Morning Coffee

Esther 5:9 - 14 Haman went out that day happy and in high spirits. But when he saw Mordecai at the king’s gate and observed that he neither rose nor showed fear in his presence, he was filled with rage against Mordecai. Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home.
Calling together his friends and Zeresh, his wife, Haman boasted to them about his vast wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials. “And that’s not all,” Haman added. “I’m the only person Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave. And she has invited me along with the king tomorrow. But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate.”

His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Have a gallows built, seventy-five feet high, and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai hanged on it. Then go with the king to the dinner and be happy.” This suggestion delighted Haman, and he had the gallows built.

Well, well now. Haman is certainly the big man, isn’t he? And he wants to make sure everyone knows it. As soon as he leaves Esther’s banquet, he tells everyone he knows how important he is. He wants to make sure they are all appropriately impressed with him.

You would think that a big, important man like Haman would be able to simply ignore a little nobody like Mordecai. After all, Mordecai was just a lowly judge. Mordecai certainly wasn’t dining with the queen. Why did he even matter?

But Haman wasn’t really a big man at all. He was very small, in my opinion. He was petty. And in my experience, the smaller the person, the bigger the mouth. The smaller the person, the more they have to convince those around them of their importance.

These are the people who gossip, and slander, and act maliciously. They put others down in order to make themselves feel higher. They brag about their accomplishments, and they are miffed when others don’t recognize their importance.

I don’t want to be a small person, like Haman. But I must confess, there have been times when I have acted small and petty. There are times when I should ignore some minor grievance, yet I make big deal out of nothing, simply because of my pride. And for those times, I am embarrassed and ashamed.

Jesus, in Mark 9:35 said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Poor Haman. He wanted to be first. He wanted to be great, but he just didn’t know how to go about it. And it was his own pride and pettiness that later caused his demise. After all, if he hadn’t gotten mad because Mordecai wouldn’t bow to him, we probably wouldn’t be reading this story today.

I wonder what havoc I have caused, what bad feelings, what hurt has come about because of my smallness. I wonder how often, in trying to make myself look good, I have actually caused others to think poorly of me. I don’t want to be like Haman. Instead, I want to be like Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:6 - 11

Dear Father, Please forgive me for the times I have been petty. Forgive me for the times I have bragged. Please help me to be like Jesus, and be the servant of all.

Amen

Chloe was discharged from the hospital on Saturday, only to be readmitted today. She will have another biopsy tomorrow. Please continue to pray for her.

Thank you all so much.

–Renae

Esther 5:7 - 8 “My petition and my request is this: If the king regards me with favor and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king’s question.”

Okay, Esther. What are you waiting for? Enough is enough. The king has said he’d give you whatever you ask for. So what is up with this little game you are playing? Just spill the beans, already!

We don’t know exactly what Esther was thinking, by dragging her request out like she did. But we do know that God was in charge. She may have been frightened, and just needed a little more time to work up her nerve. Or she may have known exactly what she was doing - building up her husband’s curiosity.

Whatever her reasons, she was very humble in her request. Notice her wording: If the king regards me with favor and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request . . . Esther certainly knew how to stroke her husband’s ego! Nothing in her wording made him feel she was trying to get the upper hand. Instead, she made him feel important, like he was the one in control of the decision.

Her request was simply for him to come to one more banquet. Surely he wouldn’t turn that down. But by agreeing to come back the next day, he was essentially agreeing to give her whatever she asked for. He knew she had something big in mind, or she wouldn’t have risked her life by coming to him uninvited. But he had no idea how big her request was going to be.

I have to confess to you, I’m not that great at taking my time about things - especially important things. When I see something that needs to be accomplished, I tend to charge ahead of God. The results are usually similar to a bull in a china shop, too. I admire Esther’s patience in waiting for the perfect time to reveal her request. God’s timing is always perfect. Ours isn’t.

When we have a desperate circumstance, sometimes we do need to act immediately. But sometimes, though we feel God telling us to wait, we want to charge ahead anyway. We need to learn to be sensitive to His leading, and allow Him time to do what He needs to do. Whether it be time to soften a prideful old king’s heart, or time to work out the details of a relationship or circumstance, we must be patient - ready to act when He gives the go-ahead, but not a moment before.

Dear Father, Sometimes I let my agenda take precedence over Yours. Please help me to be more sensitive to Your leading, and to be obedient and patient.

Amen

Esther 5:5 - 6 “Bring Haman at once,’ the king said, ’so that we may do what Esther asks.’
So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared. As they were drinking wine, the king again asked Esther, ‘Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”

This reminder to Haman makes me smile one of those cat-ate-the-canary smiles. Take that, Haman! He may have been a powerful man. He may have been a cruel, hateful man. But Esther, a Jew, still outranked him. She was the queen, and the king made sure that Haman knew it. Haman had to do as the queen requested.

