Dear Friends,
The book of Esther shows the choice we make between seeing His hand in our circumstances in life and seeing things a merely co-incidence. Although the name of God is never mentioned in this book, it is apparent that Jews of Susa sought HIS intervention when they fasted and prayed for 3 days (Esther 4:16). Esther first appears in chapter 2, she is an orphaned Jew brought up by her uncle Mordecai. If we see chapter 1, we see a new queen is sought because Queen Vashti refused to display her beauty to the people when King Xerxes calls for her. This is the beginning of God opening doors for Esther. It is also interesting to note that, our faithful God does have hands in the affairs of the world. Lets see briefly the important events took place in this book.
Preparation time: Esther is chosen to be queen and she goes through the normal 12 months of beauty treatment before meeting the king. The beauty treatment in Esther days was a physical treatment carried out with oils. Oil represents the Holy Spirit which enables us to have inner beauty in our Christian life. Are you allowing God to give you beauty treatment in your spiritual life? Lets subject us to the Lordship of Holy Spirit to gain inner beauty in our Christian life. Gods preparation time can sometimes be longer. Moses spent 40 years in the desert looking after sheep before coming to deliver the Israelites. The refining of our character is very essential to Gods plan for our life. God cannot use a proud woman or man.
Favor of God: In this book, we notice that Esther found favor of those around her. We can be granted such favor as we accept our situation in life by utilizing her example of maintaining positive attitude, coupled with humility and determination of leaning on God and seeking his will and favor in our circumstances. Fasting is a Godly exercise which brings us closer to God. Esther agrees and asks Mordecai to organize a time of fasting for her. She is well aware that she needs Gods favor if she is to succeed. Could you fix fasting prayer to acheive Gods favor in your christian life?
God works in His own time and season: In chapter 5, Esther approaches the king and invites him and Haman to a banquet; this is an attempt to get the timing right before she informs the king about Haman’s plot to kill the Jews of which she is one. Esther got her timing right and in Chapter 7, Esther reveals to the king that she is a Jew and Haman has plotted to kill them all. God’s timing is always best. We need to wait for Gods timing in doing things. It is dangerous to jump out before Gods time. Joseph was in jail until it was Gods time for him to be released. God will move in HIS own time when we remain faithful and alert to HIS leading.
Your background does not hinder your future with God: Esther was an orphan, God still used her and she saved Jews of Susa. Some of the disciples were fishermen, tax collectors etc, but still God used them. Moses was not good in speaking but God used him. Your background does not determine what God can do with you, only your faith does. Esther proved to have Godly and teachable character that also showed great strength and obedience. She shows us that remaining respectful and humble even in difficult if not humanly impossible circumstances often sets us up to be the vessel of untold blessings for both ourselves and others.
May the God of Esther favor everyone of us to succedd in our christian life? Amen and Amen.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Friday, February 1, 2008
Jacob's wrestling match with Omnipotent God
Jacob’s wrestling match with Omnipotent God
The most unusual wrestling match in history is recorded in Genesis 32. “Jacob was left alone and wrestled with a man there, until the breaking of the day.” Gen 32: 24. This event took place in an open air arena beside the Jabbok River, in one corner stands Jacob and in other corner God Himself. The fight was real and it was physical, one on one in a wrestling match. I invite everyone who have stepped into the ring with God and wrestled with Him about life and all those who are still wrestling today to sit down in our ringside seats and learn the lessons from Jacob’s wrestling match with God.
First wrestling match took place in Rebekah’s belly as she carried the turbulent twins, Jacob & Esaue which is recorded in Gen 25: 19-26. Jacob grabbed Esau’s heal to put him back in an effort to be the first born, a position of prominence in the Hebrew Family. Jacob continued his wrestling with his brother to get his birthright, he and his mother formed a tag team as they wrestled with his father to obtain the blessings of the firstborn. Jacob wrestled with his uncle Laban over flocks, herds, his daughters and now he wrestles with GOD. Jacob is wrestling with God because he has been wrestling for a long time with life.
The reasons for his wrestling: One obvious reason is his name and his nature. He was growing weary of his wrestling, his struggle with life. His patience had run weak and perhaps he was perplexed as to where his life was going. He was certainly troubled about his future. Soon, the next morning Jacob is to meet up with his brother Essau. He needed some answers, some assurance as he faced the future and now he sits alone. Alone is a tough place to be when you need help, answers and assurance. There at the river ford, Jacob keeps his solitary restless match.
The results of Jacob’s wrestling match with God: The main event could have started when Jacob began to pray that night. Perhaps for the first time in his life, he earnestly wrestled in prayer. Jacob in his desperation realized God’s presence, flesh to flesh, bone to bone, in human form. Jacob wrestled with God back and forth, a head lock here and an arm hold there, the struggle perhaps went for hours. God in His grace and mercy allowed Jacob to wrestle to work out his fleshly nature and anxiety for in his struggle. God touched in the hollow of Jacob’s thigh dislocating the ball and socket joint of his thigh and suddenly Jacob was weakened and immobilized and he stopped wrestling and started clinging on God. Jacob was now holding on in faith, rather than wrestling in fear. God was moved by the persistence of Jacob.
