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One Year Bible: Day 345 - Esther 1:1-2:18; Revelation 2:18-3:6; Psalm 140:6-13

God is at work in the life of both the Church and the nation. He has a message for His Church. It is the message of the Spirit: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches" (Revelation 2:29; Revelation 3:6). This message of the Lord concerns His Church. It also concerns the world. On the surface, the story of Esther is not a very spiritual story. Nevertheless, God is there. Amid all the talk of "twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics" (Esther 2:12), God was working out His purpose. He was revealing Himself as the "Sovereign Lord", the "strong defender" of His people. The plans of men - "the wicked" - did not succeed. The pride of man was brought to nothing so that the glory belong to God alone (Psalm 140:7-8). This is the message of the book of Esther. In order to hear this message clearly, we must read between the lines. This message may not be spelled out in detail. Nevertheless, it is there for the believing reader who is attentive to the Lord, speaking through the events of history. God's concern is that there may be "justice for the poor", that "the cause of the needy" may be upheld (Psalm 140:12). This is a concern which will take us beyond the fairly narrow and well-defined scope of the Church. God's concern takes us into the world with a desire to see the quality of life improved by God so that the people will be more deeply moved to praise His Name and live in His presence (Psalm 140:13).

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