Esther Reading Plan – W4D2
Esther Reading Plan | Week 4 | Day 2
Prayer
Take thirty seconds to be silent. Be still and listen to yourself breathing. This will help you to be present to hear from God. Thank God that He is in control and ask Him to show you that today..
Bible Reading: Proverbs 19:21, 16:33; Job 42:2
Read these verses three times slowly.
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21
“The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.” Proverbs 16:33
“I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” Job 42:2
Reflection & Questions
Yesterday, we read how Mordecai overheard a plot to assassinate the king. This “chance” encounter saves the king’s life, and we will see that this rescue will come back up in a significant and dramatic way later on.
Our verses today are just a sampling of the reality of the sovereignty of God. We may plan, but it’s God’s purpose that prevails. Lots may be cast at random, but those lots land as God’s desires. As Job says, “I know you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”
The sovereignty of God can be a hard pill to swallow at times, but there’s a tremendous amount of comfort that comes with it. It is far better to know that God is in control, than to think that He has let go of the wheel and life is out of control. As you look at the circumstances of your life, you can know that God’s purpose will prevail. Your life is not in the control of anyone, except the Good Shepherd. At times we may fear the future and feel we are walking in darkness, but we can trust our good God. He is sovereign and that is a very good thing.
- Are you trusting God with your broken dreams and impossible situations or are you trying to fix them in compromising ways?
- Who is someone you know who is walking through a broken dream? What could you do to encourage them today?
Prayer
Pray in response to today’s reading.
Worship Song
You might use this song today to worship Jesus today:
Prepare to Meet with Jesus
Go to your quiet place. When there are no devices around that will distract you, take a deep breath. Blow it out slowly. Do that again. And do it one last time. Ask God for His help to read and understand.
Bible Reading: Esther 2:21-22
Read these verses three times slowly.
Bigthana and Teresh were two of the king’s officers. They guarded the door of the royal palace. They became angry with King Xerxes. So they decided to kill him. They made their evil plans while Mordecai was sitting at the palace gate. So Mordecai found out about it and told Queen Esther. Then she reported it to the king. She told him that Mordecai had uncovered the plans against him.
Reflection & Questions
Imagine that you’re back in the time when kings and queens were in charge all around the world. They would take over other kingdoms and rule by force. Very often, someone would try to get rid of the king so that they could become the king. It was wild!
While Mordecai worked in the palace, he heard some men plotting to kill the king. He reported their plot by telling Esther, who told the king.
It seems like a plot to overthrow the king doesn’t fit into this story. However, we will see that it was one piece of the puzzle God used. We have all kinds of experiences in life. God will use every single one of them if we let him. He turns bad things for the good and uses regular or good stuff at the right time.
- Think of your life as a story. Is there a chapter that doesn’t seem to fit? Or is there something you think God could never use?
- Have you ever seen God turn something that started out bad into something that brought good?
Pray
Thank God for always being with you. Thank Him that He has a plan for your life. Thank Him that He can use everything for His plan. Ask Him to help you follow His plan.
Check out more Bible Reading Plans here.
Questions?
Ed Applegate
