Today’s Scripture: Esther 1-2
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. – Jeremiah 17:7-8
As far as I know, the book of Esther is the only book in the Bible in which the central figure rose to prominence by winning a beauty contest. But Esther never considered her promotion selfishly. In fact, she put everything on the line, including her life, to do the will of God in a very difficult situation.
For Esther and her people, the Jews, circumstances were bad. They had been taken captive from their homeland many years before and were second-class citizens in this place. Now a plot was being hatched to exterminate them from the face of the earth. But the hand of God was leading Esther and her Uncle Mordecai in what seemed to be a God-forsaken place.
I remember the first time I drove across the desert from Arizona into California. My first reaction was, “This is a God-forsaken place.” Every plant seemed to have sharp needles or stickers on it and just didn’t appear very attractive to me. But that was before I learned to see the beauty God has created in the desert.
In a similar way, there are times when we look at the landscape of our lives and think, God is nowhere to be found. That just isn’t true. Just as you can see in the book of Esther many evidences of God’s mercy, grace, and love, you can see the hand of God in your own life if you look for it. Start today with a prayer that God will make you aware of those times when He intervenes in your life.
Prayer
Lord, thank You that even in the barren places of my life, Your hand upholds me and will lead me to a green place once again. Amen.
To Ponder
God is with me in my desert experiences, ultimately turning them into places of beauty and joy.
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