King Xerxes imposed tribute throughout the empire, to its distant shores. 2 And all his acts of power and might, together with a full account of the greatness of Mordecai, whom the king had promoted, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Media and Persia? 3 Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews.
Dear God, so, was all of this about getting Mordecai elevated? Is that why you did all of this? Is that why Esther was picked as the queen? Is that why Haman had to be deposed? Is that why the Jews had to be threatened? Which is the cause and which is the effect? Did you need Mordecai in power so you orchestrated all of this, or did all of this happen, so you brought Mordecai to power to help? I have a feeling that it is the former.
It is a little like the Israelites in Egypt. Did they end up there because of the famine, or did you use the famine to get them there? Frankly, I think you needed them to be in slavery for over 400 years so that the nation could grow in the incubator that was Egypt. They were protected. The more they were persecuted the more they multiplied. By the time it was over there were hundreds of thousands of them. They had enough critical mass to defend themselves.
The thing I have to remember, to quote a praise song, is that it is all about you and not about me. If that is true then that means that my suffering is irrelevant in terms of your plans. Yes, you want me to have peace and joy in life, but I don’t deserve ease and comfort. You might bless me with it, but I don’t have a right to expect it. After all, it is all about you and not about me.
Father, help me to live completely at peace in the life you have given to me. There are challenges to be sure. And I am pressed, but I am not crushed. In some ways I am persecuted, but I am not abandoned. I have been struck down at times, but I am not destroyed. I am blessed beyond the curse and your promise endures. Your joy will be my strength. The sorrow might last for the night, but your joy will come in the morning.
Emails to God 