Esther Reading Plan – W11D2
Esther Reading Plan | Week 11 | 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 for not holding anything back to rescue you, but sending His only Son to save you. Thank God for the work He has done in your life to save you and in answering your prayers.
Bible Reading: Esther 9:29-10:3
Read these verses three times slowly.
So Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter concerning Purim. And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews in the 127 provinces of Xerxes’ kingdom—words of goodwill and assurance— to establish these days of Purim at their designated times, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had decreed for them, and as they had established for themselves and their descendants in regard to their times of fasting and lamentation. Esther’s decree confirmed these regulations about Purim, and it was written down in the records.
King Xerxes imposed tribute throughout the empire, to its distant shores. And all his acts of power and might, together with a full account of the greatness of Mordecai, whom the king had promoted, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Media and Persia? Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews.
Reflection & Questions
As we finish the book of Esther, Esther and Mordecai ensured that the Jews would never forget what God had done in rescuing them. A decree was written that spelled out exactly what was to be done year after year in celebration of God’s goodness.
The book ends with a challenge to us all. It says that Mordecai “worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews.” Mordecai was simply following the pattern of our God. Jesus works for our good. He watches out for our welfare. As we reflect on the whole book, this is a fitting line to end the book. The people were in danger of an evil plot. Who would rise up and help them? Esther and Mordecai stood in the gap. For us, sin has separated us from God. Who would stand in the gap? Jesus. So now, what do we do? We stand in the gap, too. Jesus has served us, so we should serve others. As Jesus worked for the good of us, so we should work for the good of others.
- How do you use the time, abilities and resources God has given you to stand in the gap for others?
- If you’re wondering about how to serve at Crossroads, check out our TAG Team page
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
Find a quiet place to read and pray. Make sure there are no devices around that will distract you. Pray and ask God to help you concentrate. Ask Him to help you understand what you read.
Bible Reading: Esther 9:11-15
Read these verses three times slowly.
A report was brought to the king that same day. He was told how many men had been killed in the fort of Susa. He said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed 500 men. They destroyed them in the fort of Susa. They also killed the ten sons of Haman there. What have they done in the rest of my territories? Now what do you want? I’ll give it to you. What do you want me to do for you? I’ll do that too.” “If it pleases you,” Esther answered, “let the Jews in Susa carry out today’s order tomorrow also. Stick poles through the dead bodies of Haman’s ten sons. Set them up where everyone can see them. ”So the king commanded that it be done.
Reflection & Questions
Queen Esther has come a long way from being afraid, hasn’t she? Now she doesn’t even have to ask the King for anything. He asks her! Then he gives her whatever she asks for. She did what God asked her to do, even though she was afraid, and now she can see that God was there all along, making his plan happen through her because she was obedient and brave.
Sometimes it’s difficult to do what God asks us to do. It might feel scary to do the right thing. But God promises to be with you when you choose to obey Him. That doesn’t mean it will be easy. But it will be the right thing to do and you will feel good knowing that you were obedient.
When you choose to do brave things, you grow in your courage. The next time God asks you to be obedient, it won’t be as difficult because you’ll already know that He is with you the whole time.
- What is something scary that you had to do because it was the right thing to do? How did you feel after you did it?
- Can you think of a time when you decided to ignore God? How did you feel after that?
Pray
Ask God to help you be a good and obedient listener to Him. Thank Him for always being with you. Ask for forgiveness for the times when you didn’t do the right thing.
Check out more Bible Reading Plans here.
Questions?
Ed Applegate