During the wrestling match, our God was asking Jacob what is your name? In other words, God was really asking Jacob, who are you? As Jacob hung on to God in pain, he answered, I am Jacob, the schemer, the one who grabs from behind, the mama’s boy, the con-man, the self centered and self sufficient one. Then God said, ‘Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel.” God’s blessing to Jacob was a new man, new nature. Not just a new label on the jar, but a whole new shape to the jar itself. God removed all of Jacob’s false securities that night and made him depend upon God alone, the God of Jacob become his refuge.
Before closing our wrestle match, place yourself in Jacob. Have you been to Jabbok River? Have you wrestled with God until he had made you confess your real character and nature to Him? Has He humbled you, by placing his finger in the socket of your thigh, and made you leave limping because you wrestled with God?. Are you tired of wrestling? Stop wrestling and start clinging on to God by surrendering our wills, our dreams, and our schemes to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and let him change.
Jacob, now Israel, limped for the rest of his life. Everywhere he went, people would ask, “Jacob, why are you limping?. Every time Jacob limped, it was a constant reminder that God touched and changed him to a new man.
May the God of Jacob touch every one of us to cling only onto our Lord Jesus Christ? Amen and Amen.
The most unusual wrestling match in history is recorded in Genesis 32. “Jacob was left alone and wrestled with a man there, until the breaking of the day.” Gen 32: 24. This event took place in an open air arena beside the Jabbok River, in one corner stands Jacob and in other corner God Himself. The fight was real and it was physical, one on one in a wrestling match. I invite everyone who have stepped into the ring with God and wrestled with Him about life and all those who are still wrestling today to sit down in our ringside seats and learn the lessons from Jacob’s wrestling match with God.
First wrestling match took place in Rebekah’s belly as she carried the turbulent twins, Jacob & Esaue which is recorded in Gen 25: 19-26. Jacob grabbed Esau’s heal to put him back in an effort to be the first born, a position of prominence in the Hebrew Family. Jacob continued his wrestling with his brother to get his birthright, he and his mother formed a tag team as they wrestled with his father to obtain the blessings of the firstborn. Jacob wrestled with his uncle Laban over flocks, herds, his daughters and now he wrestles with GOD. Jacob is wrestling with God because he has been wrestling for a long time with life.
The reasons for his wrestling: One obvious reason is his name and his nature. He was growing weary of his wrestling, his struggle with life. His patience had run weak and perhaps he was perplexed as to where his life was going. He was certainly troubled about his future. Soon, the next morning Jacob is to meet up with his brother Essau. He needed some answers, some assurance as he faced the future and now he sits alone. Alone is a tough place to be when you need help, answers and assurance. There at the river ford, Jacob keeps his solitary restless match.
The results of Jacob’s wrestling match with God: The main event could have started when Jacob began to pray that night. Perhaps for the first time in his life, he earnestly wrestled in prayer. Jacob in his desperation realized God’s presence, flesh to flesh, bone to bone, in human form. Jacob wrestled with God back and forth, a head lock here and an arm hold there, the struggle perhaps went for hours. God in His grace and mercy allowed Jacob to wrestle to work out his fleshly nature and anxiety for in his struggle. God touched in the hollow of Jacob’s thigh dislocating the ball and socket joint of his thigh and suddenly Jacob was weakened and immobilized and he stopped wrestling and started clinging on God. Jacob was now holding on in faith, rather than wrestling in fear. God was moved by the persistence of Jacob.
During the wrestling match, our God was asking Jacob what is your name? In other words, God was really asking Jacob, who are you? As Jacob hung on to God in pain, he answered, I am Jacob, the schemer, the one who grabs from behind, the mama’s boy, the con-man, the self centered and self sufficient one. Then God said, ‘Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel.” God’s blessing to Jacob was a new man, new nature. Not just a new label on the jar, but a whole new shape to the jar itself. God removed all of Jacob’s false securities that night and made him depend upon God alone, the God of Jacob become his refuge.
Before closing our wrestle match, place yourself in Jacob. Have you been to Jabbok River? Have you wrestled with God until he had made you confess your real character and nature to Him? Has He humbled you, by placing his finger in the socket of your thigh, and made you leave limping because you wrestled with God?. Are you tired of wrestling? Stop wrestling and start clinging on to God by surrendering our wills, our dreams, and our schemes to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and let him change.
Jacob, now Israel, limped for the rest of his life. Everywhere he went, people would ask, “Jacob, why are you limping?. Every time Jacob limped, it was a constant reminder that God touched and changed him to a new man.
May the God of Jacob touch every one of us to cling only onto our Lord Jesus Christ? Amen and Amen.
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