Day 133, or May the 13th. Scene 1, you've seen them all.
Our thoughts today are in Esther chapter 3 verse 6. Having learned who Mordecai's people
were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead, Haman looked for a way
to destroy all Mordecai's people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.
And now the big picture surrounding this verse. Queen Esther was only as powerful as her husband
the king allowed. In a world which was dominated by men, Esther's position was far from secure.
Petty grievances were often held, and there was one against her cousin Mordecai that could
have proved disastrous if evasive action had not been taken. Brutal murder was planned
against Mordecai and the whole Jewish nation. They could have been wiped out as a people,
but God had other plans. He had saved them from obliteration before, and this was to
be yet another occasion when the situation appeared hopeless until God stepped in. Even
in those critical times, God chose to work through people rather than intervene personally.
I don't think I could trust people as much as God does.
And now to today's action step. Haman was insulted and frustrated by Mordecai, a Jew.
He hated him so much that he decided to wipe out all the Jews so that no one in future
would ever be irritated by them. I have a friend who is a very articulate I.T. expert
and is proud of his African heritage. I asked him if he ever comes across any prejudice.
He smiled and confirmed that he did, most days. In response, he said that he was so
nice and polite and efficient that they couldn't help but admire or maybe even like him. He
loved proving folk wrong. Be careful not to group people, but treat them as individuals.
When you are aware that you are being judged unfairly because of your colour, physical appearance
or accent, don't retaliate in a similar fashion, but love your way out of it. Love
them into a mind change, because you will never bully them into one.