Day 132, or May the 12th. God hasn't forgotten you. Our thoughts today are rooted in Esther
chapter 2, verses 5 and 6. Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of
Benjamin, named Mordecai, son of Jer, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, who had been
carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Now the big picture surrounding
these verses. The book of Esther is the only book in the whole Bible that doesn't mention
God by name, and yet it is impossible to read it without perceiving God's actions all the
way through. In the book of Ezra there is a period of about 60 years in between chapters
6 and 7, and it's during this time that Esther was queen of Persia, which was the all-conquering
superpower of those days. Persia conquered Babylonia whilst the Israelites were in exile
there. As a nation the Jews could have been wiped out if it hadn't been for the action
taken by Esther. The Jews today have a special celebration to remember this. It's called
the Feast of Purim, and is held in the spring each year. Esther and her cousin Mordecai
are pivotal leaders within Judaism, even though they spent most of their lives outside the
promised land.
And now today's action step. It must have seemed like the end of the world when Nebuchadnezzar
ransacked Jerusalem and took its inhabitants as captives to Babylonia. Amongst them was
a man called Mordecai, who would have remained anonymous if he had not had a cousin called
Esther. Both of their lives were turned upside down by this event. Many would have lost their
faith when this happened, but neither of them did. They remained faithful. When the opportunity
came to serve God they were willing to respond and play their part. God never forgot Mordecai
and Esther. And he won't forget you and me either. Are you ready to respond today? Your
obedience may not change the world, but it could change your life and many others too.