137 Righteous are You, O Lord, And upright are Your judgments.
138 Your testimonies, which You have commanded, Are righteous and very faithful.
As we think about ways that we have seen God's hand in our lives, we can be strengthened in our walk and our worship. As we call attention to His faithfulness, we can recognize that as He has worked in the past, we can trust Him to do His work in the future. His Word is full of great and precious promises, given to us, so that we might grow in our faith and learn to trust Him more wholeheartedly each day. We can be challenged to take a few moments and give God the praise for Who He is - our faithful God - and what we have seen Him do.
In the book of Esther chapter 4, Queen Esther is being challenged by her relative Mordecai to go into
the king on behalf of the Jewish people, who were facing a legitimate threat at the hands of Haman:
13 And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: "Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king's palace any more than all the other Jews.
14 For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"
In the streets of Jerusalem, people are readying for celebration. According to a piece on the CBN News website, "The festival of Purim is at hand and a parade of costumed children from toddlers to teens walking the city streets is more fun than any reality show could ever hope to be. These children are living testimonies of God's faithfulness and the resilience of the Jewish people throughout centuries of persecution."
The author, Tzippe Barrow, points out that this week, young and old, religious and secular, will read the Book of Esther as it was recorded word for word some 2,500 years ago. Barrow writes
that:
relates that Netanyahu said, “A courageous Jewish woman, Queen Esther, exposed the plot and gave for the Jewish people the right to defend themselves against their enemies,” adding, "The plot was foiled, our people were saved. Today the Jewish people face another attempt by yet another Persian potentate to destroy us.”
As we think about the celebration of Purim, perhaps there are some applications for our own lives. For one thing, one of the events leading to the Jews being able to defend themselves began with Mordecai's encouragement to Esther to go before the king on behalf of her people. She was able to recognize the call of God and exercised courage to go before the king, who had not requested her presence. We can rely on God to give us the courage to carry out the instructions that He has given to us and can trust in Him to empower us.
We also see the incredible preservation of God's people throughout the pages of the Scripture. Because His everlasting covenant with Israel is still intact, He will continue to be faithful to work in the lives of His chosen people. This can encourage us to trust in God's faithfulness in our own lives, realizing that He will work His plans for each of us in accordance with His will. This can contribute to an increased sense of dependence upon the Lord.
Finally, Jewish people are celebrating the deliverance of their ancestors during Purim. As we reflect on what God has done in each of our lives, we can make a decisive effort to approach Him with worship, thanking God for how we have seen Him show up, and we can rejoice in a mighty and faithful God.
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In the book of Esther chapter 4, Queen Esther is being challenged by her relative Mordecai to go into
the king on behalf of the Jewish people, who were facing a legitimate threat at the hands of Haman:
13 And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: "Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king's palace any more than all the other Jews.
14 For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"
In the streets of Jerusalem, people are readying for celebration. According to a piece on the CBN News website, "The festival of Purim is at hand and a parade of costumed children from toddlers to teens walking the city streets is more fun than any reality show could ever hope to be. These children are living testimonies of God's faithfulness and the resilience of the Jewish people throughout centuries of persecution."
The author, Tzippe Barrow, points out that this week, young and old, religious and secular, will read the Book of Esther as it was recorded word for word some 2,500 years ago. Barrow writes
that:
Today's generation -- in Israel and in Jewish communities worldwide -- faces new challenges. What was touted a few years ago as the Arab Spring morphed into bloody internecine fighting.
Jews in France, Britain, Belgium, Denmark and Ukraine are facing anti-Semitic incidences reminiscent of the rise of Adolph Hitler.
Is it any wonder that Jews take heart in recounting the story of Purim every year? Like other Jewish holidays -- Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Pesach, and Shavuot -- God commands the Jewish people not to forget.The significance of Purim was a component of the speech that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered before a joint meeting of Congress yesterday. The International Business Times
relates that Netanyahu said, “A courageous Jewish woman, Queen Esther, exposed the plot and gave for the Jewish people the right to defend themselves against their enemies,” adding, "The plot was foiled, our people were saved. Today the Jewish people face another attempt by yet another Persian potentate to destroy us.”
As we think about the celebration of Purim, perhaps there are some applications for our own lives. For one thing, one of the events leading to the Jews being able to defend themselves began with Mordecai's encouragement to Esther to go before the king on behalf of her people. She was able to recognize the call of God and exercised courage to go before the king, who had not requested her presence. We can rely on God to give us the courage to carry out the instructions that He has given to us and can trust in Him to empower us.
We also see the incredible preservation of God's people throughout the pages of the Scripture. Because His everlasting covenant with Israel is still intact, He will continue to be faithful to work in the lives of His chosen people. This can encourage us to trust in God's faithfulness in our own lives, realizing that He will work His plans for each of us in accordance with His will. This can contribute to an increased sense of dependence upon the Lord.
Finally, Jewish people are celebrating the deliverance of their ancestors during Purim. As we reflect on what God has done in each of our lives, we can make a decisive effort to approach Him with worship, thanking God for how we have seen Him show up, and we can rejoice in a mighty and faithful God.
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