July 17
Esther 5
Esther plans a banquet to set the stage for the revelation of the death plot.
INSIGHT
"Pride goes before destruction" (Proverbs 16:18). One of the supreme examples of this truth in all of the Bible is Haman. His ego is on a feeding frenzy. He has power, wealth, position, family, friends, and honor. Yet all of this fails to satisfy his ego. Mordecai’s unwillingness to bow down to him sticks like a bone in Haman’s throat. Haman’s wife reveals her character by suggesting a flamboyant display of vengeance: "Let a gallows be made, fifty cubits high [75 feet], and in the morning suggest to the king that Mordecai be hanged on it," she counsels (v. 14). The same shadow is darkening both hearts. When pride is taken to this extreme, we see how exceedingly ugly it is. Beware of pride!
PRAYER
Our pride is mellowed when we see how Jesus humbled Himself for us. Praise Him for His love:
O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions— . . .
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord.
(Psalm 104:24, 33-34)
As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing.
(Jeremiah 10:23-24)
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.
Now pray this affirmation to the Lord:
I will remember the works of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
I will also meditate on all Your work,
And talk of Your deeds.
(Psalm 77:11-12).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
-- Faithfulness with your talents
--State and local leaders,
-- Your activities for the day,
-- Whatever else is on your heart.
Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen (Ephesians 3:20-21).
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