Christian Devotional – October 29, 2020

Pageant Queen with a Purpose, #11

Annihilation. That is what the Jews faced because of Haman’s decree. The message went out and Jews began to contemplate what they were going to do. Read Esther 3:12-15.

Then the king’s scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and it was written just as Haman commanded to the king’s satraps, to the governors who were over each province and to the princes of each people, each province according to its script, each people according to its language, being written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s signet ring. Letters were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces to destroy, to kill and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to seize their possessions as plunder. A copy of the edict to be issued as law in every province was published to all the peoples so that they should be ready for this day. The couriers went out impelled by the king’s command while the decree was issued at the citadel in Susa; and while the king and Haman sat down to drink, the city of Susa was in confusion.
Esther 3:12‭-‬15 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/est.3.12-15.NASB1995

How would you respond if you knew exactly when you were going to die? How would you respond if you felt that the way in which you are going to die was unjust? That is exactly what the Jews faced. Because of Haman’s decree, the exact date of all of their deaths had been decreed and would be carried out once that date arrived. They would be tortured and killed and all their possessions split up and given to their captors.

How would you respond? There was a good 11 months from the time this was decreed until it was to be carried out so they had plenty of time to think about that and to prepare. When we think about our lives, we must realize that even when we don’t know the exact date of our death, we know that we will die. That is a certainty unless Jesus comes back first.

So knowing that we will die, what are we doing in the meantime? How do we spend our time and how do we focus our lives knowing that our time here will come to an end. Our focus should be on helping others to understand all that God has for us in this life and what he has done to sacrifice himself so though we can be made in a right relationship with God. What are we doing with the time that God has given us? How will we spend that time? Death is coming, are we ready?