When is it wrong to do right

Scripture Read: Esther 4:9-14 Hathach came back and related Mordecai’s words to Esther. ¹⁰ Then Esther spoke to Hathach and ordered him to reply to Mordecai: ¹¹ “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that for any man or woman who comes to the king to the inner court who is not summoned, he has but one law, that he be put to death, unless the king holds out to him the golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned to come to the king for these thirty days.” ¹² They related Esther’s words to Mordecai. ¹³ Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. ¹⁴ “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”   

Application: When is it not the time to do what is right? If God is involved in something, can we really thwart His workings? These two questions leap out at us from this passage! Mordecai has sought the Lord over the decreed destruction by the King, instigated by Haman. God has opened communication to Esther of what is about to happen. Esther in turn has related back to Mordecai the truth that she would place her life in great jeopardy if she does what he has requested. Yet Mordecai is unchanged in his direction for her response. Too many times we as believers, in an effort to protect ourselves, choose not to stand for right, justifying ourselves with the fact that we were not participating in doing the wrong, therefore we are not sinning. 

This is exactly what much of the church did during the Nazi terror. Father, nowhere in Your scripture is it taught for those that love You to be silent when confronted with obvious evil. There is a line that we have to be aware of to not cross over into getting to caught up in the affairs of this world, but that line does not exist when it comes to protecting the weak and innocent against evil. Time and time again, in Your Word and in history we see Your people stand against evil, even when it costs them their lives. Much evil has been done in the name of the church, but it is clear that that church was led by men, not You. Mordecai affirms the truth that if a person thinks they can escape evil by ignoring it – they will be surprised when that evil turns on them. The other truth is that Mordecai models what real faith is. He makes Esther understand that if she will not be used by God to accomplish what He desires, God will raise help from somewhere else. He is warning her that God’s plans will not be frustrated by man. In Acts 5:38–39 “So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God.”  What ever we do we need to stop worrying about popularity, market mentality or polls. Is God in it? Then be a part of it! We cannot protect ourselves, we must have faith that He will finish it and as we join Him in His plans we will enjoy the fruit that He brings as we obey and bring Him pleasure. Father, guide us in Your ways.

Meditation Questions: When you are involved in an endeavor, is it your view that only you are involved? When you see wrong happening what do you do about it? Do you ask the Lord what you should do about it? When is it time to not get involved in something? How can we know when to draw the line on our involvement? 

Proactive Decision Making

Scripture Read: Esther 4:9-14 Hathach came back and related Mordecai’s words to Esther. ¹⁰ Then Esther spoke to Hathach and ordered him to reply to Mordecai: ¹¹ “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that for any man or woman who comes to the king to the inner court who is not summoned, he has but one law, that he be put to death, unless the king holds out to him the golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned to come to the king for these thirty days.” ¹² They related Esther’s words to Mordecai. ¹³ Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. ¹⁴ “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”   

Application: This section is so rich with truth! Father we dare not hurry through it. Esther teaches us here another important truth. When we have to make a critical decision and desire to be mature and wise, we must deal with every facet facing the full reality of what we are endeavoring to do, no matter how ugly that reality is. Many of us try not to consider the harsh realities that may be involved in the decisions we are making. We sugar coat them or ignore the less desirable side of that decision. This is not healthy and will lead to failure, it also exposes a lack of maturity. How many of us make decisions without counting the cost only to realize half way in that we made a mistake or do not have what it takes to follow through on that decision. How sad it is that so many that marry today find themselves right here. They rushed into a relationship and now want out. 

Lord You warned us about sloppy decision-making. (Luke 14:28-32) The only way to properly make a mature, Spirit led decision is to examine all of the ramifications, not just the ones we like. Here Esther is spelling out to Mordecai the danger to her life that his request could place her into. She could easily die doing what he is asking her to do. This is not a lack of faith. It is right and proper to look at all the costs when we make decisions, though they are not the determining factor. God’s will must be that, to seek Him and to do what He has called us to do, that is the bottom line. However, if we count the cost first, we will arm ourselves against the push on our flesh from the enemy to quit because it costs too much. Our flesh is weak but I find if we have faced all of the reality that our decision might bring, we will be prepared for the tough part or the long part of the journey. Father, all of us need to face this with our life. If we give ourselves to You and call You Lord, our path can go so many directions. “Success”; “Failure”; “Applause”; “Persecution”; “Long Life”; “Martyrdom”; “Disease” and many more paths await the child of Yours. If we accept that “Your will be done” we will be prepared for whatever path You take us. Oh Lord, let us count the cost as we commit our ways to You.

