May 3rd

May 3rd -- Esther 2 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Esther%202&version=NLT)

Esther becomes queen ; Mordecai's loyalty to the king

After the King banishes Vashti, his attendants suggest a new plan : bring in beautiful women from many provinces, give them all a beauty treatment, and let the king see them all and choose whom he finds most beautiful to be his new wife and queen. The king likes this idea and gets it started. At this time there is a man names Mordecai in the fortress of Susa, where the women were to be brought, and he had a beautiful cousin named Hadassah - more commonly called Esther. Esther was one of the women brought due to the king's decree. Hegai, the woman in charge of all those being brought in, was impressed with Esther and so she favored her. Mordecai checked on her daily, and she also told nobody of her nationality and family background, because Mordecai told her not to.

Each woman would be given twelve months of beauty treatment, and then taken to the king's chambers for one night, after which they would live in the second harem, where the king's wives lived. She would never see the king again unless he specifically requested her by name. When Esther was taken to the king's chambers, he was so happy with her he put the crown on her head and declared her queen. He gave a public holiday and held a banquet for her honor, giving gifts as well, all to celebrate the occasion. Even when all the women had been put into the second harem, and Mordecai was a palace official, Esther kept her nationality a secret as Mordecai still told her to.

One day, Mordecai is on duty at the king's gate, and two of the king's eunuchs, who guard the king's private quarters' doors become mad at the king. They plot to assassinate him, but Mordecai heard about it. Mordecai told Esther, who then told the king, giving Mordecai credit for the report. When the king found Mordecai's story to be true, the men were killed. All these events were recorded in The Book of the History of Xerxes' Reign.

Mordecai did not agree with the king, or his practices, necessarily, yet he was still loyal. Why was that? God calls us to respect authority, as I said yesterday. We need to ensure we are respecting those God has put in authority over us. We also need to make sure that we do our duties honorably as servants to those who have authority over us. By servant I don't mean slave, as in grovelling at their feet for almost nothing. I mean a servant in our heart attitude. We need to be humble, and have a servant's heart. Serving is when acts for the person are done out of love and normally also a desire to do so. Slaving is when you're forced/you have to. See the difference? We should serve, not slave. We need to ensure we serve, though, and why? Well, we are told in the New Testament in various books that whatever we do for others we are doing for Christ. He wants us to treat those around us how we would treat him, because really, whatever we do to anyone around us, we are also doing to him. Hurting those around us hurts him. Loving those around us loves him. SERVING those around us SERVES him. It is important we do this, because we need to be the hands and feet of Christ, or His servants, in order to spread the gospel. So stop slaving, start serving  - even if you hate the job, remember you're doing it for God, and He'll remember it, so put a smile on your face and find your joy in knowing that!

All for tonight! God bless! Shalom!