A Journey Through The Book of Esther: Part Two

Hi everyone! I hope you were blessed by part one. Today we move to the second part of our journey through the amazing Biblical book of Esther. *drumroll*

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As usual, I’ll go straight the point and I pray above all that you are blessed. I urge that you read the chapters from your Bible so that you may gain better insight into the story of Esther as we take this journey together.

Esther 2: This is a story about the process of getting another Queen for the king.

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Lessons from Chapter 2:

Ø Vs 1: The king had made his previous decision about Vashti in anger. Anger affects decision making and I must be careful not to make drastic decisions in anger.

Ø Vs 7: I must not neglect family but lend a helping hand. Mordecai was blessed in the end for this.

Ø Vs 9: when the favor of the Lord is upon a person, it will manifest everywhere the person goes. Hegai had had no contact with Esther previously but upon seeing her, he was impressed and gave her preferential treatment. Favor breaks protocols for the favored.

Ø Vs 10-11: Esther obeyed her guardian Mordecai and he never stopped caring for her.

Ø Vs 12-13: there is a place/process of preparation that God must take me through before bringing me to my King. This is a place of beautification and training to be the rightful and befitting Queen for my King (husband).

Ø Vs 15: I must not neglect the counsel of older godly people that God has placed in my life. Esther followed only what Hegai told her when it was time to go to the king and everyone admired her.

Ø When I follow the right way/process, I will be celebrated by my King and everyone around me.

Ø Vs 20: Even whilst a Queen, Esther still obeyed her guardian Mordecai. Keeping her nationality secret was for a divine purpose. Maybe if she has divulged her nationality at the beginning, she may have hampered her chance of becoming Queen.

Ø Vs 21-23: God is counting on me to expose evil. I must not hear/see evil and keep quiet about it. It doesn’t matter if man doesn’t recognize or remember me. The important thing is that God does and that is more than enough.

Ø Mordecai saw the potentials of a Queen in Esther and encouraged her to join the host of others to be prepared as a likely Queen for the king. I must learn to see the best in other. I just might be raising royalty and savior for the present and future generation.

I am honestly mind-blown by the lessons from this chapter. I am blessed. Are you?

In Christ,

Shanpepe. 

A Journey Through The Book of Esther: Part One

Over the past 3 weeks I have been studying the book of Esther. This book is one of my favorite books of the Bible and this time of study has been absolutely wonderful, revealing, and impactful. I will be sharing with you the lessons I have been learning so far from each chapter and I hope that you are blessed by them.  I urge that you read the chapters from your Bible so that you may gain better insight into the story of Esther as we take this journey together.

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Today we begin with Esther chapter 1;

This is a popular Bible story of Queen Vashti who refused to obey her husband and whose disobedience cost her her position as Queen of the land.

Lessons from Chapter 1:

v Vs 3-9: The tendency to show off and be proud and extravagant is very high when one has tasted riches and power. I must be cautious.

v Vs 10-11: Drunkenness affects one’s reasoning. It was when the king was half drunk that he requested for the Queen to come and showcase her beauty to the guests, thus conveying her as just an object of admiration.

v Vs 12-20: Vashti the Queen disobeyed her husband and it cost her her position as the Queen because it was feared that women everywhere would begin to disrespect and disobey their husbands because of her act. This automatically means that as a leader, I must set a godly example for the people under me or else it might just cost me my position as a leader. My actions should spur others to do right and not wrong.

v Vs 13-14: Who are my advisers? The King relied solely on the advice of the 7 men who were high officials but still under him. It is not imperative that every advice I receive must be adhered to. I must also learn to take responsibility and make decisions myself.

v I am to submit to my husband because he is my head and this pleases the Lord. Husbands on the other hand are not to trample on their wives, but are to love, respect, and cherish their wives; not treating them as objects, but as partners in the ministry of marriage.

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May the Lord give us grace to apply these lessons to our lives. I hope you have been blessed.

In Christ,

Shanpepe. 

Even in My Adversity!