Meditation Questions: When you make decisions, do you plan a time to plan the decision? Do you make a Pro/Con list? Even in a hurried circumstance how can you be more proactive about your decision? If the deal is sooo good it must be made immediately, what does that tell you? What does it mean to you to “count the cost”? Do you pray before you decide?  

What’s on the “surface” is ONLY the surface

Scripture Read: Esther  4:6-14 So Hathach went out to Mordecai to the city square in front of the king’s gate. ⁷ Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for the destruction of the Jews. ⁸ He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict which had been issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show Esther and inform her, and to order her to go in to the king to implore his favor and to plead with him for her people. ⁹ Hathach came back and related Mordecai’s words to Esther. ¹⁰ Then Esther spoke to Hathach and ordered him to reply to Mordecai: ¹¹ “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that for any man or woman who comes to the king to the inner court who is not summoned, he has but one law, that he be put to death, unless the king holds out to him the golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned to come to the king for these thirty days.” ¹² They related Esther’s words to Mordecai. ¹³ Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. ¹⁴ “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”   

Application: This is an incredible section of Your Word Lord. There is so much here that can challenge us. Mordecai had the discernment to see more than just the surface. If he had this in his mind from the beginning we cannot know because the Word does not state it, but it seems apparent that Mordecai had a clear discernment that God must be working in this situation. Knowing he had told Esther not to reveal her identity as a Jew from the time this all began, and now that there was a planned  threat to all the Jews, Mordecai sees the hand of God and challenges Esther to step boldly. He first appeals to You Lord through ash and sackcloth. This shows us that he did not view this as merely a “human” problem. He was seeking Your guidance first. As he informs Esther, she is honest about the dangerous step he is asking of her, but here again he speaks about the bigger picture. He does not view where Esther is as a work of human effort, but looking beyond the surface, he points out that there is a “bigger” idea behind all that has happened to her. Mordecai is our example to try and see more than the obvious, to look “behind” the scenes. So many of us only focus on the surface and miss the deeper truth and lessons that are actually there. One of the keys to not being content by what we think is “obvious” has to do with the pace at which we digest information. The norm today is high efficiency, immediate and quick. When we do the fly~by, we can only skim the surface of the truth. We must exercise our will power to slow down, make ourselves take a breath, step back from the situation and give the Holy Spirit time to illuminate us to the real truth. This takes faith, but the more time we give ourselves to meditate on situations the better we might see Your hand moving in the invisible area of that situation. Father life is rushing at us today, we need Your help to be disciplined enough to put the breaks on so we can see what is really going on. Grant us Your grace Lord

Meditation Questions: Do you pace your life in a way that you have time to contemplate? If so – what do you see your learning? If not – what might you be missing? When you are in a situation do you think what you see is all there is? When was the last time you saw visible evidence of intervention by our invisible Lord? 

We must seek out the truth, not expect it to reveal itself

Scripture Read: Esther 4:4-5  Then Esther’s maidens and her eunuchs came and told her, and the queen writhed in great anguish. And she sent garments to clothe Mordecai that he might remove his sackcloth from him, but he did not accept them. ⁵ Then Esther summoned Hathach from the king’s eunuchs, whom the king had appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what this was and why it was.  

Application: We read in Prov. 29:25 The fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted. What a great truth is brought forth in a passage that we might just read and pass by as basic info about a story. In the day we live in – this little insight can really save us some grief. How many times do we in the Body of Christ react to what we think is true before we take the time to find out what the truth is?

Esther does not know why Mordecai will not accept the better clothes so that he can enter and tell her directly, but she does not just accept his no and go back to her life, she investigates. We should do the same. Sometimes we take what we see and even though it might not make sense to us we just accept it and go back to our life. I fear many times we miss real opportunity to minister when we do that. Someone has been absent from fellowship for a while, we ask how they are doing, they dismiss us with a quick “fine” so we go back to life. Perhaps if we had spent just a little more energy or time to ask “why”, or is there anything we can do, we might find a wounded person that did not know how to ask for help. The other aspect that is just as important is that today we get an email, or text message or hear a news report about something that is bad, like a book or a movie, and without checking it out for ourselves we jump in with the mob that is condemning or booing it. Many times we find out later the truth was not reported to us – now we look reactionary and ignorant – which the world loves to say Christians are. This is not good. We should take the time, as Esther did, to find out what the whole story is before we decide what we will do. Father, help us to seek the truth in the issues You bring into our lives so we can respond in a thoughtful, wise way, based on what the real truth is.

Meditation Questions: When you “hear about” something, how do you handle that? What do you do about it? Have you ever reacted to what you thought to be true only to find out you were wrong? What did you learn? How did you change? Have you ever pursued something and in time discovered the real truth? What did you learn? How did you change? We cannot control all the information that comes to us, but we can control - _________________  Fill in the blank. How many answers can you think of?

