Sunday, May 30, 2010
May 30 ... Esther 1 - 5 "Is Your Plan Going Well or Not?"
Esther 1:22 Huge Wealth. Stunning Splendor. Isn't that today's Hollywood, even our own hollywood circles. People want to be somebody on this earth. "Every man is master of his own house; whatever he says, goes." That's what the king ordered. Wonder why Persia didn't take the opportunity to return "home" to Judah. They "preferred the comforts a well-established secular lifestyle could provide." Sounds way-too-familiar! So they put pressure on the beautiful women to show up. That's not right. What about those of us with redemptive dignity who aren't glamour-filled---would we have made it in Persia? "Are they---or even am I---even interested fin real holiness, in what You call holiness? Or are we mistaking tolerance and niceness and spiritual experiences for the deep change in the human soul that You desire? Most of us seem to think Christianity is a moral and social policy to make life better for people rather than a redemptive plan for making people better in this life." I am so grateful to God for His moving into my life in the midst of some suffering a few years ago to help me to really deal with deep change and let HIM change me way down deep as only He can. Ask my husband, my son, some of my friends, and they will tell you that I'm not who I was---and I'm on my face in gratitude. And I still have a long way to go but I have hope! So, like all of us, we sometimes ask Crabb's question: Is Your plan going well or not? It sounds arrogant. And it is if it's asking about Plan B. Is it going well in my life, in your life? His Plan A? Or am I wrestling with all those Plan B's that surprise me and crop up? Radical Repentance.
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It's been a whirlwind of a weekend with graduation. Sorry for the posts not being up on time. We have the relatives staying with us. I am on a router with several others this weekend and keep getting thrown off...I actually did 2 posts but lost them. So had to do them over and time wasn't there. Graduation was Friday then the lock-in then relatives yesterday and today we are on our way to Dallas to give Blair a wedding shower. I'm so touched by these beautiful people in Persia who missed God's Plan A. Where do I do the same? I so want to make an impact in ministry, leave a legacy, you know the terminology? But what is God's Plan A for my life? Do I want holiness more than social reform more than a lasting legacy more than an impact for HIM? How am I making life better here as opposed to letting God make me better here? Good food for thought as I travel back home alone. I'll be thinking of you all. Call me on Monday if any of you can...happy holiday~!
ReplyDeleteJust finishing the study, Esther: It's Tough Being A Woman has this book fresh in my mind. I remember Beth saying that we all have a destiny, but God cannot fulfill it without us that we have to completely trust in Him. Esther completely trusted in God no matter what.
ReplyDeleteWow. Women were just eye candy, to enjoy for the one night.
ReplyDeleteGod gave Esther favor with the king. It seems we have the continuing Plan A moving forward.
Nehemiah was pretty forceful with some of the men of Judah who were marrying foreigners. He pulled their hair! And was disgusted with them.
How do we reconcile that with our Grace Call. Tolerance...? It sure got them in trouble in the final readings of Nehemiah. And now we have Esther being prepared for the king's harem.
I found this part interesting in light of the fact that these Israelites were in this foreign country instead of back in Jerusalem...
"There is an odd set of people scattered through the provinces of your kingdom who don't fit in. Their customs and ways are different from those of everybody else. Worse, they disregard the king's laws."
Odd? I wonder how much they had blended in to this empire. Odd says a lot. And the fact that they were disregarding the king's laws. I still find it hard to reconcile the fact that God is not mentioned in this book of the Bible. So many scholars tell things they believe about this time in the life of the Israelites, but we don't know what they did while there and why they stayed put.
Are we odd in our society today?
Pray for me and my husband. He's now telling me in an email that he's going to start divorce procedures. I'm so torn. I know God has asked me to be still. But I want to fight. I want to file. I want to protect myself.
But God says be still.
I guess I'm odd, too.