Wonderful Jesus!

When Temptation Knocks!

Luke 11:4- Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation. NKJV

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

Temptations come to us all! We are all targets of temptation, big and small, significant and insignificant. William Barclay describes temptation as any situation in which a person is tested. Not all temptations are sinful, but all temptations challenge the fidelity and integrity of an individual. A slice of chocolate cake may not interest one individual, but it can seriously challenge the willpower of another individual.

In the Lord’s model of prayer, He encourages us to pray that we are not led into temptation. Religion teaches us that we are being tested by God when temptations come at us, but Jesus said we can pray that we are not led into temptation. If God is behind temptation, then Jesus is breaking protocol with God. Or, in simpler terms, He defies what God has already willed. But we know that Jesus would never break protocol with God, for He always pleases the Father!

So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”
John 8:28-29 NKJV

One of the most well-known verses in the Bible regarding temptation is found in 1 Corinthians 10:

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV

It’s such a well-known verse because it explains temptation in a way we can all understand. Paul tells us that no temptation has come knocking on our door that is only for us. We’re never the only ones to experience anything because there’s nothing new under the sun. If you are tempted with something, someone else has already been tempted with it and has come out victorious or defeated. That’s the gospel truth!

Paul then explains that God is faithful! How can God be faithful amid our temptations? First, He won’t allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear. I know sometimes we feel that this is a lie. I know people who will argue this point to the bitter end. But if we face temptation in life, we can handle it! This verse is not talking about a trial but a temptation. If you are being tested, it’s a temptation. If you are being oppressed, attacked, or abused, it’s a trial! Two totally different things!

I recently went to my doctor, who told me I needed to cut back on the carbs. She said my carbs needed to be the smallest serving on my plate. Well, that wasn’t thrilling news because I enjoy eating carbs! Fries, bread, potatoes, pasta, and rice are welcome staples in my diet. However, something about the way she said it caused me to realize that I needed to make some changes.

So at this time, carbs are a huge temptation for me. But I’m not the only one with this issue, and the more I talk about it, the more I hear others admit to the same problem. Now, I have to watch my intake of carbs, so I think about them more. I think about them at every meal and in between meals. I even have to pray to ask God to help me be mindful of saying no or reducing the amount. It’s a temptation! And it isn’t more than I can bear because God is faithful!

Paul also wrote something else about God and temptation. He noted that when we are tempted, God provides a way of escape so that we can endure it. Handle it! Get over it! We just have to take the way that is provided. I can no longer say that I’ll have the fries. I now need to get the salad. Carbs can’t be the largest portion on my plate; it has to be the smallest if it is there at all. But I have to do it, and He makes a way!

What’s being tested in this scenario? My commitment to my health is being tested. My commitment to my word of abstaining from some carbs while reducing others is being tested. My self-discipline is being tested. And those are not necessarily bad things to be tested on.

Now I have used something simple when I know there are much greater temptations than avoiding that piece of cake! But the process remains the same, God is faithful, this is not too much for you, and He will provide a way of escape!

Jesus said, pray that you won’t be led into temptation. I think this might be the first avenue provided for us. Some things we can pray away if we understand that option is available. As a school teacher, I have had several good principals and a couple that was not so wonderful. One year, I had a principal that seemed to go out of her way to make my day challenging. One morning, I prayed on my way to work, “Lord, I just can’t deal with her today. If she says the wrong thing to me, I may be unable to control my words and walk in love. Can I just not see her today?” Lo and behold, we were both at work that day, but I didn’t see her once. Not even in passing! That temptation to tell her off was real, but I prayed I would be led away from it, and I was!

What was the testing in this situation? My obedience to the word about walking in love and submitting to authority was tested. But also, my patience and testimony were being tested. I passed the test! It took much prayer, but that’s the whole point! God is faithful and will provide a way to escape. If you are being tempted, ask Him to keep you from it!

But again, Jesus tells us that we can pray that we not be led into temptation. If Johnny is your temptation, you can pray that God moves Johnny out of the city! If lying is a temptation, you can ask God to help you, not to talk today! Whatever the temptation, Jesus said you can pray that you will not be led into it!

We need to stop giving in to everything that pulls on us! God is calling us to be people of discipline with integrity and strength. Many of our temptations go beyond a simple will to accomplish. They will take the power of God to overcome. The good news is that He is available to us and can help us! Next time temptation comes knocking at your door, tell it to hold up a minute because you need to pray! Wonderful Jesus!

The Interdependent Clause!

Luke 11:4- And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. NKJV

Don’t you just love Jesus and the way He shared His heart with us? I’m sure that’s a great big AMEN! When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, from all that I have read about them in the Bible, they weren’t thinking about what Jesus was sharing. They saw Jesus return from the mountaintop or the desert where He had communed with the Father and then performed great miracles. They probably really wanted to know how to pray and get a miracle. That’s what I would have wanted and still want!

But Jesus taught them how to pray for what really matters. In this verse, the issue is that of forgiveness. We are all open to being forgiven by the Father and others, but we are not always open to forgiving others. Jesus took time to let us know that forgiveness is important to Him, and as open as we are to receiving it, that’s how we need to be about giving it.

And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us.
Luke 11:4a NKJV

Dictionary.com defines interdependence as something that is “mutually reliant on each other.” We see examples of this daily in nature and relationships. In nature, every living organism, including mankind, is dependent upon its environment to meet its needs. When an organism or living thing cannot produce its own food, it becomes dependent on other organisms for food. We also depend upon other organisms to survive, demonstrating interdependence in nature or nature’s mutual reliance on everything in the environment.

When Jesus told the disciples to pray “and forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us,” He was basically saying that the forgiveness of our sins depends on whether we are forgiving others. Thus making this statement an interdependent clause in prayer.

“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
Mark 11:25-26 NKJV

In plain terms, if we forgive, we will receive forgiveness; if we don’t forgive, we won’t receive forgiveness. Let me clearly state that God is a just God. His ways are just and they are true. Even though this may sound a little harsh and even unfair, it remains true. If we want to continue the privilege of having our sins forgiven us, we will have to continue the privilege of extending forgiveness to others. All of us! None are exempt!

