September 15th~Our Personal Purim

Esther 5:1-10:3

We finished the incredible story of Esther, Mordecai, and Xerxes, all characters God used to save His people from their enemies. Yesterday, our passage left us with a cliff hanger, as Esther prepared to enter the king’s court without being summoned, an act that would get most people into trouble. However, the king accepted Esther’s presence and even granted her requests.

Through a remarkable series of circumstances, Haman’s evil plot was exposed, Mordecai was praised and promoted, and Jews throughout the empire were allowed to defend themselves against their attackers. In all, nearly 76,000 people were killed, including Haman and his family. Once again, the Lord had turned the table and granted favor to His people.

One cannot read the book of Esther without being awed by the perfect timing of events, from Haman’s construction of the gallows to Mordecai’s unveiling of the assassination plot and subsequent parade, to the banquets and requests of the Queen. God’s timing is impeccable. He is in perfect control.

Even when Haman casted lots (like dice), called Purim, for deciding the day to carry out his evil plans, God determined the date. He made Haman wait nearly a year, so that He could put things in motion and undo his plans. Solomon wrote in his proverbs, “We may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall” (16:33). No detail escapes His notice.

I love how the book closes, with the people of God celebrating throughout the land. In fact, Mordecai established an annual festival called the Feast of Purim, which the Jews continue to celebrate today. They take time to remember what God has done for them, to save them from destruction.

Daily Reflection

As Christians, we are good about celebrating major events, such as Christmas or Easter, or even Thanksgiving, birthdays, or days to honor our parents. Are there any other days that you celebrate what God has done in your life?

What we are not as good at remembering are our personal Purim, the little things in our lives in which God is working out His bigger purposes. We may believe that they are incidental or inconsequential but they are not. God does work in big noticeable ways, but He is also working in the details. His hand is in everything, but when His acts are small, they are often unnoticed.

What are some things that God does on a daily basis that you so often overlook?

It is great to celebrate those big events in your life, but it is just as important to remember the hand of God from day to day. He is working out all the details. Even those things that seem so random or haphazard play a part in His plans. My challenge to you would be to have personal Purim, moments in your day in which you recognize the providential hand of God in the minutest of details. He is constantly at work in your life, but are you noticing?

BiAY.org | Day 258 — 107 Days to Go