Thoughts for the Day

18 The wicked shall be a ransom for the (uncompromisingly) righteous, and the treacherous for the upright (because the wicked fall themselves into the traps and pits they have dug for the good).

We sometimes want to get even right away for all the bad things people do to us. But if you are reading this blog today there is a story in the Bible about how God takes care of His people in the book of Esther. The story goes like this:

There was a woman named Esther, who was made Queen to King Ahasuerus, who lived in a palace in Shushan. He was king of the Persian empire. Esther was a Jew; however, her nationality had not yet been revealed to the King. There was a plot, by a wicked man named Haman (who was one of the King's princes), to destroy the Jews because one of them, Mordecai, who was Esther's uncle, refused to bow down to Haman. His refusal to bow, was based on his commitment to only bow to the true God, Jehovah. Mordecai's behavior incensed Haman and he convinced the King that the Jews were a threat to his kingdom. He bribed the King by offering to give a large sum of silver into the King's treasury, if he would sign an edict to destroy the Jews. TheKking agreed to destroy the Jews, not knowing that Esther was a Jew. Since the King made Haman overseer of this project, Haman thought he would succeed in destroying Mordecai, so he built a gallows to hang him on.

But, as the Lord would have it, the King could not sleep one night, and he began reading a book of memorable deeds. As he read, he remembered that Mordecai had been responsible for saving his life at one time, and discovered that this noble man had not been rewarded for his brave deed. So the King called Haman in and asked him what he thought should be done for a man that he wanted to honor. Now Haman, in his own pride, thought that the King surely spoke of him. He responded that the man should be given royal apparel, a crown on his head, and given the king's horse to ride before the people in the city. To Haman's chagrin, the King then told him to do this for Mordecai, for he was the noble man. Haman went away stunned and grieving, as he had to obey the King's command.

Later, the king was having a dinner with Queen Esther, and he summoned Haman to attend. At the dinner, Queen Esther made petition to the King to reverse the wicked plot that Haman had devised to destroy her people. She did this at the risk of her life, as no one was allowed to go uninvited before the King with a petition. Because of prayer and fasting, Esther not only found favor in the sight of the King, but he was also angry when he realized the evil in Haman's plot. The King, in his wrath, arose and went into the palace garden. Meanwhile, Haman became afraid and tried to plead for his life by approaching Queen Esther. He fell down on her couch pleading with her. At that same moment that the King returned to the room. The King thought he was trying to assault the Queen, so he ordered him taken way and hanged on the very gallows that Haman had built to hang Mordecai. So trust in God when things look bad and people seem to be beating you down in life...Everything in Gods timing...Just remember how much he loves you and will take care of you...