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Today's Reading: Esther 1
Please read Esther 1 and listen to what the Lord Jesus Christ would like to tell you before reading my Spiritual Journal below. If you would like to learn a simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please read my “Count Down 5” from this blog. You may click this link directly for the method: Subject Shifting Devotion.pdf. (You may begin with a song to praise the Lord and complete you devotion by singing another praise song.)
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Please click the links below to Esther 1:
"Therefore, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes. Also let the king give her royal position to someone else who is better than she."
Esther 1: 19
What I received from Jesus today is: God always acts before you do anything!
This chapter shows a funny and seemingly foolish reaction of king Xerxes who took the queen's royal position away forever just because she did not want to come out to entertain the kings guests. What? But, without the king's act Esther could not be queen and the Jews could be forever eliminated in the history of mankind!
What I got from Jesus today is a very encouraging message. Long time before we even think of doing something God already prepared for you. Do you believe that? Do you know how important this could be? Lots of time we are being discouraged, depressed, want to quit but if at that time you remember this message than you know that is just a challenge for you because God already acts and prepares the best for you. Well, you have a choice. Yes, a choice to stay in your discouragement, depression or decision to quit or to relax and trust in the Lord that only He can lift you through those hard time and He always acts before you even think of doing anything!
Dear Heavenly Father,
Help us to trust in you that you always acts long before we even think of doing anything because you love us . In Jesus Name we pray. Amen.
For those who would like to have some background of the Book of Esther:
After the Babylonian Empire was captured, defeated and replaced by the Persians in 539 B.C., the center of government for the Jewish exiles transferred to Persia. The Babylonians previously had conquered and exiled the Jews throughout their empire. Under the leadership of Cyrus - who issued the initial decree permitting the Jews to return to their homeland - the Persians took control of the empire. The setting for the story of Esther is the Persian capital city of Susa during the reign of King Xerxes I who ruled from 486 - 465 B.C. The book covers the years 483 - 473 B.C. of his reign(1:3; 3:7), with ost events occurring in 473 B.C. Esther became queen of persia in 478 B.C. (2:16)
Chronologically, the account of Esther in Persia falls between chapters 6 and 7 in the book of Ezra. That places the events between the first return of Jewish exiles to Jerusalem in 538 B.C. under Zerubbabel (Ezra 1-6) and the second return led by Ezra in 457 B.C. (Ezra 7-10). Though Esther is placed after Nehemiah in our Old Testament, its events actually occurred 30 years before Nehemiah's return to Jerusalem (444 B.C.) to rebuild the wall. While the books of Ezra and Nehemiah address issues involving the Jews who returned to Jerusalem, Esther records a crucial development among the Jews who remained in Persia.
The significance of Queen Esther is ween not only in how she helped save her people from destruction but also in the fact that she brought them security and respect in a foreign land(8: 17; 10:3). Through her actions, God made it possible for Nehemiah to serve as an official in the king's court several decades later and eventually return to Judah as governor to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. If Esther and the Jews (including Nehemiah) had been destroyed in Persia, the troubled Jews back in Jerusalem may never have rebuilt their city and the outcome of Jewish history would have been drastically different.
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Prayer items today:
For ACiC/AI
Bishop: Rt. Rev. Silas Ng (Michelle)
Network Leader: Rev. Peter Klenner (Jenny)
Network Leadership Team: Rt. Rev. Silas Ng, Rev. Peter Klenner, Rev. Ed Hird (Janice), Rev. Simon Neill (Jo), Rev. Ken Bell (Sonya), Mr. Andy Li (Amy)
Bishop's Chaplain: Rev. Ed Hird (Janice)
Bishop's Assistant: Mrs. Michelle Ng (Silas)
Clergy Formation Advisor: Rev. Ken Bell (Sonya)
Treasurer: Mr. Andy Li(Amy)
Administrator: Mrs. Zenia Cheng (Clarence)
Pray for one Rwanda and Anglican Mission bishop one day at a time:
The Rt. Rev. Philip Hill Jones (Claudia)
The Rt. Rev. Louis Muvunyi (Winnie)