Esther Reading Plan – W1D1

Prayer

As you come to spend time with Jesus, calm your mind and body until you feel fully present. Open with a prayer asking God to speak to you today through His word.

Bible Reading: Genesis 1:1-2, 26-31

Read these verses three times slowly.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters…

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Reflection & Questions

We begin our journey through Esther by starting at the very beginning. In Esther, we will see mankind’s brokenness and human’s attempts to fix it. We see this brokenness in ourselves, in others and even in creation. But it didn’t start this way.

In Genesis 1, God created the whole world. We read of God’s careful attention to detail and his orderliness. We read of His purpose for mankind (“Be fruitful…” and “Rule over…”). And we read that “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.”

Very good. Everything was as it should be. And that is in the eyes of the Holy God. Creation’s beauty shined. There was nothing displeasing. Man and woman were perfect in their relationship with God and each other. Like a mother looking upon her newborn, God saw all he had made and was delighted. He was over the moon. He beamed. He said, “Very good.”

So what happened? This week we will see what broke, man’s attempt to fix it and God’s solution. This will set the stage for the fascinating story of Esther.

1. Do you picture God as someone who smiles and delights? Why or why not?
2. Do you believe you were made on purpose for a purpose? Why or why not?

Prayer

Pray in response to today’s reading.

Worship Song

You might use this song today to worship Jesus today: