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Day 132, or May the 12th. God hasn't forgotten you. Our thoughts today are rooted in Esther

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chapter 2, verses 5 and 6. Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of

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Benjamin, named Mordecai, son of Jer, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, who had been

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carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Now the big picture surrounding

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these verses. The book of Esther is the only book in the whole Bible that doesn't mention

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God by name, and yet it is impossible to read it without perceiving God's actions all the

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way through. In the book of Ezra there is a period of about 60 years in between chapters

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6 and 7, and it's during this time that Esther was queen of Persia, which was the all-conquering

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superpower of those days. Persia conquered Babylonia whilst the Israelites were in exile

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there. As a nation the Jews could have been wiped out if it hadn't been for the action

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taken by Esther. The Jews today have a special celebration to remember this. It's called

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the Feast of Purim, and is held in the spring each year. Esther and her cousin Mordecai

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are pivotal leaders within Judaism, even though they spent most of their lives outside the

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promised land.

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And now today's action step. It must have seemed like the end of the world when Nebuchadnezzar

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ransacked Jerusalem and took its inhabitants as captives to Babylonia. Amongst them was

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a man called Mordecai, who would have remained anonymous if he had not had a cousin called

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Esther. Both of their lives were turned upside down by this event. Many would have lost their

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faith when this happened, but neither of them did. They remained faithful. When the opportunity

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came to serve God they were willing to respond and play their part. God never forgot Mordecai

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and Esther. And he won't forget you and me either. Are you ready to respond today? Your

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obedience may not change the world, but it could change your life and many others too.