Today's Reading:
Esther 3,4,5,6,7,8; Luke 18
Scripture
“Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs who were before the king, said, ‘Behold indeed, the gallows standing at Haman’s house fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai who spoke good on behalf of the king!’ And the king said, ‘Hang Haman on it!’” (Esther 7:9)
Observation
Turn of events. The tables were flipped and the history took a 180. Why?
Because God stepped in … that’s why! But I noticed something intriguing. Mordecai didn’t play dumb. Neither did Esther. When things began to spiral southward, they didn’t shrug their shoulders and stay neutral. Instead, they fasted. They prayed. They donned rustic garbs of sackcloth. They did what they could, and did their best.
Then … God took over. He turned the tables.
We don’t want to remain neutral, but neither can we rebel and mutiny. Balance — what a tricky word; knowing how far to push and when to sit back. Often, our greatest enemy is an imbalance that leads to impropriety and improper attitudes. Mordecai could have complained to Queen Esther. Instead, he appeals to Esther, and she asks the people to appeal to God with three days of fasting and prayer.
Application
A turn of events happens when we do what we can in a balanced way, and we do it without disrespect. Instead …
- We start by appealing to God.
- Then we then appeal to the right people who can make a difference. (Mordecai appealed to Esther, and Esther to the King.)
Sometimes, we immediately disrespect and criticize those in authority because we think that disrespect is acceptable because we discovered an injustice. “Injustice” is not a rationale for disrespect. It doesn’t give license to a spirit of rebellion or slander. Instead, they did what they could, and God was delighted to show up and turn the tables.
In these harrowing days where we see an era of diminishing values, we as God’s people must do what we are supposed to do: repent, fast, pray and appeal to those who have the ability to influence.
Prayer
Dear Father, what a great lesson on appealing to those in authority. Thank You for showing me this today! I appeal to You on behalf of the Church. We have sinned. We have compromised Your heart. So many who have claimed Your name have turned aside and brought such harm on us all. Forgive, we pray. And help us to appeal to those who have the role to influence, and as we do our part, You will do the turning of the tables!
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