Actually, the whole passage makes me smile, for I know what is coming. Ah, the brilliance of the plan! Xerxes has already promised Esther - publicly - to give her anything she wants. He has offered her a blank check. Now, at this wonderful banquet, he asks her again what she wants, and promises to give her anything. That is twice now that he has made this public promise.

Esther knows his pride. She knows he doesn’t like to lose face. If he has promised it publicly, he will do it. After all, remember Vashti? He had promised his guests that she would appear. When she refused, it made him look bad. He didn’t like to go back on his word - he was too much of a politician.

Esther is working her husband brilliantly, in my opinion. Yet, it wasn’t really Esther at all. She wasn’t a worldly, manipulative woman. She was a simple girl, even with all her jewels and crowns. She was simply doing what God led her to do.

God was at the control panel all along, though Esther, trembling and demure, surely had her doubts. Listen to this verse:

Proverbs 21:1

“The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord;

He directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.”

Friends, no matter our circumstance, God is in control. We, like Esther, may not have a clue what will come next. We may be taking each step in trembling faith, but we can know that our God, who loves us more than life itself, will take care of us. And unlike Xerxes, who had a history of pride and the temper of a child, our God is always loving, always kind, always generous. Xerxes’ promise to Esther was unusual for him, but God’s promises are unfailing and unchanging. He has good things in store for us, even if we have to go through some difficult, scary times to get there.

And He is always, always in control.

Dear Father, Thank You for your promises to me. Thank You that I can depend on those promises, and that I can always enter Your presence without being afraid of You. You are good and kind and loving.

Thank You.

Amen

Happy Independence Day to all of you U.S. citizens!

On this day in 1776, the leaders of our country declared our independence from Great Britain. I woke up this morning wanting to post about the Fourth of July, which is a very important day for us here in the States. But then I remembered - many of you aren’t from the U.S.

And then I thought, “Oh, my! What will Jackie think? Does she think of us as a bunch of naughty, rebellious children?” So I e-mailed her and asked her what she thought. She encouraged me to go ahead with my post. She even said we could have a tea party in her honor - a Boston one!

Then, I went to my friend Jean’s blog, and she had written this. So, with her permission, I have copied and pasted her conversation with God below:

July 4. Independence Day. The day we Americans celebrate our independence from the rule of England. That was a lonnnnnng time ago, Lord.And independence is still the hallmark of being an American, I think.

I am grateful to You for the huge privilege of being born in America.

And one last thing, before I go - I thought you might enjoy this version of America the Beautiful. I did.

Love,

Renae

Esther 5:3 - 4 “Then the king asked, ‘What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.’

‘If it pleases the king,’ replied Esther, ‘let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him.”

Esther appeared before the king, beautiful, demure and trembling, and her husband’s heart went out to her. He was well aware of the law, and he knew she wouldn’t have taken such a risk for no reason. He reassures her of his devotion, and tries to calm her. “What is it, Sweetheart? What do you need? Anything you want, my dear, and it is yours.”

At this point in the story, we all tend to let out a big sigh of relief. But remember, Esther is not out of danger yet. There is still a decree, signed by her husband, which orders the death of all Jews. And a decree signed by the king cannot be reversed. He can’t even reverse it himself! So Esther has to figure a way out of this predicament.

She has fasted and prayed. Yet, God did not give her written instructions as to how to handle herself or her husband. She simply had to come up with a plan, and do the best she could. And her plan was to butter her husband up, with a big feast.

She bowed humbly before her egotistical husband, and said, “If it pleases you, dear husband, I would like to fix a nice meal for you and for Haman.”

Friends, we are often faced with serious circumstances, and we don’t have instructions in black-and-white, telling us how to handle them. The best we can do is to follow Esther’s example. Pray. Come up with a plan. And do the best we can.

We need to always remember that, when we are seeking to do what God wants us to do, He will guide us. He will go before us, just as He went before Esther, and caused her to find favor with the king. And though we may step forward in trepidation, still, we must act. We must step forward in faith, and expect Him to catch us.

Dear Father, Please help me to seek Your guidance in all things. Please help me to act in faith, even when I’m not sure of the outcome.

Amen

Esther 5:1 - 2 “On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.”

Whoa! Wait a minute! Step on the brakes here! Does anyone notice what I noticed? There are three days missing out of this story!

Three days. That is a long time, when you are afraid for your life. That was a long time for Esther to think about the fact that she may soon perish. In my opinion, those were perhaps the three most important days in the entire story.