I’ve heard it said that God doesn’t expect me to forgive this situation or that person because He knows the depth of my pain. Yes, He does! If you want to be forgiven, you must also forgive.

Remember when Peter tried to demonstrate his graciousness to forgive someone up to seven times? After all, it’s difficult to forgive someone three times, so seven had to demonstrate patience and genuine desire to walk in forgiveness.

Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”
Matthew 18:21 NKJV

Jesus replied to Peter:

“I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
Matthew 18:22 NKJV

490 times! That’s incredulous! It’s impossible! And don’t forget that it’s totally unfair to be asked to forgive somebody 490 times. After all, if I have to forgive them that many times, then they can’t possibly be sorry for anything and don’t deserve to be forgiven. 490 times!

In his commentary on this verse, William Barclay states that the rabbis taught that you had to forgive three times, and on the fourth offense, you did not have to forgive. They based this on God’s judgment in the book of Amos against Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, and other nations surrounding Jerusalem:

Thus says the Lord, “For three transgressions of Damascus and for four (multiplied delinquencies) I shall not reverse its punishment or revoke My word concerning it,
Because they have threshed Gilead [east of the Jordan River] with sharp iron sledges [having spikes that crushed and shredded].
Amos 1:3 AMP

God exercised patience with the nations until their fourth offense appeared, with which He held them responsible for their actions and brought judgment against them. Because no one could be more gracious than God, the rabbis considered three times was sufficient, and there would be no more forgiveness on the fourth time. Thus, Peter was being extremely gracious, or so he thought!

Jesus’ reply doesn’t suggest that we keep record of another’s offense until they reach 490 offenses. It suggests the opposite. That we keep no record and forgive as necessary. Just as the heavenly Father treats us. A theme that is repeated throughout the scriptures. James stated it like this:

For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
James 2:13 NKJV

We have been forgiven much! Our sins before the Lord were worthy of eternal damnation. Yet, He forgives us. The mercy He extends to us is the mercy we are to extend to others. Jesus follows His statement with a parable of a servant who received forgiveness for a huge financial debt he couldn’t pay. In return, he went and demanded finances owed him from another person. When the person couldn’t pay the small amount, the servant had the man thrown into debtors prison. When those who had seen it reported it to the king, who had forgiven his debts, the king was angry and threw him into debtors’ prison.

Barclay recalls how Kennedy drew a picture of this parable:

“Suppose they were paid in small coins (like dimes). The 100-denarii debt could be carried in a pocket. The 10,000 talent debt would take an army of about 8,000 carriers to carry it, each carrying a sack of coins 60 pounds in weight; and they would form, at a distance of a yard apart, a line five miles long.”
William Barclay, excerpt from Matthew commentary of the parable in Matthew 18:22-34

Now that’s a picture we need to be mindful of when we are trespassed against. What that person did to us is like the dimes in the pocket compared to our sins before God which are far greater.

I’ve said this before, and maybe one day, God will correct me. I don’t believe forgiveness equals fellowship. In some cases, particularly family relationships, it might. But in other relationships, it doesn’t. Forgiveness doesn’t mean we stay in abusive relationships to please God. No! I don’t think that is what Jesus is teaching us. However, forgiving that individual, or those individuals, will enable you to move on to a healthier you. And God will be pleased with that.

“So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”
Matthew 18:35 NKJV

One pastor said this: If you hold on to unforgiveness, you become the guard over the prison where you place the offender. You are both bound. Forgiveness frees you to pursue your life to the fullest. And more importantly, it gives God access to a heart that is whole and ready for healing and growth!

All of this model of prayer is important. But if you have unforgiveness in your heart, you may need to start at the place of forgiveness to accurately and honestly pray the first. Remember that being forgiven by God is interdependent upon you, all of us, forgiving others. Wonderful Jesus!

Fresh Bread!

Luke 11:3- Give us day by day our daily bread. NKJV

The Bible speaks a lot about bread. Bread is mentioned as a part of the regular diet of the children of Israel. God told them to prepare unleavened bread for their exodus from Egypt, which became part of the seder meal. He provided manna, a type of bread, in the wilderness as they wandered around for forty years. There were several types of bread for the tabernacle: the shewbread, the bread of the Presence, and other consecrated versions of bread. All of these references are regarding actual bread that can be eaten.

Bread also has spiritual connations or meanings. Jesus declared that He is the bread of life. When we take communion, we partake of some version of bread that represents His body. It’s symbolic of the Word of God, and Jesus calls healing the children’s bread. With so many references to bread in the Bible, it’s easy to see why Jesus would tell us to pray day by day for bread. But what exactly is Jesus saying?

Most commentaries believe that Jesus is encouraging us to pray for our daily sustenance of provision at this point. In the earlier part of this model of prayer, we have been told to spend time in worship with our heavenly Father, whose name is Holy. We are encouraged to spend time praying for the kingdom of God and for His will to be done. And now we get to pray about things regarding our personal well-being. Our provisions.

Agur, in the book of Proverbs, made this observation:

Remove falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches—feed me with the food allotted to me; lest I be full and deny You, and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God.
Proverbs 30:8-9 NKJV

This statement aligns with what many of the commentaries expressed that Jesus was referring to with His statement. We don’t need a lot of provisions; we just need enough to get by so that we will continuously depend on the Lord. Though I have a problem with it, I can see this as a rationale for understanding this verse. However, I’m not quite sure that it is completely biblical because God is the One who declares Himself to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we can ask or think.

Some people don’t know how to handle money and material blessings. They lose their minds and begin to worship the blessings in place of God. This is what Agur was concerned about. As believers, when we understand the purpose of wealth (which some struggle with), we don’t have to live with a poverty mentality. Moses told us:

“And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
Deuteronomy 8:18 NKJV

And in the New Testament, John wrote:

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
3 John 2 NKJV

Again, I don’t think Jesus was speaking of us barely making it. However, our dependency must be on Him. In Deuteronomy, Moses reminds us that if we have wealth, it is because the Lord allowed it and gave us the strength to acquire it. John tells us that if we can handle the prosperity because our soul is prospering (in the Lord), then by all means, he wishes that we would prosper. And he follows this verse by stating that he rejoiced because of the truth that the believers walked in.

