Christian Devotionals and Scripture Applied to Everyday Life

It is always gratifying to live out a Sunday sermon. This past Sunday we heard an excellent message on the foolishness of holding too tightly to any plans we may have for our day.

Age creeps up on a person unnoticed. One day you wake up, look in the mirror, and observe that lines have formed around your eyes, and a few extra pounds have settled in your middle. Aching joints and stiff muscles suddenly replace the spring in the step you once took for granted. About this time many of us start searching for ways to prolong our health and life. We exercise more and try to eat less. But even this can’t outrun the inevitable physical decline we will all experience. But there is a worse type of decline threatening to undo mankind. This type of internal deterioration often goes unnoticed. The remedy? Seek the Lord and live. 

Readers have a huge advantage. They are able to live the experience of someone else in a matter of a few short days, or even hours. The pages of a book record the important and exciting details of a person’s story but can’t possibly cover all the in-between time of waiting and trusting. In fact, if a reader gets too anxious he may even choose to flip to the last chapter to relieve any suspense. But when a player personally lives the experience this is not possible. He or she must trudge through every second wondering how their story will end.

Don’t you just love poetic justice? It is so gratifying when the tables get turned and a villain gets humiliated instead of rewarded. God certainly has a sense of humor because He often uses this method to put people in their place. In the story of Esther God's poetic justice thwarts the wicked Haman and protects the innocent in an unexpected way.

No one likes to be suppressed! Being looked down upon or dismissed truly harms self-esteem and damages the soul. Recently in our world a new form of ostracism has arisen. If someone shares ideas or opinions unpopular with others around them, he or she may be cut off from future opportunities to speak out. This offense can happen online, in social media, or even in person. While this type of exclusion may be frustrating and even wrong, it is nothing compared to the “cancel culture” practiced amongst the ancient royalty of Persia at the time of the book of Esther.

It’s impossible to get through life charming everyone you meet. No matter how hard you try there will always be someone who finds a reason to reject or put you down. This person may be jealous or even hold a grudge that has nothing to do with you personally, but is about something that happened in the past. Interactions with this sort of person can be uncomfortable at best. But sometimes there may be a person you would consider a real foe. They are not just rude but desire to do you harm. What is a Godly response to enemies?