Seeing, Understanding and Feeling Victory in Him

The king’s edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate the armed men of any nationality or province who might attack them and their women and children, and to plunder the property of their enemies. Esther 8:11

Our Pastor yesterday talked about how it is necessary for us to "see" with the eyes of the Spirit so we can "understand" what's behind our trials to develop the much needed endurance to finally be able to "feel" what Jesus feels and embrace the challenges. The sermon made me think of Chapter 8 of the book of Esther where finally, the Queen is able to make her full plea for her people to King Xerxes in order to save the Jews from the evil attack that Haman had set into motion. What caught my attention in this passage was the fact that King Xerxes did not stop the attack, for it had been designed by royal edict through the plotting of Haman, and no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.” (Esther 8: 8b)  Therefore, the Jews were not going to be delivered from the imminent attack.  In fact, they would have to experience it and endure it.  However, through this unavoidable disaster, the People of God would be enabled to "see" and "understand" the greatness of Our God and "feel" what He feels in the end, through His empowerment.

That's the key of this passage, I believe: often, God does not eliminate the challenges from our lives.  But, He empowers us to go through them so we can experience what victory in Him tastes like.  And it is Glorious!

The Jews were given a day to assemble and protect themselves against the mortal threat they faced.  The Power of the Most High was with them and people all around it knew it.  Neighboring peoples even started converting to Judaism for fear had ceased them.  Once the day of reckoning came and went, the Jews were, indeed victorious.  Mordecai, their leader, recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor. Esther 9: 20-22

Just like Mordecai considered it important for him to record all these events and establish an annual celebration to commemorate them so the People of God would not ever forget the feeling of deliverance and victory...so should we do the same in our lives, intentionally pause to remember how Great Our God truly is...a pause to see, understand and feel His hand of protection, His loving embrace and His desire to empower us through the trials, attacks, hardship and challenges that may come our way while we still walk on this earth.  

May the Holy Spirit empower us to see, understand and feel the goodwill of Our Heavenly Father through the smooth as well as the rough journeying in this life.  In the Precious Name of Jesus, from whom all our strength derives.  Amen!