Now what I do believe is that Jesus has authorized us to pray for our needs daily. Whatever those needs are. Let’s look at the manna:

Then the children of Israel did so and gathered, some more, some less. So when they measured it by omers, he who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack. Every man had gathered according to each one’s need.
Exodus 16:17-18 NKJV

Those who had smaller families gathered what their families needed, and those with larger families gathered what they needed, and none suffered lack. My daily needs aren’t yours, and because I might need five hundred dollars daily and you might need two thousand dollars, it doesn’t faze God. We can both rely on Him to give us our daily supply of provision, and we should. He supplies all of our needs according to His riches! And He’s beyond wealthy!

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus
Philippians 4:19 NKJV

And this truth with the truth in Proverbs doesn’t cancel each other out! They both align with praying for your daily bread. Some ministries need more to meet their weekly budget than other others do. But all ministries must rely on Jesus to supply their needs daily, and He can do that also!

I also believe that since most of this prayer is for spiritual needs, this daily bread is also spiritual. Jesus said it this way:

“It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”
Matthew 4:4 NKJV

We all get it! Although we need food to sustain our natural lives, we need the word of God to live! And just like we want fresh bread when we eat our meals, we need fresh bread, or daily bread as we go through this life.

So what are some of the things that would apply to “every word that proceeds out the mouth of God? I ask you, what do you need? Because whatever you stand in need of, God has a word regarding your situation! If you need a job, you can pray about it and get a word from God. Whether that is a word from the logos (Bible) of the word, or whether He speaks to you through a human resource person or a want ad! God’s got a word! Do you need wisdom on how to raise your children? God has a word on how to do it. You may need to hear from Him daily about them, but it’s okay because He has a word. Maybe you need healing? Remember that Jesus called healing the children’s bread! It is there for you!

We never know what we will face from day to day. But God knows! We are not privy to what tomorrow brings, but He does. So Jesus tells us that as we are praying, we need to remember to ask God for our daily bread. Whatever that bread is like!

I attended Bible college many years ago as a teenager. Every morning before chapel, we would draw a Bible verse from a little container shaped like a loaf of bread. One day I pulled the following scripture:

And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;
1 Thessalonians 4:11 KJV

I was so offended! To make matters worst, I pulled that same verse several days in a row. I kid you not! I absolutely accused my fellow classmates of playing a trick on me. It was embarrassing! Then one day I was stopped by a person in authority at the school. They asked me to come into their office because they wanted to talk with me. For some strange reason they started asking questions about people I personally knew that were in ministry. They were digging for information. Then the verse made perfect sense. I knew I was to be quiet and to mind my own business! After that, I began to see the value of a daily word from God. Fresh bread is always better than the stale! Wonderful Jesus!

Time Well Spent!

Luke 11:2- So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Praying is serious business, yet it is so simple that a child can pray with great faith and expertise and see results.

Unfortunately, many people in the Body of Christ dread praying. For them, it’s a fruitless exercise, a time waster. They walk away disappointed, unfulfilled, and even angry at the process of having prayed and feeling unheard, nothing has changed!

But to those in that place, I say to you, don’t give up! Continue to stand before your loving Father, sharing your deepest heart’s cry. He is listening. He hasn’t forgotten about you! Your concerns are important to Him, but are His concerns important to you?

Jesus told the disciples that after they had spent sufficient time in worship and acknowledgment of our heavenly Father and His holiness, it was time to get to the part of petitioning Father. And the first thing on the agenda of prayer, Jesus said, is to pray:

Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Luke 11:2b NKJV

The kingdom of God is referenced as the rule of God in the life of His people and the world’s nations. It’s a recognition of His authority in the earth’s realm, initiated through the ministry of Jesus Christ (Dictionary of Bible Themes).

As we pray for His kingdom to come, we are actually praying for unbelievers to become believers. We pray that sinners, still lost and without hope in this world, come to a place in their lives where they begin to acknowledge the King of the universe and His authority over their life. We pray that they submit their lives to His rule and reign and become subjects in His kingdom.

Although Jesus didn’t spend an enormous amount of time talking about people getting saved, He spent most of His time talking about the kingdom of God or heaven. Because to get into the kingdom of God, you must be born again!

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:3: NKJV

Another aspect of the kingdom of God is the power of God!

For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.
1 Corinthians 4:20 NKJV

Paul said that the kingdom of God was not about words but about the power of God. As Jesus went about Jerusalem teaching and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, things were happening:

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.
Matthew 4:23 NKJV

Therefore, another aspect of praying for the kingdom to come is to pray that the power of God begins to manifest in the lives of His people. Not only are people dying and spending a Christless eternity in hell, but they are living in the kingdom without ever experiencing the King and His benefits! That’s sad! I believe if we will begin to pray for the kingdom of God, knowing what it is, we will recognize what it is when it manifests!

Jesus said to pray for the will of God to be done on earth as it is in heaven. What is His will? I can only share some of the things that are His will:

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 NKJV

God’s will is that we live a life set apart for His Glory. He wills that we abstain from sexual immorality. God wills that we should live our lives in honor of Him, not in passion for our lusts like those who don’t know Him. God’s will is that we don’t take advantage of one another or mistreat others. These are simple things but God’s will for our lives. So as we pray for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, we are praying for these things in our lives and the lives of others.

My personal favorite scripture on the will of God is found in Romans 12:

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2 NKJV

God’s will on the earth for our lives is that we won’t be conformed to the dictates of this world but that our minds will be transformed as it is renewed by His Spirit and His word. And as we move in the direction of having a transformed mind, it becomes easier to do God’s good and acceptable and perfect will!

