Esther, Born for Such a Time as ThisPrøve

Today's Scripture reading is not a very cheerful part to read. Death and destruction—some parts you would rather skip when reading the Bible. But everything is written for a reason. We don’t like to read when men slaughter one another, yet what we are actually reading here is the deliverance of God's people. God is never too late, and like Psalm 91 says: "A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you..." When Moses sent the twelve spies to check out the promised land, they all saw the same things but came back reporting different perspectives. Only two men showed faith and trust in their God, relied on what He had done in the past, and trusted Him to do it again. In the same way, we can trust Him to be faithful to us; He is the same, yesterday, today, and in the future. In the account in Esther, it looked like nothing could be done about the decree to kill the Jews, but there is always hope with our God. In all circumstances, He can deliver us; He is able to do more than we can ever think or imagine. But we have to have faith. After their victory, the Jews made their deliverance a day for celebration, and they did so in every year that followed, even today. Do you ever celebrate and look back on the blessings and salvation God gave to you? Prayer: Thank You, Father, for Your faithfulness through the ages. You will never leave or forsake me, and I can put our hope and trust in You. Amen.