A Journey Through The Book of Esther: Part Five

Dear Friend,

Today we move ahead with our journey through the book of Esther. The journey has been amazing don’t you agree? My utmost desire is that you will be blessed by these lessons and most of all be challenged to act on them. I also urge you to read the chapters from your Bible so that you may gain better insight into the story of Esther as we continue this journey together. If you are just joining us on this journey please endeavor to read the last four posts so you don't miss out on anything. 

Esther 5: This chapter talks about the tactic which Queen Esther used to tell the King about Haman’s plan to kill the Jews.

Lessons:

V 2: Prayer causes God to grant us favor. God’s favor breaks all protocol. Esther boldly went into the King’s court and was welcomed and even given a choice to ask for up to half of the kingdom. I must pray earnestly before doing anything. My actions must be backed by prayer. Faith defies fear and trusts God to intervene. Esther knew that going into the King’s court without being summoned could cost her her life but by faith she went in all the same.

V 3-5: God granted Esther a creative way to go about telling the King of Haman’s plot. Esther did not get distracted from her mission. Even when the king offered her half of his kingdom, she did not go ahead and start asking for things. Secondly, she did not address the king rudely or without respect when she requested for his presence at the banquet she prepared. She still asked respectfully and politely. Approach matters.

V 7-8: Sometimes, not every information must be divulged at once. I must be careful to handle certain matters delicately and to follow the Holy Spirit step-by-step. Maybe if Esther had gone ahead and told the king about the matter that same day, the outcome would have been different.

V 9-14: Pride and self-conceit will destroy a man. Pride goes before a fall. My company of friends matter. My choice of a spouse matters. An evil spouse will join his/her partner to do evil. Evil friends will advise one wrongly. In vs 14, Haman’s wife and friends were the ones who suggested the idea of gallows to be built to hang Mordecai. Therefore, as I make choices concerning my companions, I must soak every decision in prayer because my company can make or mar me.

I am challenged by each and every lesson. I hope you are too.

My sincere prayer is that you are blessed.

In Christ,

Ishanpepe. 

A Journey Through The Book of Esther: Part Four

Dear One,

Greetings to you in the precious name of Jesus! Today I continue to share with you the beautiful lessons from my journey through the book of Esther which is packed with amazing and life-changing lessons. As always, my greatest desire is that you will be blessed by these lessons and be challenged to act on them. I also urge you to read the chapters from your Bible so that you may gain better insight into the story of Esther as we continue this journey together.

Esther 4: This is the story of Mordecai’s request to Esther the Queen to plead with the King on behalf of the Jews who were about to be annihilated by Haman.

What can we learn from this chapter?

Vs 16b: Am I willing to die for the cause of others? Esther was already a Queen, free from any harm or consequences of Haman’s decree. After all, no one knew her true identity. However, she did not keep quiet whilst the lives of her people were under threat. She dared to risk her life for her people.

Mordecai himself could have hidden under the shadow of Esther and not bothered much about being killed but instead he mourned for the lives of his people. This mourning was not crying alone. It must have included prayer and supplication as well. Nigeria is going through many challenges as a nation. I may not be affected, but am I on my knees praying for my country?

V 13-14: God places me in a place for a purpose. He doesn’t just place me there to enjoy and just occupy space. He has a special purpose for me. I must never take where God places me for granted. However, when God elevates me and I immediately get there and forget Him/His purpose, He will raise another person who will fulfill purpose and I will no more be His vessel unto honor. I must be careful not to forget God when I become elevated. In fact, without Him I am NOTHING.

V 14: God always places people who will counsel and caution me from making excuses or from shying away from what God wants me to do. In v11 Esther seemed to be afraid of approaching the king because of the consequences involved but Mordecai had to speak sense to her and remind her that God had placed her there to fulfill purpose. And knowing Esther as an obedient woman, she listened and saved her people in the long run.

V15: I must always fortify myself with prayer before doing anything. Here, prayer and fasting is exhibited. Esther fasted and prayed with her maids and asked Mordecai and other Jews to do same as well. She knew she was about to risk her life, but she was prepared to do so and did so in/through prayer. I must always prepare myself for everything in/through personal prayer and collective prayer as well.

This chapter emphasizes prayer a great deal. It is a challenge to rise up and fight our battles in prayer. Where has God placed you? You are there for a purpose. It doesn’t matter if He has placed you in a classroom with your juniors, or a distant place for NYSC, or an environment where darkness abounds. He knows exactly why He has placed you there. Do not be surprised because the survival of many lives may just depend on your courage and obedience to God.  

I hope you are blessed.

In Christ,

Ishanpepe.  

A Journey Through The Book of Esther: Part Three

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. 

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.