Prayer becomes fulfilling as we pray the way Jesus taught us to pray. This blueprint for prayer doesn’t have to be prayed the same way all the time, but we should purpose in our hearts to remember the key elements of a God-centered prayer.

Most of us spend all our time praying for ourselves, our problems, and our families. But Jesus said that when we pray, we need to remember others before we remember ourselves. We must learn to pray for the kingdom to come into their lives, both unsaved and saved. We pray for the power of God to be released in the circumstances of our lives and the lives of others. We pray for God’s will to be done! That people’s lives will be transformed by His word and the power of His Spirit! We pray that He will have full reign and rulership in the lives of His people on earth as He does in heaven.

I guarantee you that if you have struggled with praying and have not been able to focus, these things will keep you praying for a minute. I also know from experience that when you pray for these things to begin happening in the kingdom of God and the lives of its citizens, you walk away from that time feeling it was well spent!

There’s so much more that can be added. I am sure the wheels of your mind and your heart is burning to share how you pray for the will of God. Just drop me a line in the comment if you want to share them. I’ll be happy to hear from you!

As I have begun to pray this way, I find that even praying for myself is more strategic. I find I have more peace and assurance that as I pray the way Jesus instructed, I am damaging the kingdom of darkness! One of my greatest desires! Be encouraged in your prayer life today because it is most definitely time well spent! Wonderful Jesus!

He Rides the Heavens!

Luke 11:2-Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come.
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. NKJV

Photo by eberhard grossgasteiger on Pexels.com

The place of prayer begins with knowing who that Someone is listening to us and the identity of that Someone. Jesus starts His lesson on prayer by telling the disciples that the direction of their prayer is to the Father. Our Father.

Many new believers ask me if they pray to God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. I typically respond by telling them that we pray to God in the name of Jesus and that the Holy Spirit helps us when we pray. Here, Jesus’ first instruction is that we pray, not to God, but to our Father.

Isaiah acknowledged that even though Abraham didn’t know the people of Israel who were his contemporaries, God was their Father.

Doubtless You are our Father, though Abraham was ignorant of us, and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O Lord, are our Father
Isaiah 63:16 NKJV

That’s the posture of prayer we are to have before the Father, that we understand without a doubt that He is indeed, our Father. Again, Isaiah prayed,

But now, O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You, our potter; and all we are the work of Your hand.
Isaiah 64:8 NKJV

Why would Jesus tell us this is the starting place? I can’t be certain, but I understand there can be a special bond between a father and his children. Paul sheds light on the relationship we have with the Father.

And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Galatians 4:6-7 NKJV

That is why I believe Jesus said to start by saying, “Our Father.” But look at the Greek word abba. It also means father. Commentators suggest that after Jesus said Abba, Father, in the Garden of Gethsemane, it became a sacred way to address the Father. I have heard preachers say that it simply means Daddy or Papa.

I was watching Magnum, P. I. many, many years ago. I remember an episode when he met his supposed daughter for the first time. She called out to him, “Abba!” I was caught off guard because I had only heard it in the biblical text. But I remembered it meant “Daddy”!

Our relationship is no longer one of a distant God we need to be afraid of but of a loving Father with who we can approach and share our deepest concerns.

Another point about our Father that Jesus makes is that He is in heaven. Some misunderstand His reference to the Father in heaven. Some take this to mean that God is far off and not near. I believe Jesus was helping us to see that the Father’s place in heaven gives Him a birdseye view of the earth. And with such a view comes the reality that He’s bigger than it all. Nothing is greater than Him, and no one can compare to Him. He is God of the heavens.

Not only that, but He made both the heavens and the earth. It’s all subject to Him. He’s not intimidated by our problems and concerns and therefore, can handle whatever we bring to Him. He’s God of the heavens.

“There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to help you, and in His excellency on the clouds.
Deuteronomy 33:26 NKJV

Isn’t that beautiful? He rides the heavens to help us! Wow!! Doesn’t that sound like a loving Father? He will do whatever needs doing to help us! I love that analogy!

Here’s another great picture of our Father in heaven:

Why do the nations age, and the people plot a vain thing?The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,“Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens shall laugh
Psalm 2:1-4 NKJV

Our Father finds it a laughable offense when man thinks he is smarter that God and can out maneuver Him. Nothings brings fear to the heart of God, because He isn’t afraid of anything!

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.
Psalm 33:6-9 NKJV

This is our Father! And when we pray, “Our Father, who are in Heaven”, we should not rush through this thought. We should not pass by it without awe. Our Father has unlimited resources and unlimited power. There is nothing to hard for Him. Jesus said so in Mark 14:36,

“Abba, Father, all things are possible for You.
Mark 14:36 NKJV

I don’t know about you, but this has truly blessed and encouraged me. Did I know all this beforehand? I did, and so did you! But was I encouraged by the reminder? Yes!

We serve a holy God! And His Name is holy! David understood that His name was holy:

“O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have prepared to build You a house for Your holy name is from Your hand, and is all Your own.
1 Chronicles 29:16 NKJV

And again David said:

Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Psalm 103:1 NKJV

And yet again, the psalmist declared:

He has sent redemption to His people;
He has commanded His covenant forever:
Holy and awesome is His name.
Psalm 111:9

As I have praying through this prayer that Jesus taught to His disciples, I’ve been really excited to talk to Him. Remembering that He is my Father puts me in a mindframe that I know it’s alright to talk with Him. Speaking of Him residing in heaven, reminds me of how great He is. And when I get to the part of His holiness, it reminds me to worship Him.

I’m not sure if I mentioned this already, but I am working on my doctorate. This summer I decided to take three classes to make sure that I could start my dissertation next year. I won’t be doing that again, thank the Lord! There have been some tough moments when my mind just wanted to think about nothing important, hence the fewer posts.

To keep everything in focus, I have to make sure I don’t become so busy working on my doctorate that I don’t have time for God. Prayer keeps me focused and balances me. Without His help, I couldn’t work and go to school full-time, and have a balance in my life. And neither can you! Keep praying! He rides the heavens to help us! Wonderful Jesus!