Isaiah 30:20-21 – “Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and affliction for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes, and you will hear a voice say, “This is the way, turn around and walk here.” ”

Even in my adversity God is with me. He does not leave me to suffer alone. Rather, He remains with me through the adversity and teaches me in the process. He is a perfect Father. Just like a Father will spank with one hand and embrace with the other, so does God send affliction to me but does not leave me to pass through it alone. Adversity could cause me to foster resentment and a hardened heart, but as a child of God, I must have an open and willing heart to learn from God and to follow His voice that will still show me the right way to go even in my adversity.

My adversity is a time of getting my path right. It is often a time of changing my path from where I used to be to walk to a new path (“…turn around and walk here.”). It is often a time of re-direction. This re-direction and re-positioning can only happen if I acknowledge God’s teaching and heed to His voice of guidance. I will see Him evidently in my affliction because though the affliction will abound, He will not allow me to be crushed by it. He will never give me what He hasn’t supplied enough grace for. He may not stop the storm in my life, but He sure won’t leave me alone to drown in it. He will be with me and guide me through His Word. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105)

Even in my adversity, God is with me! He allows adversity for a purpose; my God never does anything aimlessly. He is a God of purpose.

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"God of purpose, I worship You. Thank You for times of adversity. Help me to learn from You in such moments and to allow You re-position and redirect me unto the right path. Thank You for being with me in my adversity.

Amen."

In Christ,

Ishanpepe. 

>>>Stay Focused!>>>

Proverbs 4:25-27 : “Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; then stick to the path and stay safe. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.”

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Purpose is important in the life of a child of God. I must be a woman of purpose and vision. The Bible says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish…” (Proverbs 29:18). My survival, my ability to make impact is highly dependent on my vision. Now from this verse, there are three key words that serve as transitions from one sentence to another.

“Look” – I must cast my eyes/vision and look ahead to what lies ahead of me. For example, I know that a law degree lies ahead of me. That is the end goal of all these years of study. It is important to know what the goal is and fix your eyes on it. What we see registers in our minds and becomes what we think. ‘Looking’ is important.

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“Mark” – The second step is to mark out a plan, a strategy, a game plan that will guide my path to the end goal. This plan/strategy must be clear and ‘straight’ as the Bible says. It can be long term plan/goals or short term goals. For example, I know I have a law degree ahead of me, I want to have a first class degree, that is the vision. But how do I get to this end goal? Studying, setting daily goals, keeping up with my reading lists, eating well, resting well, praying, making sure not to repeat any course are some ways. These are all part of me marking out a path for my feet to follow. Now, the verse goes on to say that after I have marked out this path, I must stick to it and stay safe. Sticking to the game plan is important for my safety. Simple.

“Don’t” – It says ‘don’t get sidetracked’. This is very important because the moment I lose focus or move away from the path (game plan), I am putting my safety in jeopardy, and of course, I am no more setting my eyes on the goal anymore. Priorities are misplaced and failure is near. I must keep my feet from following evil in order to succeed.

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Staying on track is very important for success. I must learn to say NO to distractions and to stay focused, determined, and faithful to the call. I must keep the vision and the strategy even closer.

Dear reader, wherever God has placed you, He is counting on you to stay focused. Don’t lose sight of your goal. Keep your vision close and follow Jesus every step of the way.

Father,

Thank You for this word! Amazing. Help me to be focused and determined in my education and in my life generally. The goal is to finish well. May I not fall by the wayside. In Jesus’ name, AMEN. 

Hope this blessed you. 

Have a fabulous week ahead!

In Christ,

Shanpepe.

I AM RIGHTEOUS!: Dealing with an Identity Crisis

Micah 6:5 – “O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the LORD.”

For a very long time I struggled with the issue of my righteousness in God’s eyes. I kept thinking, “I am such a sinner, I’m sure God doesn’t see me as righteous.” But this year, God has in His faithfulness shown me and affirmed to me that I am righteous. Wanna know why? Let’s dig into Scripture a bit.

God is righteous and in Him dwells no iniquity. Now, because of Jesus Christ, I am righteous. This is not to say that I am void of sin, but to say that when God beholds me, He sees the righteousness of His Son Jesus. Micah tells us to cast our minds back to the story of King Balak and Balaam in Numbers.

