A Right Worldview

from our good friend Wil Rice...

Esther 9:27 The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to their writing, and according to their appointed time every year.   A Right Worldview   How many times do we find God in the book of Esther? Well, God is only found one time. He is found in Esther 1:1 to Esther 10:3, which is to say that God is found throughout the entire book. Every page, every part of the story points back to the fact that there is a God Who is in control. That is comforting for me because when I read the news, I can get discouraged by reading reports of such evil and incompetence mixed together in this world. It really leads one to despair until you remember that the world has always been evil, and without a perception of God as God is, it is a view that leads to absolute discouragement. But, there is a God, and the book of Esther reminds us of that. While God's name is not found written on the pages of Esther, His face is found in the portrait that is made up of every verse in this book. God's very image is found in His providence for His people. Haaman was a wicked man who had power in this kingdom and wanted to do away with the Jewish people, but God caused his plot against God's people to return upon his own head. It backfired on Haaman. Verse 26 says, "Wherefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur." Pur was like a pair of dice, a way of discerning what to do, like a roll of the dice. This is exactly how Haaman had decided what day the Jewish people would be annihilated. But that day, far from being a day of the Jew's destruction, became a day of God's providence. Providence was God's "provide-ance." He was providing for His own. The Bible says in verse 27, "The Jews ordained, and took upon them... that they would keep these two days according to their writing, and their appointed time every year." So, a time that had been appointed for their destruction became a day that they celebrated God's providence. The takeaway is that God's people should have a worldview governed by God Himself, His strength, His providence, and His goodness. You may not always notice it when you look around you, but in retrospect I hope that you will be able to look back and see God's hand. This day became a memorial of what God had done. It shows history as His story, God's story, and reminds us that God is a good, powerful God Who provides for His people. Prayer Requests: -Youth/Junior/Deaf Week 3- July 5-10  Enjoy more devotionals, sermon audio, and articles on our website!

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