Teach Us to Pray!

Luke 11:1- Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” NKJV

Lately, I have felt a burden to pray more. With all of the happenings in the news (fires, floods, mass shootings, political unrest), it seems the posture that is most needed. But as I was praying, I realized that my heart’s cry was, “Lord, teach me how to pray!”

I was raised in a Christian home and have been serving God with a passion all of my life. I have prayed all of my life. I have seen God answer my prayers. I have witnessed the power of prayer. But periodically in my life, things happen, and my heart cries out to God, “Lord, teach me how to pray!”

Prayer, in its simplest form, is talking to God. We are all taught that there is no right or wrong way to pray, that we just open our mouths and talk to God. Be honest because He already knows everything. Talk to Him like you would any other loved one because He is relational. You have to begin somewhere! Yes and no!

All of that is true about prayer. Because we are in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, we can boldly go to the throne of grace and obtain mercy. We see that in Hebrews 4:16:

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:16 NKJV

A commentator wrote these words about prayer:

Prayer is based on God’s love for believers. Through His grace, He gives them things which they do not deserve, while through His mercy He shields them from those things which they do deserve.
Dictionary of Bible Themes

So prayer is really quite simple in so many ways. And yet, we have seasoned Jewish men, raised in the synagogue, taught how to pray from their youth, asking Jesus to teach them to pray like John taught his disciples.

But I don’t think it was just that John taught his disciples to pray, so Jesus’ disciples wanted to be taught. I think they saw Jesus go into prayer or knew that He had slipped away to pray, and when He returned, all kinds of things started to happen.

Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening. And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah
Luke 9:28-30 NKJV

Jesus went up the mountain to pray. He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and while He was praying, His visage changed, and Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Him. How could that happen? Jesus prayed! Certainly, they knew of prayer and how to pray, but Jesus prayed differently than they did. His prayers brought on supernatural results. His prayers brought God into the situation. Doesn’t God come into the situation every time you pray? Again I will have to answer yes and no!

And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.
Matthew 14:23-24 NKJV

Jesus had been alone, praying. When He went to catch up with the disciples, the boat was in the middle of the sea in a storm. What did Jesus do? He just kept walking until He reached the boat! Even walking on water.

What’s my point today? I know we are all praying. I believe we are all praying the best we know how. And I know we are seeing God answer our prayers. Maybe not as frequently as we would like, or in the manner we desire, but we know He listens to and answers our prayers. But does your heart cry to be taught to pray the way Jesus prayed? To see the things that He saw? To experience God beyond the comfort of knowing you spent time praying or does it desire to be in His presence as you talk with each other? Mine does!

Smith Wigglesworth was a man of prayer. He said he never went more than 15 minutes without praying. Once, some young ministers wanted to pray with him to learn how he prayed. It is said that the presence of the Holy Spirit was so strong that the others could not stand. Yonggi Cho, pastor of the largest full gospel church in the world was visiting with a pastoral friend. A young lady came in to serve them. The pastor asked Dr. Yonggi Cho to pray for her because she wanted to be married. He asked her how long she had been praying. She replied five years. He told her she wasn’t praying the right way. He prayed for her, and she met and married her husband within a year.

With everything in life, we want to experience growth. We want to move beyond the “God bless me” prayers to the “thank you for your Presence” prayers. We should long for the Presence of God like we never have before. I know I do!

So with this desire comes the petition, “Lord, teach me to pray!” I believe there are some things that I need to change in how I am praying about them. When I think of our political situation, I admit that I am unsure of how to pray. When I think of the Church as a whole, I know what the word says and what I believe, but things aren’t looking too wonderful.

As I study the subject of prayer again, I want to study with new eyes and a new hunger to speak to God. I want to learn to pray and get results more frequently and speedily than I did before. I want to hear from Him, know He has spoken, and obey Him. In other words, I want to deepen my relationship and fellowship with Him. How will I accomplish this? The same way Jesus, Wigglesworth, and Yongii Cho did. In prayer! Wonderful Jesus!

I Still Believe!

Joshua 14:6-Then the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal. And Caleb, the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, said to him: “You know the word which the Lord said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh Barnea. NKJV

Lately, it seems that Caleb keeps coming up! Once a forgotten hero of the faith, and now being heralded as a strong man of faith. This blog will look at Caleb’s unwavering faith in God, who cannot lie!

In the opening verse of chapter 14, Caleb approaches Joshua, and the first thing he does is remind Joshua of the promise God made to them through Moses.

“You know the word which the Lord said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh Barnea.
Joshua 14:6b NKJV

Forty-five years had passed since that day in Kadesh Barnea, and a lot had happened. But what had not happened was the fulfillment of God’s word to Caleb! Joshua was walking in his promise, and the children of Israel possessed their promise, but the promise to Caleb was unfulfilled.

Caleb was a faithful servant to the Lord. He was a leader in his own right amongst the children of Israel. When they were camped in Kadesh Barnea, Caleb and Joshua were chosen to go with ten other men to check out the land of Canaan. And when they returned, they had a lot to report.

All of the men agreed that the land was as God had promised. It was a land flowing with milk and honey, a saying that meant it was a rich and fruitful land of abundance. But they walked away with two different opinions. Ten of the men believed that the land was unconquerable because there were giants in the land. Caleb and Joshua were ready to gear up for battle and take possession of the land. Sadly, they were outnumbered, and the children of Israel wanted to flee back to Egypt!

God was not pleased! He had brought them to Canaan to possess it, and they didn’t believe He could give it to them. In response to their rebellion and unbelief, every man from twenty years old and above, except Moses, Caleb, and Joshua, died in the wilderness. And God promised Caleb and Joshua that they would possess the land in forty years!

Forty years! They believed what God said that day, so why would they have to wait another forty years? They were the leaders of the children of Israel. All the men over forty were going to die, so all the children needed time to grow up to be ready for battle. It doesn’t seem fair, but that is what happened. Although Caleb’s heart was totally devoted to God, he had to wander for forty years in the desert.