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Numbers 23:20-21 – “Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it. He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.”

The story was that king Balak saw the nation of Israel as a threat and called upon Balaam to curse them. However, Balaam couldn’t curse them but could only bless them at the command of the Lord, which he couldn’t even reverse. At this juncture let me point out an amazing fact to you. Whom God has blessed, no man can curse. His blessings are permanent and cannot be reversed. That’s why we must desire God’s blessings much more than miracles. Miracles are momentary, but God’s blessings are permanent.

Now in verse 21, :…he hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel…” Israel was a nation that had always defied God’s instructions and committed sin upon sin. But here was God saying that He did not see their iniquity. Not that they weren’t guilty of iniquity, He didn’t just see the iniquity! Now this buttresses the point that my Righteousness is not of works or of keeping the law. My righteousness is by faith. Because if it were by works, God would not have declared that He did not behold their iniquity. God’s righteousness is beyond human comprehension! I am a sinner but God doesn’t see my sin! Instead what does He see? He sees Jesus, who is my righteousness! Therefore I AM RIGHTEOUS! Because of my faith and belief in God, I am righteous!

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The Bible says in Romans 4:3 that “…Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Verse 5 says, “But people are declared righteous because of their faith, not because of their work.” Praise God!

The criteria for righteousness is faith, not works. Therefore, my righteousness is no more about how many laws I keep, but about my simple faith in God. That is why even when I sin, He doesn’t behold my sin because I am righteous in His eyes. I am righteous enough. I am as righteous as I will ever be. I am as righteous as I will ever need to be. My righteousness account will continually remain credited and my unrighteous account, remain empty because of the blood of Jesus and my faith in Him. I am righteous! Praise the Lord! I need never to struggle with an identity crisis every again. I believe God, and therefore I am righteous. What a victorious life we live in Jesus!

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2 Corinthians 5:21 – “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

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Dear Father,

It’s such a great feeling to know that in Your eyes I am righteous. Thank you that my simple faith in You is my criteria for righteousness. Thank You that despite my shortcomings, You do not behold my sin. I am rightoues. Thank You because whom You have blessed, no man can curse. Thank you for this assurance. I am filled with joy unspeakable! I love You my righteous King.

Amen.

I hope this has blessed you.

In Christ,

Shanpepe  

Congratulations! You have been enrolled into the School of Trials

Romans 5:3-4 : “We can rejoice too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us – they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation.”

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Hardship isn’t something to smile at. But God wants me to rejoice when I encounter them because they are good for me. And because He knows all things, why not? I must begin to smile at my trials because of the bigger picture of God’s master plan for my life.

“…they are good for us – they help us learn…” (vs 3) I would like to see trials and problems as a school, a place of learning. And connecting to the previous point, just like a student rejoices at the start of a new school year, I should also rejoice at my trials because I am resuming a new school year at the school of trails! Unbelievable and absurd, I know. But problems and trails are a place of learning for a child of God. In this school I will learn endurance under harsh circumstances which will develop strength of character in me and when my character is in good condition, I am able to really face life as it comes, the Jesus way.

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This character as it is developed, strengthens my expectation (faith) of my salvation. Yes, I will face trials but, “this too shall pass.” There comes a day of salvation, but I must have faith and be expectant of this encounter. This is why my character needs to be strengthened so that I can have more faith that I will be saved from my present trial. And the following verse states that “And this expectation will not disappoint us” (vs 5).

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Gold goes through fire to be refined, but does it remain in the fire forever? NO! After it has been purified to the goldsmith’s taste, it is removed from the fire and fashioned into the desired pattern or shape.

I must rejoice in my trials, attend class and have faith that my day of salvation will come!

#selah

“Dear Lord,

Thank you for the trials I am currently facing. Help me to rejoice even as I pass through them. May I learn every single lesson that you want me to learn, and may your character be formed in me even as I wait and look forward to my day of salvation. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

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Hope this blessed you.

In Christ,

Ishanpepe. 

Taking off the Robe

John 13:1-11: “Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.” “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”

Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.” For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.””

