Devotion
Do not anger the king’s queen!
David Jacobs
It may sound chauvinistic, but I am extremely protective of the women that I care about the most in my life. If anyone tries to harm my mother, sister, or wife, they will certainly have to deal with me as well. I try to be a good Christian and control my temper, but it is easy to lose my temper even thinking about something bad happening to them because of someone else. Unfortunately for the genocidal prince to King Xerxes, Haman, he messed with the wrong woman.
Esther was a Jewish woman and wife of King Xerxes. When Haman was promoted to the highest aid of the king, a Jewish man, Mordecai, refused to bow to him. Infuriated by Mordecai's lack of respect, Haman approached the king with a plan to kill all of the Jews in the kingdom. When Esther learnt of this, she hatched her own plan to kill Haman. She organized two feasts with Haman and the king, hoping to get them a bit drunk and let their guards down. On the second day and after winning the favor of her husband, Esther asked him to kill Haman. When the king left in a fury, he came back to see that Haman had collapsed, perhaps hiding from the king, in the same bed as Esther. Further enraged, Xerxes ordered Haman to be killed on the exact gallows that Haman had constructed for Mordecai. Ah, sweet revenge!
Although this passage is devoid of much Godly action, it does paint a good picture of what the Jews have faced throughout much of their existence: persecution, slavery, and genocide. Brother and sisters of Christ! We must be better than the wicked Haman!
Prayer
Although there are certainly differences between people, we know that we should treat others as we would like them to treat us (Matthew 7:12). Not as Haman, Xerxes, or Esther, but like Christ. Let us give thanks to God for allowing us the choice. Amen.
Devotion
Abraham is Father of All
Frances Taylor
There are questions in every age about the importance of the Old Testament for Christians. Abraham is considered to be the Father of Faith for Jews, Christians and Muslims. We forget that it was Abraham who believed in the doctrine of only one God. It is through him and his descendants that this tradition comes down to us. Another fact that we can overlook is that Jesus was Jewish. He was born a Jew, lived as a Jew, died, rose and ascended into heaven as a Jew. Because we believe that he was the Messiah, the Christ, and we follow him, we are called Christian. Without the Old Testament, we wouldn't understand the promise of salvation; we wouldn't understand why it was important for Jesus to be of the family of King David. We would not understand his teaching either, because Jesus quoted from Scripture – the Old Testament – frequently. He told us that he came to fulfill the Scriptures, not to abolish them. In the same way, we can ...
Morning Prayer
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Inspiration
We have a responsibility, as Christians, to abstain from the sinful practices we partook in before we became saved. While it may be a gradual process of change, we should ensure that we are putting in our best to play our part in resisting temptation. God enables us to resist temptation, but it is up to us to actually resist.
Prayer
Dear God, I pray that I will always be a person of action. Father, I take delight in my new life in you and I do not desire otherwise. I pray that in times of temptation, may I act on the strength you have given me to flee and/or resist. May I never rely on excuses or procrastination, Lord. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Night Prayer
Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.
Inspiration
We have chosen to surrender our lives and serve the Lord. We serve Him by witnessing, completing missionary projects, and ministering to those in need. There is always work to do and a world full of people to help. We will look for opportunities to provide for our brothers and sisters in Christ by any means necessary. We are servants to one another as a service to the Lord; He will never forsake us.
Prayer
Dear God, Help us see the world through Your eyes. We desire to serve those around us by reflecting Your love through our actions. You will never forsake us, and we will continually lift praises of thanksgiving to You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