But this delay didn’t cause Caleb to grow bitter. It didn’t cause Caleb to fall out with God and say it wasn’t fair because Caleb was a warrior and a team player.

I remember when I was in BootCamp, and we all got punished because we failed the barracks inspection. Personally, I believed it was more of a display of power than it was that we had actually failed. However, one of the girls in the company yelled out that it wasn’t fair! The officer in charge walked over to her and asked her to repeat herself, and she did. Then the officer told her that the military was not about the individual but the whole. If one person causes a thing to go awry it affects the entire unit. Therefore, we pass together, and we fail together. Then we were all punished together and had to do it again. We passed the next time because everyone worked together to ensure everything was in order. And we learned a valuable lesson about teamwork!

As Caleb stands before Joshua, he reminds Joshua of the promise that God made to him because he had served God with his whole heart:

So Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children’s forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.’
Joshua 14:9 NKJV

People struggle with the promises of God because it seems that so many of them go unanswered because of delay. If things don’t happen within what we feel is a reasonable amount of time, we become disappointed, disheartened, and in many cases, we give up. Although we know that Abraham waited 25 years for Isaac, we become discouraged. Even though Mary and Martha sent for Jesus, and He came four days after Lazarus was dead, in the tomb and stinking, and Jesus resurrected him, we don’t want to wait. We don’t want dead situations that need to be resurrected. We don’t want Isaac when we can have Ishmael. We don’t want to trust when it seems like there is nothing to trust in.

Yet, Caleb did! And during those forty-five years between the promise and the fulfillment of God’s word to him, he wholly served the Lord!

I’m not saying that this isn’t a hard place! I know from experience that it is a challenging time. But it’s at this time that we must decide to continue to follow the Lord with our whole hearts!

I am this day, eighty-five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said.”
Joshua 14:10-13 NKJV

There is so much in this chapter, even in these verses. Out of Caleb’s mouth came words of faith:

I am eighty-five years old, but I am as strong today as I was when I was forty!
I still have the strength to go to war!
Give me this mountain!
I still believe that I can take it and drive out the giants!
I still believe that as God was with us forty years ago to possess the land, He’s still with me!

What promise has God made to you today? Has it been a long time since He spoke it? Has it been so long that it’s dead and stinking? You must decide if you still believe! No one can determine that for you!

It may be time to tell God to give you your mountain! Despite opposition, trouble, disappointments, or difficulties, if you still believe, you are well able to conquer them and take the hill country! I still believe! Wonderful Jesus!

A Stirring of Faith!

2 Kings 5:3-Then she said to her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.” NKJV

Faith seems to be elusive in our world today. As preachers and teachers of the Bible try to explain what faith looks like, sometimes it can sound more complicated than it needs to be. Throughout the Bible, we are given examples of what great faith is, yet it still eludes us.

Take the young girl who was taken captive from the land of Israel to become a servant to Naaman’s wife. Having been taken from her homeland and made to serve pagans, she could have been an angry person with malice in her heart. But she wasn’t. It appears she had to have been a pleasant person and one who was filled with faith. As she began her service to Naaman’s wife, she noticed his leprosy and thought that if he saw Elisha, the prophet, he’d be healed. As her time with them continued, the thought got bigger in her head and heart and would not leave her until she had to say something.

Then she said to her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.”
2 Kings 5:3 NKJV

What would make Naaman’s wife listen to this young girl or even share what the girl had to say with him? Why would she believe what this servant from Israel shared with her? Why wasn’t she suspect that this could be a trap? I think this could have happened after the young girl shared her statement:

Naaman’s wife began to question her, and she responded. She shared what she knew of the prophet of Elisha and how he was said to be like the prophet Elijah. She may have even shared about the mighty things God had done in times past when there was a prophet. She could have told how there was a battle against the Moabites, and when the prophet said they would defeat the Moabites, that was what happened. Because faith comes by hearing!

Later, when Naaman and his wife were together, I can just imagine their conversation together:

Naaman: How was your day, dear?

Naaman’s wife: Actually, it was pretty interesting!

Naaman: How so?

Naaman’s wife: You know the servant girl you gave me from your last conquest? The one from Israel?

Naaman: What of her?

Naaman’s wife: She told me that if you were to go to the prophet of Israel, you would be healed of your leprosy!

Naaman: Is that a fact? If their prophet was so great, how did we conquer them? Why would I go there to be healed when we have gods and prophets in excess? What makes their prophet so great?

Naaman’s wife: I thought I should tell you what she said. When I questioned her further, she told me some fantastic things that have happened to her people and through their prophets. Good night, dear!

How many of you can testify that faith grows where there is hope? And as Naaman thought about his conversation with his wife, hope began to hunger for what only faith can produce: a miracle!

Maybe it took a night or longer; we aren’t sure. Perhaps Naaman spoke with the young girl and tried to convince himself that her prophet was no more significant than those in his land. But one day, his hope of being free of leprosy grew more potent than his doubts, so he went to the king and asked permission to return to Israel to visit the prophet.

Something about that young girl inspired faith in Naaman and his wife. Maybe it was the way she carried herself and spoke confidently of the prophet and his connection with her God. Perhaps it was even things she had heard or seen; we aren’t sure. But we know that people of faith or contagious people. When they talk about God, you listen. As you listen, your faith is stirred; before you realize it, you want to step out on faith yourself.

I love reading the Bible and finding faith incidents in ordinary people’s lives. It’s easy to believe that God would move because Elisha asked, or Moses said he would, or even because of another great prophet. But this young girl is never mentioned again in the Bible, yet she stirred the faith of a leader in a heathen nation to seek her God.

It’s a testament to the fact that one act of obedience from us could change someone’s life! It could be as simple as sharing the gospel with someone and leading them to Jesus or as simple as encouraging another person to start attending church. We don’t know if we have just changed the course of the next Billy Graham.

Whatever it is that God challenges you to share with someone, step out in faith and do it; because in doing so, you can stir someone to experience the miraculous in Him. Wonderful Jesus!