Learning to be comfortable with being uncomfortable

Scripture Read: Esther  4:4 Then Esther’s maidens and her eunuchs came and told her, and the queen writhed in great anguish. And she sent garments to clothe Mordecai that he might remove his sackcloth from him, but he did not accept them.  

Application: How committed am I to the things that I consider important? This section of scripture challenges all of us with that question.  Here Esther, out of kindness, tries to put Mordecai in clothes that will be comfortable. But Mordecai is committed to his decision to mourn before the Lord in ash and sackcloth. How many times have we decided to commit to something that will cost us our comfort, only to give in to our flesh before we were through our commitment? Fasting, special prayer schedules, diets, exercise programs, new ministries, the list could go on. Mordecai is a great reminder to us in many ways. 

First, the offer to return to comfort may come from well-intentioned people who just want to see you happy. I know the greatest pressure we have had to leave the foreign field has been from well meaning family that wanted us safe in America and living the good life. They give many good reasons to move to a place of comfort. Like the friend that tries to get you to eat more, exercise less, or don’t over extend yourself in ministry or spiritual disciplines. Most are well meaning and we need to make sure we are balanced, but when we know the Lord has placed a commitment on our heart, we need to remember Mordecai. He did not allow his flesh to win. He was serious about bringing his complaint to the Lord. Second, the scriptures are full of examples on men and women that followed through on decisions that were uncomfortable, that the Lord honored and brought great fruit to them. (James 5:16) Father, strengthen us with Your Spirit to follow through on those things You place in our heart. Yes, we may suffer the feeling of missing something, or physical discomfort, but the fruit of following through will far outweigh the discomfort.

Meditation Questions: How many “new year’s” resolutions have you made that never made it past the first month? What preparation do you go through when you plan to begin a task that will be uncomfortable? How much time do you spend praying before you set out to do it? Why do you endeavor to try hard things? What was the last thing you committed to and followed all the way to completion? Why? Why not? What does that say?

The world needs to see what repentance is from us

Scripture Read: Esther  4:1-3  When Mordecai learned all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and wailed loudly and bitterly. ² He went as far as the king’s gate, for no one was to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. ³ In each and every province where the command and decree of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing; and many lay on sackcloth and ashes 

Application: I find it important that as I study Your Word Lord – that so many times the repenting is from those of us who know You. So many of us see the condition of our world today and we have a deep belief that what is needed is repentance. We know that You honor the act of repentance, and that through it great healing can take place. Whether that healing is physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and/or financial. As we look at this passage though, we do need to be challenged by our approach. I realize the only target of this problem was the Jews, so they are the ones mourning and seeking Your intervention, which would make sense. Yet, as we consider how many times You have encouraged groups to repent, we need to look how that is being approached today. As an American, I have heard many in the Body of Christ call for national repentance, which I agree would be great. But, when I examine the scriptures the norm was not that it was important for those that have no relationship with You to repent, though it is clear that when that happened great works from You happened i.e. Jonah. 



The overwhelming examples in scripture though are of Your people repenting no matter what the rest of the world is doing. Even the most quoted passage on this topic is still about those that are Yours - 2 Chronicles 7:14 – “My people”. This should be an issue because I believe we have duped ourselves into thinking that the sin problem of this world begins with those outside the Body of Christ. That is not scriptural! We see the world committing all the “big” social sins, i.e. Abortion, Drunkenness, Fornication, etc., and we preach how the world needs to repent so You will show mercy. This is true concerning salvation, but perhaps not true concerning the other troubles this world is seeing. Perhaps the moral decline, the acceptance of sin, the increase of natural disasters, disease, and financial ruin, does not lie at the feet of those that do not know You. Perhaps we, Your church, need to look into the mirror and ask if we truly are repenting and seeking Your hand of mercy on us. Much of the Church accepts the love of money we have, the complacency over private sins in our life and the lack of true confrontation in the church over sin.  Our willingness to spend our energy and time on making this life the best it can be for us, while ignoring a lost world and being content with “if they want to go to hell that is up to them!” Though it is true, people decide for him or her self about salvation, what example do we give them to cause them to reconsider their choice? When we look the same in our personal life, what is attractive about that? Father, let repentance begin with us, You will honor that!

Meditation Questions: Do you ever sit at a message wishing that someone you knew was hearing it? Does that thought stop you from getting what God wants YOU to get? When we take our stand against sin, do we start with our own? Each person is responsible for their own decision concerning Christ but are helping them or hindering them?