Days Of Preparation

(Esther: Part 2 of 10)

“Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.” 1 Peter 3:3-4

Every call of God requires a period of preparation. This preparational period is different for each of us, because God’s call is as unique as the individual. We must be willing to submit ourselves to the preparation that God requires. It may take much longer than we expect and require far more of us than we know. And yet, when God has deemed that the preparation is complete, He will place us where He wills, giving us whatever is required to fulfill His purpose. He is after a heart that is humble and ready to do His bidding.

The Book Of Esther-Chapter 2 (NKJV)

After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus subsided, he remembered Vashti, what she had done, and what had been decreed against her. Then the king’s servants who attended him said: “Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king; and let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather all the beautiful young virgins to Shushan the citadel, into the women’s quarters, under the custody of Hegai the king’s eunuch, custodian of the women. And let beauty preparations be given them. Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This thing pleased the king, and he did so. In Shushan the citadel there was a certain Jew whose name was Mordecai the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite. Kish had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been captured with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away. And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was lovely and beautiful. When her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. So it was, when the king’s command and decree were heard, and when many young women were gathered at Shushan the citadel, under the custody of Hegai, that Esther also was taken to the king’s palace, into the care of Hegai the custodian of the women. Now the young woman pleased him, and she obtained his favor; so he readily gave beauty preparations to her, besides her allowance. Then seven choice maidservants were provided for her from the king’s palace, and he moved her and her maidservants to the best place in the house of the women. Esther had not revealed her people or family, for Mordecai had charged her not to reveal it. And every day Mordecai paced in front of the court of the women’s quarters, to learn of Esther’s welfare and what was happening to her. Each young woman’s turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus after she had completed twelve months’ preparation, according to the regulations for the women, for thus were the days of their preparation apportioned: six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfumes and preparations for beautifying women. Thus prepared, each young woman went to the king, and she was given whatever she desired to take with her from the women’s quarters to the king’s palace. In the evening she went, and in the morning she returned to the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who kept the concubines. She would not go in to the king again unless the king delighted in her and called for her by name. Now when the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his daughter, to go in to the king, she requested nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the custodian of the women, advised. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her. So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. Then the king made a great feast, the Feast of Esther, for all his officials and servants; and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces and gave gifts according to the generosity of a king.

When virgins were gathered together a second time, Mordecai sat within the king’s gate. Now Esther had not revealed her family and her people, just as Mordecai had charged her, for Esther obeyed the command of Mordecai as when she was brought up by him. In those days, while Mordecai sat within the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, doorkeepers, became furious and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. So the matter became known to Mordecai, who told Queen Esther, and Esther informed the king in Mordecai’s name. And when an inquiry was made into the matter, it was confirmed, and both were hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.

(Photo by Donna Lorrig, Colorado Spring, CO. Used with permission.)

Original Content: Copyright © 2012 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved

Incorruptible Beauty

(Esther: Part 1 of 10)

“Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.” 1 Peter 3:3-4

The Lord has been filling my heart and thoughts lately with the story of Esther. For the next many days I will be posting her story, in its entirety, chapter by chapter. I believe that Esther is representative of what the church needs to be in these days that appear so filled with darkness. God has made a way, even where there seems to be no way for His people. These are days we must be praying for the courage and strength to walk out the call of God on our lives. The fields of harvest are ripe. We are called to stand in the gap for a people who will perish without the good news of the Gospel. It is my hope that the story of Esther will encourage us. Esther was a woman of incorruptible beauty and a quiet spirit who God used in order to spare His people from annihilation. Let her story be our story.

The Book Of Esther-Chapter 1 (NKJV)

Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus (this was the Ahasuerus who reigned over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, from India to Ethiopia), in those days when King Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the citadel, that in the third year of his reign he made a feast for all his officials and servants—the powers of Persia and Media, the nobles, and the princes of the provinces being before him—when he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the splendor of his excellent majesty for many days, one hundred and eighty days in all. And when these days were completed, the king made a feast lasting seven days for all the people who were present in Shushan the citadel, from great to small, in the court of the garden of the king’s palace. There were white and blue linen curtains fastened with cords of fine linen and purple on silver rods and marble pillars; and the couches were of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of alabaster, turquoise, and white and black marble. And they served drinks in golden vessels, each vessel being different from the other, with royal wine in abundance, according to the generosity of the king. In accordance with the law, the drinking was not compulsory; for so the king had ordered all the officers of his household, that they should do according to each man’s pleasure. Queen Vashti also made a feast for the women in the royal palace which belonged to King Ahasuerus. On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, to bring Queen Vashti before the king, wearing her royal crown, in order to show her beauty to the people and the officials, for she was beautiful to behold. But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command brought by his eunuchs; therefore the king was furious, and his anger burned within him. Then the king said to the wise men who understood the times (for this was the king’s manner toward all who knew law and justice, those closest to him being Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who had access to the king’s presence, and who ranked highest in the kingdom): “What shall we do to Queen Vashti, according to law, because she did not obey the command of King Ahasuerus brought to her by the eunuchs?” And Memucan answered before the king and the princes: “Queen Vashti has not only wronged the king, but also all the princes, and all the people who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. For the queen’s behavior will become known to all women, so that they will despise their husbands in their eyes, when they report, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought in before him, but she did not come.’ This very day the noble ladies of Persia and Media will say to all the king’s officials that they have heard of the behavior of the queen. Thus there will be excessive contempt and wrath. If it pleases the king, let a royal decree go out from him, and let it be recorded in the laws of the Persians and the Medes, so that it will not be altered, that Vashti shall come no more before King Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she. When the king’s decree which he will make is proclaimed throughout all his empire (for it is great), all wives will honor their husbands, both great and small.” And the reply pleased the king and the princes, and the king did according to the word of Memucan. Then he sent letters to all the king’s provinces, to each province in its own script, and to every people in their own language, that each man should be master in his own house, and speak in the language of his own people.

Original Content: Copyright © 2012 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved

Show Me The Cross

Love Lustres At Calvary

MY FATHER,
Enlarge my heart, warm my affections, open my lips,
supply words that proclaim ‘Love lustres at Calvary.’
There grace removes my burdens and heaps them on thy Son,
made a transgressor, a curse, and sin for me;
There the sword of thy justice smote the man, thy fellow;
There thy infinite attributes were magnified;
and infinite atonement was made;
There infinite punishment was due,
and infinite punishment was endured.

Christ was all anguish that I might be all joy,
cast off that I might be brought in,
trodden down as an enemy
that I might be welcomed as a friend,
surrendered to hell’s worst
that I might attain heaven’s best,
stripped that I might be clothed,
wounded that I might be healed,
athirst that I might drink,
tormented that I might be comforted,
made a shame that I might inherit glory,
entered darkness that I might have eternal light.

My Saviour wept that all tears might be wiped from my eyes
groaned that I might have endless song,
endured all pain that I might have unfading health,
bore a thornèd crown that I might have a glory-diadem,
bowed His head that I might uplift mine,
experienced reproach that I might receive welcome,
closed his eyes in death that I might gaze on unclouded brightness,
expired that I might for ever live.

O Father, who spared not thine only Son that thou mightest spare me,
All this transfer thy love designed and accomplished;
Help me to adore thee by lips and life.
O that my every breath might be ecstatic praise,
my every step buoyant with delight, as I see my enemies crushed,
Satan baffled, defeated, destroyed,
sin buried in the ocean of reconciling blood,
hell’s gates closed, heaven’s portal open.

Go forth, O conquering God, and show me the cross,
mighty to subdue, comfort, and save.

“The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions;” The Banner Of Truth Trust; 1975; pgs. 42-43

Blessed Is The Man

Psalm 1 (NKJV)

Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

The Heart Of A Woman

“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.  And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:11-13 (NKJV)

Several weeks ago, my daughter Hannah and I took down the Christmas tree after the holidays. Normally, this is a task that I do not particularly enjoy. The house always looks so empty and feels so “cold” after everything is put away. This year, however, my purpose was more than just removing all the Christmas tree ornaments and restoring them to their proper place until next year. This year, the ornaments had to be sorted.

You see, my daughter is in the middle of her last semester of college. Graduation looms, and along with it, the establishment of her own separate household. She is excited about the prospect of having a place to call her own and not living in an 8×10 foot dorm room. While she is understandably a bit nervous about the process, she is ready to have a place that she can call “home.”

Of course, the purpose of the “ornament-sort” was to cull out those ornaments that have, over the years, been given to her, for when she has her first Christmas tree. This was a bittersweet blessing for me as the reality of what we were doing was apparent. Our daughter is now a young woman and will soon to be living independently from us.

The focus of our Christmas and birthday gifts to her this year was a bit different from previous Christmases and birthdays. She received a number of items essential to a young woman for setting up her own household: pots and pans, kitchen utensils, cookbooks, and other assorted necessities for someone who likes to cook and clean.