Obadiah’s Story

1 Kings 18:3-And Ahab had called Obadiah, who was in charge of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly. NKJV

Photo by Lennart Wittstock on Pexels.com

If you read my previous post about Mordecai, you already know I am blogging about unsung heroes of the faith. Obadiah is one of my favorites.

Obadiah was a man who loved the Lord. He was in charge of Ahab and Jezebel’s home and was a trusted servant. But as valuable as he was to the service of king and queen, he was equally as devoted in his service to God.

Jezebel got in her head to kill all of the prophets of God. After all, she was devoted to Baal, and the two could not co-exist in her kingdom. Because Obadiah served and probably lived in the palace, he got wind of her plans to kill the prophets and decided that something needed to be done.

For so it was, while Jezebel massacred the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah had taken one hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty to a cave, and had fed them with bread and water.
1 Kings 18:3 NKJV

Obadiah didn’t save all of the prophets, or there would have been no massacre, but he saved 100 of them. One hundred men got to continue their lives because Obadiah went out of his way to hide them away and give them food. It wasn’t a feast that he supplied them with, but it was sustenance to keep them from starving. They weren’t in a nice hotel, but they were safe.

At the risk of his life and job, Obadiah refused to ignore the political situation of his day. He chose instead to trust that as he provided for the prophets of God, God would step in and assist him, keeping them all safe. But I am sure that Obadiah had decided that he could not sit back and do nothing even if he perished.

All this occurred during the famine that Elijah, the prophet, had prophesied to King Ahab. Ahab had searched everywhere in pursuit of Elijah but could not find him. Then one day, Ahab sent Obadiah to look for a place to feed the horses so they wouldn’t have to be put to death. While he was out searching, Obadiah ran into Elijah.

Now as Obadiah was on his way, suddenly Elijah met him; and he recognized him, and fell on his face, and said, “Is that you, my lord Elijah?”
1 Kings 18:7 NKJV

Obadiah didn’t just fear the Lord; he also had great respect for the prophets of God. As he sees Elijah, he bows before him in reference. After three years of wondering what happened to Elijah, I am sure he was delighted to see him. Elijah acknowledged that it was him and then told Obadiah to go and tell Ahab that he wanted to see him. As obedient as Obadiah seems to be, it appears that he is no wimp in speaking up for himself.

So he said, “How have I sinned, that you are delivering your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me?
1 Kings 18:9 NKJV

Since Elijah hasn’t been around for a while, Obadiah has to bring him up to date. He tells Elijah that Ahab looked all over for him, and it angered him that he couldn’t find Elijah. So much so that he had the nations and kingdoms swear an oath to him that Elijah couldn’t be found in their lands.

I love what Obadiah says next:

And now you say, ‘Go, tell your master, “Elijah is here” ’! And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from you, that the Spirit of the Lord will carry you to a place I do not know; so when I go and tell Ahab, and he cannot find you, he will kill me.
1 Kings 18:11-12

Obadiah knows that Elijah has been part of some unusual miracles, to the point that he says that the Spirit of the Lord will carry Elijah to a place where he can’t be found. I find this interesting for two reasons. First, as far as I remember, Elijah hadn’t been carried away by the Spirit before this moment. Secondly, that’s precisely what happened to Elijah when his end came. So, Obadiah prophesied how Elijah would leave the earth by being carried away by the Spirit of the Lord! Isn’t that something?

Obadiah wasn’t afraid to put his own neck on the proverbial chopping block, but he wasn’t too pleased that it seemed like Elijah would do so. He said that as soon as he told Ahab that he had seen Elijah, and Elijah wasn’t found, he would be killed. After all he had done for the Lord, it just didn’t sit well with him, and he wanted to know what he had done wrong to deserve this treatment?

But I your servant have feared the Lord from my youth. Was it not reported to my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord, how I hid one hundred men of the Lord’s prophets, fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water? And now you say, ‘Go, tell your master, “Elijah is here.” ’ He will kill me!”
1 Kings 18:12b-14 NKJV

Obadiah tells Elijah that he had faithfully served the Lord since he was a youth! Then Obadiah asks Elijah had he not heard how the 100 prophets were saved and fed by him? (Who could have shared that with Elijah but the Lord?) Obadiah was not happy to be placed in this position where he could be killed when he had served and honored God all of his life!

But Elijah wasn’t there to put him in an awkward position. It was just the opposite. God had Obadiah be the one to whom Elijah came upon. Because of Obadiah’s faithfulness, God allowed him to be the mediator between Ahab and Elijah. Obadiah got to see the faithfulness of God when Elijah met with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. And God used Obadiah to prophesy to Elijah about how he would leave the earth.

It’s easy to read about Elijah’s life and think of all the great things that God used him to do and not recognize that God was also using Obadiah. Throughout the pages of the word of God, we see this happening over and again, that God uses people who are not in the limelight. These people are often called upon to do courageous things that make a difference in the lives of those at the forefront of ministry.

You may be an unsung hero today. No one may even know your name or realize that you exist. But you are important to God and the lives of the people around you. Maybe, God has you praying for your pastor, working in the music ministry, or teaching a Sunday School class, and it seems like you can do more. Maybe you even want to do more! Just keep being faithful to what God has you doing right now and trust Him with the rest of it.

Or maybe God is challenging you today to step out and do a courageous thing for the kingdom of God. Perhaps it isn’t popular in your job, school, or church, but God is asking you to honor Him despite what others are doing. It could be risky. You could lose your position in your church or your favor on your job, but you know it is the right thing to do!

I can’t promise you that you will get to prophesy over your pastor’s life or strategically hide someone to keep them safe. But I can promise you that when you guard your heart and serve Him faithfully, He won’t forget what you have done. And He will reward you in a way that makes it all worth it! Wonderful Jesus!

