Mordecai. An evil government official, Haman, plotted to kill all the Jews in the Persian Empire, telling King Xerxes that certain people did not keep the King’s laws. Of course, this was a lie, …
The idea of going from an orphaned immigrant to a queen seems like a fairy tale, yet the story of Esther is true. Esther’s ancestors had been exiled to Babylon when the Lord brought judgment on the Southern Kingdom of Judah. However, God still cared for His exiled people and worked through people like Mordecai …
The act of thinking of others before yourself is the blessing of humility. I know a friend with significant accomplishments in God’s Kingdom, yet he would be the last person to tell you about them. The Apostle Paul tells us the importance of humility. Philippians 2:3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, …
Receiving wise advice can be instrumental in fulfilling God’s plans for our lives. And we all need wise advice as we journey through life. We are better together, including seeking out advice from someone wiser than ourselves. Proverbs 12:15 Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others. [1] I recently …
You may not be aware that God has a plan for each of us, but He does. Yes, the Lord does give us free will, but only when the Lord leads us can His plan for our lives unfold in the way He desires. Every day, we make choices that can lead us closer to …
Overcoming the traps of the enemy is an ongoing spiritual battle. A day does not go by when the enemy is not trying to lead us astray or into temptation. You may be in a struggle currently, not realizing our enemy seeks to destroy you. But the Lord is also there to help His children …
The blessings of godly behavior impact everyone around us, including ourselves. We sometimes fail because we are sinful. But godly people repent and ask the Lord to help them go in the right direction. In failure, the Lord brings humility and our need for His daily strength to be the people He has called us …
Who was Xerxes? Secular history tells us he was the ruler of the Persian Empire from 486 to 465 B.C. His father was Darius I, and his grandfather was Cyrus the Great. His father had invaded Greece at the Battle of Marathon but had been shamefully defeated. It appears that he wanted to avenge his …
God’s perfect timing does not always seem that way when you are waiting on the Lord. As we wait on the Lord, we do not see the bigger picture of what God sees and how vital his timing is. As people of faith, we need to walk by faith, not sight, knowing the Lord is …
Trusting in God’s timing is a theme throughout the Scriptures. Abraham and Sarah had to wait twenty-five years for their son Isaac to be born. The people of the Old Testament waited for the coming of the Messiah. David waited fifteen years to become king of Israel. As our lives unfold, we spend a fair …