Prayer: Father, teach me today, the cost of discipleship and following you. Amen.
Reading: Esther 3-4 key: 4:13-17 “Mordecai told them to reply to Esther with this answer, “Do not think in your soul that you will escape in the king’s household more than all the Jews. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place—but you and your father’s house will perish. Who knows whether you have attained royal status for such a time as this?” Esther sent this to reply to Mordecai, “Go! Gather together all the Jews who are in Shushan and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast in the same way. Afterwards, I will go in to the king, even though it is not according to the law. So if I perish, I perish!” So Mordecai left and did all that Esther commanded him.” TLV
Attention: I have told of the life of Diedrich Bonhoeffer before. If you have not read his book titled The Cost of Discipleship or Eric Metaxas’ biography on Bonhoeffer, you are missing out. In short, Bonhoeffer a minister in what he called the Confession Church, led in the resistance effort against Hitler’s regime. It cost him his life.
Today’s reading in Esther, reveals a similar effort against the Jews, which God through Mordecai, tasks her to reveal the evil plan of Haman against her and her Jewish culture. To do so, she would need to go to the king. To go to the king unhailed, has death as a consequence. Esther knew the severity of the issue. She could lose her life if she stayed quiet as well.
It is fascinating that God places people in positions which requires them to arise for such a time as this. It was God’s plan for Esther and Bonhoeffer. It cost Dietrich his life, Esther, and the Jewish people in all of Persia were spared by her action.
We may never be called on to stand for God or the Jews, or for babies, or any other cause. But would we arise if called on? Would we like Esther say, “If I perish, I perish.” Is our life wholly God’s. There is a list of heroes of the faith found in Hebrews 11. I encourage you to read of the various heroes who accomplished miraculous things because of faith.
Action: I choose to live by faith and to count the cost of following Yeshua.
Yield: I choose to submit to the sovereignty of God.
Engage: I choose to engage with the help of the Holy Spirit in living for God.
Relationship: I choose to live in holy, intimate, obedient relationship with God.
Prayer: Father, prepare me to arise and be faithful if called upon to represent You. In today’s culture, it takes courage and faith to take a stand. We value compassion over truth. We value people’s feelings over aligning ourselves with Your word. May I do what is right by Your standard of justice. Amen.
Memory Verse: Hebrews 11:32 “And what more shall I say? For time would fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets.” TLV
Music Video: Zach Williams—Stand Up https://youtu.be/75za1rfG5hY?si=xEvuVv5AWU9yG7NF
Remember, “Abide in Yeshua, today!”