WEDNESDAY, 20 January, 2021 “For this Time”

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Hello my “Walking with Jesus” friends on this important day in history.

For many years, something very special happens at exactly 12 noon Eastern time, on the 20th of January every four years. Today is that day, do you know what the event is? The Presidency of the United States of America begins a new four year term! At noon today, Mr. Joe Biden will become the 46th person to hold this prestigious office, since the founding of the USA.

I believe God wants to say a few things to us today that are very important, are you ready to hear from God?

1. From 1 Timothy 2:1,2 hear the Word of God… “I urge that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for…kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Timothy 2:1,2) And perhaps you are saying, ‘amen, yes I will do that, for those in government sure need my prayers.’

2. Now listen to this Scripture: “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established…” (Romans 13:1,2) Oh my! Now this is a more difficult Scripture to embrace isn’t it? Especially if you live in a place where governing authorities are opposed to God, God’s Word, God’s ways, and God’s people. How do we live this my friends? Laws do two things… some laws tell us what we MUST do and some laws tell us what we CANNOT do.

This Scripture calls us to live in obedience to the laws which are the authority where we live, as long as they do not contradict the instructions given us by God in His Holy Word. This Scripture also calls us to respect the office or roles of those persons empowered by the law to have responsibility in governing society where we are. Thus how we talk about governing officials is important to God, isn’t it?

This Scripture also means that while we may question the process by which a person has been elevated to a position of authority, God is sovereign over that, and thus God in His unlimited wisdom, has permitted that person to be in that position, even if the process is suspect. Now friends, regardless of where you stand on events over the past few months in America, this is Scripture and it stands as God’s Word, and God’s people always submit themselves to the authority of God’s Word, right?

Today, let’s rejoin the Biblical account of Esther… to see how it pertains to this unique day in American history. Esther chapter 4 is the sad account of what happened as word spread throughout the Persian empire that King Xerxes had issued an edict that all citizens of the empire were permitted to kill all Jews, in every part of the kingdom on one particular day! Murder on that day would be the permitted law of the land, with the objective that by the end of that day no living Jew would be found anywhere in the entire Persian empire!! Now ponder that a moment!

When Mordecai heard the news the record says “…he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes and went out into the city wailing loudly and bitterly.” (Esther 4:1) When word came to Queen Esther she too was deeply troubled, but she faced a major problem. The throne room of King Xerxes was highly restricted. No one gained entrance except at the king’s invitation, and no one would be permitted there with any bad news, anything that would disturb, disappoint or frustrate the king. Queen Esther had not been summoned for 30 days, and thus as she heard about the pandemic of fear sweeping the empire, she could not speak to King Xerxes without his invitation. What a dilemma! She trusted Mordecai who had raised her from childhood, thus she sent word asking his advice. The response she received must have shocked her.

“Do not think that because you are in the king’s palace you alone of all 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 your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:12-14)

My friends around the world, today much will begin to change politically in America, and only God knows how it will ripple out from Washington DC to affect you, your family, your city, your society, in days and years to come, wherever you live in the world. And so I have a question. Do you believe you are alive, at this moment in time, according to the sovereign will of God? Psalm 139, Jeremiah 1:5 and other Scriptures declare God is sovereign over the conception of every child, every breath every person breathes and thus every day they live. Therefore YES, you are alive today because God wants you alive.

Yes, you can apply that statement Mordecai sent to Esther…you my friends are alive today “…for such a time as this.”! The question is WHY? What does God want to accomplish IN and THROUGH you today and for the rest of your life and what legacy will your life leave? How will your life affect the future of your family, your city, your church, maybe even your nation?

Take note please of what Queen Esther did in response to this shocking message from Mordecai. “Go, gather all the Jews who are in the city of Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, day or night. I and my attendants will do the same. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish I perish.” (Esther 4:16) Esther believed Mordecai was right. Miraculously God had placed her, a Jewish young woman, in the palace of the most powerful man in the world, as his queen. While King Xerxes did not know Hadassah (Esther) was Jewish, and therefore she too was marked for death, what Esther believed was that if God wanted her to speak to the king and tell him the truth, even though against the law unless summoned, God would make a way.

Three days of fasting and seeking guidance from God she felt would provide her the opportunity to hear God’s instructions, and if it was to seek an audience with the king, then God would move in this king’s heart as God had moved in Cyrus nearly 50 years before, when he released 50,000 Jews to return to rebuild Jerusalem. Esther was convinced God can do anything, anytime, anywhere…to accomplish HIS purposes. Are you convinced of that truth my friends? As you watch the government leaders change in Washington DC today, is God calling you to consider an extended season of prayer and maybe even fasting? If so for what purpose?

Fasting as you know is found throughout the Bible, and normally is intended to abstain from something for the purpose of spending more time praying to God, and experiencing the natural hunger for that from which you are abstaining. That physical hunger then is intended to awaken a spiritual hunger. This is what we see in Psalm 63:1 “You God, are my God, earnestly I seek You. I thirst for You, my whole body longs for You, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld Your power and Your glory…” Also listen to Psalm 42:1 “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God…” I wonder if God might be calling Christians, all around the world, to a time of earnestly seeking God for the purpose of discerning what God wants us, His people to do now, wherever you live, work, study, live life all around our world?

What is God’s purpose for allowing this change of government at this time in America? What is God wanting to accomplish through His people who are alive ‘for such a time as this’?

I urge you to give serious consideration to that my friends! Let’s seek God and listen carefully to what He says to you, and all of God’s people all around the world today and in the next few days. There are important, perhaps precarious days which may shape history.

Tomorrow, we’ll see how God responded to this unique moment in history with Esther, Mordecai and hundreds of thousands of Jews who were facing extermination! It’s an amazing miracle which shaped history then and is still celebrated around the world every year.

Today’s Scripture is Esther 4.

Choose below to read or listen.

Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.

Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.

Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)

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