What has surprised me about this entire process is how excited I have been to gather up all those items she will need to set up her first apartment. I have even gone through our house and come up with enough “early attic, late relative” furniture to get her started. In many ways, I think I am having more fun with all of this than she is.

Now, there are some parents who can’t wait for their children to grow up, move out, and stop being a drain on the family finances. This is not true for us. Hannah will be greatly missed when she no longer calls our house her home. We have considered it a privilege to provide financially for what she has needed.

It has given me great satisfaction watching her mature into a lovely young woman. She is ready to be an adult and all that goes with it, even if she is not confident of that fact. She has put away “childish things.” She has the acquired the life skills and the spiritual and emotional maturity necessary to step out into the adult adventure called “life.” She will handle all the challenges she faces with wisdom, even if that wisdom occassionally requires she calls Mom and Dad for some help.

The heart of a woman goes through many seasons in life: childhood, youth, adulthood, marriage, motherhood, ”empty nest,” and finally, if God so blesses, “grandmother.” This is the season for my heart to let go of a child, and welcome a woman: to watch Hannah bloom into what God has intended for her. It is the season to praise God for all that He has done, and is doing, in both her life and mine.

The heart of this woman is filled with gratitude for the great blessing that is her daughter.

And so, another season begins for my heart and hers. . .

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” Ephesians 4: 14-15 (NIV/1984)

Related Article: “Bittersweet Blessing“

Copyright © 2012 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved

The Beginning Of Knowledge

Proverbs 1

The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:
To know wisdom and instruction,
To perceive the words of understanding,
To receive the instruction of wisdom,
Justice, judgment, and equity;
To give prudence to the simple,
To the young man knowledge and discretion—
A wise man will hear and increase learning,
And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,
To understand a proverb and an enigma,
The words of the wise and their riddles.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

My son, hear the instruction of your father,
And do not forsake the law of your mother;
For they will be a graceful ornament on your head,
And chains about your neck.
My son, if sinners entice you,
Do not consent.
If they say, “Come with us,
Let us lie in wait to shed blood;
Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
Let us swallow them alive like Sheol,
And whole, like those who go down to the Pit;
We shall find all kinds of precious possessions,
We shall fill our houses with spoil;
Cast in your lot among us,
Let us all have one purse”—
My son, do not walk in the way with them,
Keep your foot from their path;
For their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed blood.
Surely, in vain the net is spread
In the sight of any bird;
But they lie in wait for their own blood,
They lurk secretly for their own lives.
So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;
It takes away the life of its owners.

Wisdom calls aloud outside;
She raises her voice in the open squares.
She cries out in the chief concourses,
At the openings of the gates in the city
She speaks her words:
“How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?
For scorners delight in their scorning,
And fools hate knowledge.
Turn at my rebuke;
Surely I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
Because I have called and you refused,
I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
Because you disdained all my counsel,
And would have none of my rebuke,
I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your terror comes,
When your terror comes like a storm,
And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
“Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the LORD,
They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.
Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
For the turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
But whoever listens to me will dwell safely,
And will be secure, without fear of evil.”

The Retelling Of A Story

Every Christian has a story to tell; a story of how God saved them from the tyranny of sin and self through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary. Each story is one of forgiveness, hope, promise, grace, mercy, and God’s love for a people He has called to be His own.

Every day we need to remind ourselves of the many times God has brought us through; of all the times He has protected us; all the times He has shown us His care and compassion in both great and small ways. He has been faithful even when we have not.

Today, retell your story. Start by recounting to yourself all the many blessings that God has so generously given to you. When you have done that, share the gratitude that is in your heart with someone who needs to hear a story with a happy ending. For no matter how tattered and worn your storybook may look here on earth, if you know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, your story always has a happy ending.

Our God is able to keep us through all the storms of life. He is well able to uphold us with His righteous right hand. He will not let us go even when we no longer have the strength to hang on.

Our God is full of compassion. His love does not fail. Praise our God, for He is good beyond measure.

“The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.” Psalm 103:8

Come And Listen

Come and listen, come to the water’s edge, all you who know and fear the Lord.
Come and listen, come to the water’s edge all you who are thirsty, come.
Let me tell you what He has done for me.
Let me tell you what He has done for me,
He has done for you,
He has done for us.

Come and listen,
Come and listen to what He’s done.
Come and listen,
Come and listen to what He’s done.

Praise our God for He is good.
Praise our God for He is good.
Praise our God for He is good.
Praise our God for He is good.

He has done for me,
He has done for you,
He has done for us.

Come and listen,
Come and listen to what He’s done.
Come and listen,
Come and listen to what He’s done.