Unsung Hero-Mordecai’s Story

Esther 6: 3-4- “What reward did we ever give Mordecai for this?” the king asked. His courtiers replied, “Nothing!” “Who is on duty in the outer court?” the king inquired. As it happened, Haman had just arrived in the palace’s outer court to ask the king to hang Mordecai from the gallows he was building. TLB

Mordecai was a Benjaminite. He had been captured by King Nebuchadnezzar and was exiled to Babylon along with others from the tribe of Judah. Mordecai’s family had also been exiled, and at some point, he became the guardian of Hadassah, his niece.

When the king decided to replace Queen Vashti with a new, younger version of a queen, Hadassah, aka Esther, was chosen to participate in the contest. Mordecai told her not to reveal that she was a Jew, so she didn’t. As she went through the royal treatments to prepare for the king, Mordecai would stop at the gate to inquire how she was getting along.

Esther became queen, and Mordecai became an official to the king. While performing his duties, he heard of a plot against the king.

One day as Mordecai was on duty at the palace, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh—who were guards at the palace gate—became angry at the king and plotted to assassinate him. Mordecai heard about it and passed on the information to Queen Esther, who told the king, crediting Mordecai with the information. An investigation was made, the two men found guilty, and impaled alive. This was all duly recorded in the book of the history of King Ahasuerus’ reign.
Esther 2:21-23 TLB

Mordecai saved the king’s life! While the king was grateful, he forgot all about it. How can you forget something as monumental as someone saving your life? Maybe it was put on the back burner with everything else going on. Have you ever done something for someone that was a game changer for them, and they didn’t acknowledge it? It happens all the time! Sometimes we are the person who was forgotten, and other times we are the person who fails to remember. But God never forgets!

Haman becomes prime minister, and he’s the guy that no one likes except the king. Everyone knows he is cruel, arrogant, self-serving, and pretentious, but he’s the prime minister. When Haman comes around, everyone is supposed to bow, and they do, all except Mordecai. Yet they are unhappy about the situation.

“Why are you disobeying the king’s commandment?” the others demanded day after day, but he still refused. Finally they spoke to Haman about it to see whether Mordecai could get away with it because of his being a Jew, which was the excuse he had given them.
Esther 3:3-4 TLB

The others couldn’t stand that they had to bow down to Haman, and Mordecai refused. Finally, they went to Haman to tell him it wasn’t fair. They wanted to know why Mordecai was getting special treatment. Was it because he was a Jew? But instead of responding to this slight in person, Haman deceived the king into thinking that the Jews were a threat to the kingdom and needed to be destroyed. The king agreed to Haman’s plan.

Mordecai couldn’t believe what had happened. As the king and Haman celebrated, chaos and panic spread throughout the region. And Mordecai did what he knew to do:

When Mordecai learned what had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, crying with a loud and bitter wail… And throughout all the provinces there was great mourning among the Jews, fasting, weeping, and despair at the king’s decree; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
Esther 4:1-3 TLB

Mordecai knew this battle was too huge to fight on his own. He knew that once the king sent out a decree, there was no human way to stop it. But he didn’t let that stop him from seeking the God of impossibilities. Mordecai may have been forgotten by the king, but there was a more excellent King who had never forgotten him and would never leave him. So he fasted and prayed at the injustice against his people. And quite possibly, Mordecai understood the attack had come from his insults to Haman.

Esther found out that Mordecai had donned his mourning gear and was at the gate, something he wasn’t supposed to do at the palace. When she tried to convince him to change his clothes, he told her she needed to seek the king to try and use her influence to stop all of this. Esther was afraid but agreed to do it when Mordecai reminded her that she was included in the proclamation because she was also a Jew.

Esther goes before the king and is granted access to the throne. She requests that the king and Haman attend a banquet with her, and the king agrees. He immediately called for Haman, and they went to the banquet. She doesn’t tell the king what she wants at this banquet but asks if they will return the next day? Haman is so excited he can hardly stand it. But when he sees Mordecai, he feels it is the only thing that stops him from being completely happy.

“Well,” suggested Zeresh, his wife, and all his friends, “get ready a 75-foot-high gallows, and in the morning ask the king to let you hang Mordecai on it; and when this is done you can go on your merry way with the king to the banquet.” This pleased Haman immensely, and he ordered the gallows built.
Esther 5:4 TLB

But that night, the king couldn’t sleep, so he asked his eunuch to bring him the kingdom’s records. As he was reading, he saw Mordecai’s name and remembered him. Haman is on his way to request permission to hang Mordecai; at the same time, the king is ready to honor him.

“What reward did we ever give Mordecai for this?” the king asked. His courtiers replied, “Nothing!” “Who is on duty in the outer court?” the king inquired. Now, as it happened, Haman had just arrived in the outer court of the palace to ask the king to hang Mordecai from the gallows he was building.
Esther 6:3-4 TLB

Sounds like a divine set-up. Mordecai has been fasting and praying about the decree to kill the Jews, Haman decides it is a great time to hang Mordecai, and the king decides it is time to honor Mordecai. Look at God!

The book of Esther could have been named the book of Mordecai because this is his story in great detail. He is the one at the heart of this story. He is the one who convinced Esther to go to the king, and he is the one who ultimately comes up with the plan that saves the Jews. Yes, God used Esther, and she was an invaluable ally, but God was using Mordecai, weaving his actions and his faithfulness into the dynamics of this narrative!

We call people like Mordecai unsung heroes. He’s seemingly in the background serving and obeying God, but he’s not in the background. God has his eyes on Mordecai. And at the appointed time, God had the king remember Mordecai. And if that isn’t enough, the king has his archenemy come up with the plan to honor him, although he thought the honor was for himself:

“Excellent!” the king said to Haman. “Hurry and take these robes and my horse, and do just as you have said—to Mordecai the Jew, who works at the Chancellery. Follow every detail you have suggested.”
Esther 6:10 TLB

I want to encourage you today! If you have been faithful in your service to others and have come under attack, just keep serving and obeying God. Your haters are powerless to destroy you when you follow the King’s command. If you trust God through the process, you will see that He has caused your enemies to be your footstool! It’s okay to be an unsung hero in His kingdom because He will never forget your labor of love! Wonderful Jesus!