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Jesus displayed an utmost act of humility when He took off His robe and washed His disciples’ feet. Taking off His robe signified the stripping all pride or greatness. What do I have on that I need to take off in order to be humble? Is it my knowledge, beauty, skills, or achievements? God wants me to strip all such things before humility can be manifested. Humility is service. Jesus showed this by washing His disciples’ feet. He instructed His disciples to do same to others. I must be willing and ready to serve others. Now, humility is not just serving others but also allowing ourselves to be “served”. This must sound strange. However, let us look at the passage again. When Jesus got to Peter’s turn, he refused to allow Jesus wash his feet. I know we might think that he was just being modest, but look again. Here was an opportunity to be cleansed by Jesus Himself which Peter met with strong refusal. I lack words to explain this but we are all in need of God’s cleansing, and unless we put aside any sentiments or pride, He cannot do His work of cleansing in you and me.

Verse 8: ““No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.””

If I do not submit to God and allow Him cleanse me, I do not belong to Him. He must cleanse me so I can belong to Him.

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James reveals that Grace only comes for a man when/after he humbles himself before God. Grace has a requirement; HUMILITY. I cannot be a recipient of grace when I am proud. NO WAY. Pride stands in the way of grace. Remember that Grace is undeserved mercy. Humility portrays that I am nothing and that I need God. Humility reveals my uttermost need for God.

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It is only grace that can keep a man, but before that Grace must come humility. May we not allow any “robes” in our lives stand in the way of receiving God’s grace.

May the Lord help us.

#selah

Dear Lord,

I strip myself of any “robe” in my life; material things, skills, knowledge, beauty, fame, or achievements. Help me to put on utmost humility. I need You, I really need You, because without You I am nothing. Cleanse me from every iniquity. I put myself under Your mighty hand. Please supply GRACE for me so I can do Your will. Help me to be willing to serve others in all humility. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.  

Faith Makes The Difference!

Hi everyone,

It’s indeed been a very long time since I put up a post here. It’s been such a hectic but interesting summer though. God has been speaking to me on different issues, one of them being on FAITH which I would share with you about today.

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“The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.”(Hebrews 11:2) What set our Biblical ancestors apart was their faith. Their faith separated them from the rest of the “normal people”. Faith is what made them as successful as they were in their lifetimes. The presence of faith takes away any sort of desire to follow the crowd. Faith elevates, sets apart, and distinguishes. Faith was the secret weapon of my ancestors.

“By an act of faith, Abel brought a better sacrifice to God than Cain. It was what he believed, and not what he brought, that made the difference. (Hebrews 11:4) The Bible never mentioned the content of both sacrifices. Don’t be surprised if Cain’s sacrifice was actually larger in quantity than that of Abel. God was not concerned with quantity or type or even quality per say, what God is much more interested in is my faith rather than my substance. Abel’s faith was what caused his sacrifice to be better than Cain’s. God honors faith.

“By an act of faith, Moses’ parents hid him away for 3 months after his birth. They saw the child’s beauty, and they braved the king’s decree.” (Hebrews 11:23) Faith doesn’t operate on the terms or rules of humans. Moses’ parent must have seen something special in their child and in faith believing that God will fulfill the destiny of Moses, defied the king’s decree and hid him. Faith sees beyond the present to the future.

“By an act of faith, Israel walked through the Red Sea on dry ground. The Egyptians tried it and drowned.” (Hebrews 11:29) Faith makes the difference! The Israelites walked through the Red Sea on dry ground simply because of their faith. If the Egyptians as well had had some faith, they could have crossed too! This is what makes a life of faith different. Faith is my secret weapon to do the so-called impossible. Faith is so powerful. It is the KEY to unlock every promise God had said concerning my life. It is the key to unlock every locked door/obstacle in my path. FAITH IS POWER.

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Hope you have been blessed by this.

In Christ,

Shanpepe. 

Difficulties...and Lessons

2 Corinthians 1:8-10 – “I think you ought to know dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and completely overwhelmed, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we learned not to rely on ourselves, but on God who can raise the dead. And He did deliver us from mortal danger. And we are confident that He will continue to deliver us.”