By the David Crowder Band

Original Content: Copyright © 2012 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved

Crossing The River

After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, “Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess.’” And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh Joshua spoke, saying, “Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, ‘The LORD your God is giving you rest and is giving you this land.’ Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But you shall pass before your brethren armed, all your mighty men of valor, and help them, until the LORD has given your brethren rest, as He gave you, and they also have taken possession of the land which the LORD your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD’s servant gave you on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrise.” So they answered Joshua, saying, “All that you command us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we heeded Moses in all things, so we will heed you. Only the LORD your God be with you, as He was with Moses. Whoever rebels against your command and does not heed your words, in all that you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage.” Joshua 1 (NKJV)

What fears are keeping us from entering into God’s promises for us?

What areas of disobedience impede our progress towards what God has purposed for our lives?

What faith is required in order for us to walk into what God has ordained?

We make choices every day that determine whether or not we will ”take possession of the land” which God has given us.

Each of us must first put our foot into the water in order to cross our “Jordan River.” The rapid water and the rocks can not be allowed to deter us.

No one can do this for us. We will never make it to the other side unless we do.

Joshua had a choice to make: faith, courage, and obedience OR fear, cowardice, and disobedience.

Joshua chose faith, courage, and obedience. As a result, God went before him, making a way where there did not appear to be a way. Joshua submitted to God’s Word and took possession of the land which God had promised a generation before. Were there battles? Absolutely, but God’s mighty hand brought victory for each one until Joshua, Caleb, and the Israelites took possession of the land.

When God makes us a promise, we have a part to play, just as Joshua did. Our faith, obedience, and courage will be required to take possession of it.

What would happen if we took God at His Word?

What would happen if when God spoke to us, we said: “Yes, Sir!”

Would God go before us and bring victory to the battles that we face?

Would we too enter into the “land of milk and honey” which God has planned for us?

Would God’s ultimate purposes then be accomplished in the earth?

Just as it was for Joshua, I believe that choice is also ours.

God’s Hand will fulfill what His Word has ordained.

Copyright © 2012 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved

Afraid To Trust His Grace

The Heart Healed And Changed By Mercy

Sin enslav’d me many years,
And led me bound and blind;
Till at length a thousand fears
Came swarming o’er my mind.
Where, I said in deep distress,
Will these sinful pleasures end?
How shall I secure my peace,
And make the LORD my friend?

Friends and ministers said much
The gospel to enforce;
But my blindness still was such,
I chose a legal course:
Much I fasted, watch’d and strove,
Scarce would show my face abroad,
Fear’d, almost, to speak or move,
A stranger still to GOD.

Thus afraid to trust his grace,
Long time did I rebel;
Till, despairing of my case,
Down at his feet I fell:
Then my stubborn heart he broke,
And subdu’d me to his sway;
By a simple word he spoke,

“Thy sins are done away.”

William Cowper

Copyright © 2012 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved

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No Longer Forsaken And Desolate

Isaiah 62 (NKJV)

For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace,      
And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,       
Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,       
And her salvation as a lamp that burns.        
The Gentiles shall see your righteousness,         
And all kings your glory.       
You shall be called by a new name,       
Which the mouth of the LORD will name.        
You shall also be a crown of glory         
In the hand of the LORD,       
And a royal diadem       
In the hand of your God.        
You shall no longer be termed Forsaken,         
Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate;       
But you shall be called Hephzibah,and your land Beulah;     
For the LORD delights in you,       
And your land shall be married.        
For as a young man marries a virgin,         
So shall your sons marry you;       
And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,       
So shall your God rejoice over you.        
I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;         
They shall never hold their peace day or night.       
You who make mention of the LORD, do not keep silent,        
And give Him no rest till He establishes         
And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.        
The LORD has sworn by His right hand         
And by the arm of His strength:  
“Surely I will no longer give your grain       
As food for your enemies;       
And the sons of the foreigner shall not drink your new wine,       
For which you have labored.        
But those who have gathered it shall eat it,         
And praise the LORD;       
Those who have brought it together shall drink it in My holy courts.”        
Go through,         
Go through the gates!       
Prepare the way for the people;       
Build up,       
Build up the highway!       
Take out the stones,       
Lift up a banner for the peoples!        
Indeed the LORD has proclaimed         
To the end of the world:  
“Say to the daughter of Zion,  
‘Surely your salvation is coming;       
Behold, His reward is with Him,       
And His work before Him.’”        
And they shall call them The Holy People,         
The Redeemed of the LORD;       
And you shall be called Sought Out,       
A City Not Forsaken.