Esther Reading Plan – W4D4
Check out all the previous Esther readings here.
Esther Reading Plan | Week 4 | Day 4
Prayer
As you begin your time with God, where you are sitting or standing, put out your hands with your palm facing up. Thank God He forgives your sin and ask Him for strength to be able to forgive others.
Bible Reading: Romans 12:17-21
Read these verses three times slowly.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Reflection & Questions
This week we have been reflecting on the plot to assassinate King Xerxes. This was a betrayal of the highest proportions. But just because someone hasn’t plotted to assassinate us, doesn’t mean we haven’t experienced the pain of betrayal.
Paul’s words in Romans 12 are a good, if challenging, guide for us in times of betrayal. Paul acknowledges that evil will be done to us. But his counsel then is how to respond to it. There’s some dont’s: don’t repay with evil, don’t take revenge, don’t be overcome by evil. And there’s some do’s: do what is right, do live at peace (as much as you can) with everyone, do overcome evil with good. These aren’t easy words to live by. But this is exactly what King Jesus did. And because we know He did it, we can trust Him to give us strength to do the same.
- Have you been betrayed? What in Paul’s words strengthens you? What challenges you?
- Sometimes it is not possible to live at peace with someone. How would you discern when it is no longer possible?
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 with no devices to distract you. Take three deep breaths. Listen as you stay still and quiet for 30 seconds. Ask God for His help to read and understand. Read today’s verse to yourself three times slowly.
Bible Reading: Ecclesiastes 3:11
Read these verses three times slowly.
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also given people a sense of who he is. But they can’t completely understand what God has done from beginning to end.
Reflection & Questions
Who is the biggest, strongest person that you know? Did you know that God is bigger? God created our whole universe. He is all-powerful.
We know some things about God. We know that He created us and that He loves us. We know that He has worked through history to do His will. We know He likes to see His people do great things for Him when they obey. And we know He wants to have a relationship with everyone in the whole world.
Even though we know so many things about God, we are never sure what the next step of His plan is until it is time to reveal it. This week, we heard about how Mordecai uncovered a plot to overthrow Xerxes, the king of Persia. We still do not really know how God will use it. This verse from Ecclesiastes tells us that it will be a beautiful part of His plan when the time is right.
- Have you ever looked back at something in your life and thought about how God ended up using that? Maybe you did not want a baby brother or sister, but now they are so important to you. You know that God used them to help you learn to share and be a friend. Or you may have moved to a new town and later met your best friend EVER in that town.
- Is there something in your life right now that is hard? God does not cause all the hard things in life, but He will use them later if we give them to Him. He can make EVERYTHING beautiful in His time.
Pray
Ask God to take the hard things in your life. Ask Him to work in and around you to turn them into something beautiful. Thank Him that He is all-powerful. Thank Him that He loves us. Ask Him to help you know Him better.
Check out more Bible Reading Plans here.
Questions?
Ed Applegate