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We all have gone through one difficult hardship or the other; each one varying in character and time duration. But the point is, we know what it is in to be a hard or difficult situation. Life is full of ups and downs and it will not always be rosy. I believe this post would be an encouragement to your heart and to mine all over again.

I have come to realize over time that just one single Bible verse can hold so much valuable truths for life, talk more of three verses. As usual, I would just be sharing what God has taught me from His word. I hope you are blessed as you open your heart to receive.

• Hardships and painful moments teach me to trust and rely totally on God.
• In difficult moments I am helpless and overwhelmed with sorrow but I can rely on God during such moments.
•  God has power to raise the dead and therefore He is able to lift me up in such difficult situations.
• Relying on God means handing over the situation to Him and choosing not to worry about anything because He is in full control. At this point my knowledge is null and void.
• God is able to turn things around. When I may feel like I’m not going to survive a situation, when I rely on Him, He turns it all around.
• Life and death are in God’s hands. Because of this, I can rely on Him.
• God’s power never dwindles; He delivered His children before and even right now He is still in the business of delivering His children from danger and hardship.
• “…He will continue to deliver us.” God’s deliverance has no limit. It is continuous, consistent. Thank you Lord. This is another reason why I can rely on Him. He will never fail me.
• Jesus is life. When I feel like I am near death, His life is sufficient and available to strengthen me.                        
• Relying on mySELF will just lead me to destruction.
• Since God is so powerful, why doesn’t He prevent such experiences from coming my way right at the beginning? He allows me experience such situations to prove His power. To prove and expose my helplessness and my ultimate need of Him.
•  Without God I am NOTHING.
• God has a reason for everything and therefore He allows me experience harsh experiences for a reason.

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Dear Lord,

I give my hardships, difficulties, overwhelming pain and discomfort to You. I ask You to please take control of them. I choose to rely solely on You and no one else. Turn things around for my good. I am helpless and I need you. I am nothing without You. You have delivered before, You are able to deliver now.

“Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!

How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er!

Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!

Oh for grace to trust Him more!

AMEN.

In Christ,

Ishanpepe. 

Seasons of Planting...

Psalm 126:5-6: “Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.”

Dear Friend,

I hope today’s post holds a word for you.

I am currently writing exams, and it is almost becoming a nightmare for me. As a law student, I have so much to get into my head; sections of the constitution, criminal law provisions, contract act provisions, philosophical arguments and so on. Sometimes I just want to throw my hands in the air and give up. In fact on some days I have shed a few tears of frustration… we all have our days where we just wanna give up… it is a part of this life, but once there is life my dear, there is hope.

The verse above reminds me that in my own situation, the time and effort I am investing in my education are all seasons of planting… and how I plant greatly determines how and what I will reap! The season of planting is a painful one. This is where the digging, hoeing, clearing of the field, planting, weeding and watering takes place. This is the period of backbreaking, exhausting work. But the harvest! It is a joyous season. The harvest comes after the planting. The harvest is the reward for the painful season of planting.

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In the verse, there is a guarantee (“…will harvest”) that when I plant in pain, I will reap with joy. Therefore, the planter plants with the aftermath in mind. He or she knows that there will be a time of rejoicing after the pain. After the tears come the songs of joy.

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The season of planting is not a forever something. It will surely come to an end and the way I plant determines how my season of harvest will be like. This season of planting for me (education/exams) is not funny. It is exhausting and backbreaking work. But I must look forward to the joys of harvesting what I have planted. This season will not last forever!

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Father,

Help me to be strong in my Spirit even though my body is weak… this education of mine… it’s wearying me, tiring me, it is hard work. I need Your grace to keep planting… to keep sowing, to keep investing. Help me not to throw in the towel and give up. Help me to be steadfast and resilient even when my eyes are filled with tears. Help me to look forward to the joys of harvest and to be encouraged. Give me grace Lord. Give me strength, give me patience even in this season of planting. I choose to keep planting. Remember my tears and give me a good harvest.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

I hope you are encouraged dear friend… keep planting… it will definitely be worth it in the end!

In Christ,

Ishanpepe