For three days, Esther fasted. All of the Jews fasted for her, as well. Remember, Jews didn’t fast just for the sake of being hungry. They fasted for spiritual reasons - to call desperately on God. And they waited.

Sometimes, we get ahead of ourselves, and we get ahead of God. We don’t like to wait, and so we lunge forward without giving God time to work. But during that time, Esther was gaining courage and strength. During that time God was even working in Xerxes’ heart, so that he would miss his little wife, and be happy to see her.

These days, we are spoiled by our fast food and our action adventure movies, and we expect all of life to be that way. But perhaps the most important work that takes place in our hearts is during the waiting time. It is during the quiet times that we draw near to God. It is during these times that our strength is renewed. It’s during these times that God prepares the way for us, so that our paths will be smooth when we do finally move ahead.

I am reminded once again of this verse:

Isaiah 40:31 “Yet those who wait for the LORD
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.”

I’m glad Esther waited. I want to be better at the waiting, too, for I know that’s where I gain strength.

Dear Father, Please help me to wait on You.

Amen

Esther 4:15 - 17 “Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: ‘Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.’ So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.”

In this passage, Esther proves that she is every inch a queen. She is afraid for her life, but she has identified that something is more important than her fear. She is ready to risk her life for her people. Yet, she knew she could use all the help she could get.

By telling her people to fast, she was telling them to pray. She was sending up smoke signals to the Almighty, saying, “A little help here, please?” Esther was more concerned about the survival of her people than about her own safety. So she prayed, and she acted.

Many times, we pray, but we don’t ever get around to acting. Or we act without praying. Neither of those will accomplish all that God wants us to accomplish. While prayer is extremely important, there is a time to get up off our knees and march forward. Yet, moving forward without consulting God, who knows what lies ahead, is just plain foolish.

Esther had no guarantees of the outcome. She only knew that if she didn’t do something, disaster was sure to happen. She said, “If I perish, I perish.” At that moment, she met her destiny, and embraced it.

I am reminded of another who said, “If I perish, I perish.” Only He knew the outcome even before He acted. He knew that, in order to save His people, He would have to die. Yet, He continued on. He didn’t have to give His life for us, just as Esther didn’t have to risk her life. But He did, because His love for us was more important to Him than His own life.

I’m so glad He felt that way, aren’t you?

Dear Father, Thank You for Jesus, who gave His life so that I could be saved.

Amen

Jennifer just called. Blood tests taken this morning showed signs that Chloe is rejecting the liver.

Please pray!

–r

Esther 4:12 - 14 “When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: ‘Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?’”

God is never mentioned in the book of Esther. Not once. Yet, His presence fills every nook and cranny of this story! While waiting for Esther’s response, Mordecai has had a chance to reflect. He is thinking more clearly now, and he remembers the promise God made to Abraham - that his descendants would be more numerous than the stars! The Jews were safe. God had said so.

So he gives Esther a little pep talk. Remember, he is her adopted father. He knows her better than anyone. He knows what she is made of. He says, “Remain quiet if you want to, dear one, but it won’t save you. This decree is for all the Jews, and that includes you! You can’t keep your identity a secret forever, you know.”

He continues. “Ultimately, the Jewish people will be spared. God will send help from somewhere. But if you don’t stand with God now, you might not be spared. Perhaps God has been working all along to put you in this position, just so you could be the one to save us!”

Can you imagine it? A pretty little orphan-girl-turned-queen, with nothing better to do with her time than lie around having beauty treatments all day! Could it possibly be? Could the results of that beauty pageant have been controlled by the very hand of God? Surely not. Yet, here she was, perhaps the most unlikely of all the candidates, given her background. There was not another Jew anywhere that could hope for a private audience with the king. Not a single one of them had the influence over Xerxes that she did. Could it possibly be that God was calling her to have a leading role in this drama?

My friends, we are children of the Most High God. We are His ambassadors in this world, and our circumstances are rarely by accident. He often allows us to travel this path or that one because He knows where we will end up, and He has plans for us there. Often, He even helps things along. God is God, and He will have His way, whether we obey Him or not.

We have a choice to make. Will we take the easy way? If we do, God will surely send someone else to do the job. But then, we will miss out on the glory. We will miss the blessings. Or, we can choose to stand for God no matter what. We won’t ever know the outcome of the circumstances ahead of time. But one thing we can know for certain: God will have His way. What will it be? Will we be key players in the drama God has set before us, or will we let someone else be cast into the role that was intended for us?

Dear Father, I want to fulfill Your purpose for my life. Please give me the courage to do so.

Amen