Pastor Bob DuPar
August 20, 2008

Journal Entry



Scripture

Esther 8:1-10:3; 1 Corinthians 12:27-13:13; Psalm 37:1-11; Proverbs 21:23-24

Observation

Esther 8:1, 3 reveals the justice of God:

“That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. …And Esther appointed him (Mordecai) over Haman’s estate.”

Esther 8:16-17 speaks of a rare moment in Israel’s history:

“For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor. …And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them.”

1 Corinthians 13 teaches that speaking someone’s language is not enough. If we lack love there is still a communication barrier. Love is the universal language. Someday when we see God face to face we will finally know Him as well as He knows us! That’s mind boggling.

Psalm 37:4,

“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart,”

Is actually not a promise that God will give us whatever we want, but rather a promise that as we delight ourselves in Him we will want what He wants. So, in the end, it’s a promise that God will fulfill His will through us.

Application

The story of Esther is a testimony to the fact that God honors those who honor Him, and God looks out for those who stand for justice. I have room to grow in this area. I need to get out of my comfort zone a little more. I also long to understand more fully what it means to “delight myself in the Lord.” I love God, always have, but so many of the things that I delight in are not things that He delights in. As I grow in my knowledge of God and His Word I will understand better what He delights in. From this point it then becomes an issue of obedience.

Prayer

“God, I want to delight in You – more than I do. Would You please transform my heart to crave the things You desire.”