Hollerrrrrrrr Ladies and Gentlemen!
A late but warm welcome to 2017!!! I pray that this year is
filled with amazing testimonies for you and yours. Amen. Today we continue our
journey through the book of Esther. A s always, I hope you are blessed by the
lessons by the amazing testimonies that this chapter carries…. 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 3: Haman comes into the picture; a proud,
self-conceited man who required his servants to bow before him. He is provoked
by just one man who will not bow and vows to kill all the Jews because of this
one man.
Lessons:
- Vs 2b – Mordecai knew what was right. He knew the law and knew the God he served. Therefore, He refused to bow down to Haman because this would consist of idolatry which God dislikes. Bowing down to Haman put him in the position of a god, and Mordecai refused to put him in such a position. As a leader, I must beware of putting my subordinates in the position of worshipping me. I am not a god, and must never take that place for whatsoever reason.
- Vs 3-4 – People will try and talk me into doing what is wrong but I must remain rooted in my faith. I must not be threatened by anyone to the extent that I drop my standards. I must never compromise.
- Vs 5 – When you do not stroke the ego of a prideful/self-conceited person, it will piss him or her off.
- Vs 7-9 – One man’s actions can have ripple effects, whether good or bad. Mordecai’s refusal to bow down to Haman caused Haman to seek revenge on the WHOLE of the Jews. As a child of God, wherever I am, I represent God’s people therefore my lifestyle/actions matter a lot.
- Vs 10-11 – I must be careful whom I accept advice from. As a leader, I must test, investigate and question everything before I give my consent to it. The king did not question Haman’s report and gave his consent to the killing of the chose people of God. That was dangerous because if it succeeded, God will mete out punishment and the king would have suffered for his decision.
- Vs 8-9, 12-14 – The enemy will do all he can to harm the people of God. However, we as God’s children are a threat to the kingdom of hell and no matter how they try, they cannot wipe us out. We must choose to stand for the truth and God will fight for us.
Again, I am mind blown at the lessons in this chapter! I am
blessed, I hope you are too. Just a reminder, your actions have ripple effects
therefore… watch it. The fate of lives, generations and nations may just hinge on
yours.
In Christ,
Shanpepe.
