Verse of the Day 5/28

Verse of the Day 5/28

Esther 4:14  For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"   English Standard Version (ESV)

Today, my daily reading in the Old Testament brought me to the book of Esther.  It holds one of the most fascinating stories in the Old Testament.  Throughout this whole story in the book, God is not mentioned directly, but His fingerprints and His presence are written all over it, clearly seen between the lines.  Today's verse is most likely the most well known verse in the entire book.

In the introduction to the book in Max Lucado's "Life Lessons Study Bible",  Lucado shares the story of John Egglen.  You may have never heard of him but he was a deacon of his church.  One snowy day he made it to his church for the service when most of the others of the congregation couldn't make it and stayed home, including the pastor.  A total of 13 people showed up and Egglen was the only board member.  He was not prepared to give a sermon but felt that he could not send the people who had braved the elements home without hearing from the Word of God.  His sermon lasted only ten minutes and wandered without having a clear point.  But at the end of the sermon he looked out at a visitor, a 13 year old who was a visitor and had somehow made his way to the church, he looked directly at the boy and stated, "Young man, look to Jesus.  Look! Look! Look!" 

Did it make  a difference?  The boy, grew to be a man and shared the story of how "he did look, and the cloud on my heart lifted, the darkness rolled away, and at that moment I saw the sun."  That boy was Charles Haddon Spurgeon who went on to England's prince of preachers, whose sermons and devotionals are still being read and shared every day.

Egglen had no idea of what would come of that sermon, but he felt God's call for that time, that day, and through that faithfulness and God's power the church and the world were changed.

What burden has God placed upon your heart?  Don't shrink back, who know's whether you've been brought here for such a time as this.

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

Esther 4:14The Message (MSG)

^12-14 When Hathach told Mordecai what Esther had said, Mordecai sent her this message: "Don't think that just because you live in the king's house you're the one Jew who will get out of this alive. If you persist in staying silent at a time like this, help and deliverance will arrive for the Jews from someplace else; but you and your family will be wiped out. Who knows? Maybe you were made queen for just such a time as this."