Daily Bible Study

Tweet

Day 6 – Honor Esther 6 I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like to have the attention centered on them once in a while. I do know there are some who don’t seek it, but prefer to remain in the background, but when honor is accorded them, they feel like they’ve received a double portion of blessing and enjoy the limelight for the moment and then quietly recede back into the background when the moment is over. For others, they seek the limelight constantly and don’t like it when it’s given to someone else. Haman was such a man who preferred the limelight. He loved attention and ate up all he could get. Mordecai was a man who stayed in the background and did not draw attention to himself, and preferred it that way. Two men completely opposite each other, and yet Mordecai’s day had come to enter the limelight for a moment. King Ahasuerus read the chronicles and found mention of the time when Mordecai saved his life because two of his servants had intended to kill him. He determined honor for Mordecai because none was given to him at the time when he saved his life. He asked Haman what should be done for the man whom the king delighted to honor. Haman, being puffed up and always seeking the limelight, suggested what he would have the king do for him, and the king told him to go and do the same for Mordecai, to Haman’s utter shame. As Christians, Satan is always seeking occasion against us, but God intends to bring honor to us when we do something outstanding for Him. On those occasions we feel God’s double portion on our lives, and we wonder what we did to bring about such a blessing. In a time when people are more into self instead of each other, attention is drawn to those who bring acts of kindness to their neighbors, people they don’t know, and might never meet again. When we notice those random acts of kindness we make much of it, because doing something nice for others isn’t done all that often. It should be, and once was the norm for people to treat others the way they want to be treated. So it is when God gives us a double portion of blessing, we don’t expect it, aren’t looking for it, and when the limelight is over, we sink back into the background, preferring to do our acts of kindness in secret, all the while Satan is fuming to see honor given to Christians. Likewise, Haman fumed about being in the position he was in by parading Mordecai through the streets, riding the king’s horse and wearing the king’s apparel, and shouting that that was what would be done for anyone in whom the king delighted. As Christians, we don’t seek honor, we give it to our King and our God, Jesus our Savior for all He did for us. And we look forward to the day when Satan will receive his reward in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone. Do you seek honor or do you sit in the background giving honor to those more deserving? One day your day will come to shine in the limelight when God rewards you for your faithfulness to Him. Let’s pray: Father, I give you praise for all You have done for me. Help me to appreciate all You have given me, particularly salvation through Your Son, Jesus. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen. Copyright © 15 February 2016 by Valerie Jean Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay