Most of us eat every day, some of us too much, because yesterday's
food is not enough to supply energy for today's needs. Why then, do
some of us expect yesterday's portion of heavenly manna, the word of God to
keep us through today's challenges. On this program, we are going to change
all of that. Let's experience God's words today and receive the power we need
to live healthy, vibrant lives. Welcome to your Daily Portion with your host,
author speaker, Elle David Harris. Good morning, good morning, Good
morning. It is Sabbath, December sixteenth, twenty twenty three. Hello,
my name is Elle David Harris. I am your host, and this is
your Daily Portion where we give you God's word every single day, and today
is no exception. We are continuing in our Lesson study series, God's mission
My mission, and today our caption is Esther and Mordecai, Mordecai. Some
people say kai, some people say kai. Yeah, you can look it
up and see how to pronounce that. But I'm thankful that whatever the case,
we are here together today the Sabbath morning, and I'm asking you to
please just click the share button if you're listening on the radio. It's okay.
You can go to your Daily Portion dot com and find one of those
social media or YouTube channels, pick that up and then click the share button
to your friends and loved ones. And please please also just let people know
that we're here every single day so that the word of God can continue to
be spread into all the world for a witness. And then and only the
end shall the end come. Let me just say shout out to all of
you who are on any one of the two hundred plus radio stations around the
world, those who are on YouTube, on social media, and in the
podcast land, and one or two of you on television. Yes, people
still watch on television, and yeah, so God is good to us.
And I'm asking you to continue to pray for this ministry to thrive and grow
and prosper. Let's go ahead and pray, and then we will get underway.
Father and Heaven, thank you for this day and the privilege that we
have to come together. Please help us Lord, not just to learn intellectually,
but to learn spiritually so we can live and do according to your will
and help others do the same. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen
and Amen again Esther and Mordechai. Yes. So I'm going to read now
from the Book of Isaiah, chapter forty nine and verse six, and then
invite you that throughout the week you would read through the Book of Esther and
see what lessons we can glean considering the mission of God in the world,
Like what can we learn from that story and how we can make an impact
on planet Earth. Okay, First, here in Isaiah chapter forty nine and
verse six, the Bible reads, I will give you as a light to
the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the Earth.
Now, of course this is applied broad of course us God had a particular
context when he was speaking to the people here in Isaiah. But the fact
is that wherever you happen to be, and under whatever circumstance you find yourself,
if it is positive, if it is less than positive, God is
saying that as you yield your will to him, he wants you to be
a voice for him wherever you happen to be. If you're at work,
if you are at play, you're at school, you are incarcerated. They
are people listening right now who are incarcerated. People who read from magazines that
are geared toward holiness and connection with God. You wherever you happen to be.
You are in the armed forces, and you are stationed at different places
around the world, like so many different scenarios. We could paint here and
say, Okay, wherever you find your feet. God is saying, make
an impact for him, make an impact for him. It's a privilege,
He said, freely. You have received, freely give. And so in
whatever nation you happen to be, if it's your home nation, yes or
no. I have two citizenships. I would like to have three wherever I
happen to be in whatever language I do speak. If I don't speak,
and there are translators, then that's the way that God is going to lead
somebody to God. To you see where I'm coming from with this, and
so I'm thankful that God gives us this. And there were times throughout the
history of God's people that they were bound because of their sinfulness. There were
times that they were bound like in captivity because of their sinfulness. And as
God was chiding and chastising them and then bringing them through their journey their pathway
toward righteousness, he was still using them in order to help the nations that
they were in captivity to, like Babylon. We'll talk about that tomorrow if
the Lord spears life. And so we're going to read now from the Book
of Esther, the Book of Esther, beginning at verse twenty six of chapter
nine, Ester chapter nine, beginning at verse twenty six. And see what
God can say to us here. Wherefore they called these days Purim, after
the name of Purr would normally celebrate. Okay, I'm saying that tongue in
cheek. Therefore, for all the words of this letter, and of that
which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them,
the People of God ordained and took upon them, and upon their seed,
and upon all such as joined themselves to them, so as it should not
fail that they would keep these two days according to their writing, according to
the appointed time, every year, and that these days should be remembered and
kept throughout the generation every family in the province, in the province, and
every city, and that these days of Puram should not fail a month the
people of God, nor the memorial of them that perish for their seed.
Still reading verse twenty nine, and Esther, the Queen, the daughter of
Abbirael and Mordecai the Jew wrote with all authority to confirm this second letter of
Purim right, and so let me go down. Here means broken peace.
The word Purim means broken peace. And he sent the letters onto all of
the Jews, to the one hundred and twenty and seven provinces of the Kingdom
of Hezaerus, with words of peace and truth, to confirm these days of
Purim in their times appointed according as MORDECRII the Jew and Esther the Queen had
enjoined them, and as they had decreed for themselves and for their seed,
and for the fastings that there and their cry last verse and the decree of
Esther confirmed these matters of Purum. And it was written in the book so
much to say, so little time. Let me just begin here with one
lesson. Lesson number one from chapter two and verse seventeen. And the King
loved Esther above all women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight
more than all the virgins, so that he set a royal crown upon her
head and made her the queen instead of vashtime. This shows that God can
place his people in strategic positions for the fulfillment of his plans, so God
can position his people strategically so that he can have his will done. Remember,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Right,
So please again read from the entire book of Esther and see what you can
glean. Also, also we can see that there is an importance in cultural
sensitivity and wisdom. Morricai and Esther's ability to navigate the complexities of the Persian
court while maintaining their own identity teaches the importance of cultural sensitivity and wisdom in
unfamiliar and hostile environments. Okay. Also, in verse fourteen of Esther chapter
four, the Bible reads, for if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this
time long story, then shall their enlargement and deliverance arise to the people of
God from another place. But thou and thy father's how shall be destroyed?
And who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as
this. We've read that before is a powerful lesson. This is a powerful
lesson and standing up for God's people in the face of personal danger, stand
with courage, stand up for God's people like Esther did. You can go
to your daily portion dot com and share your understanding and wisdom concerning the story
in the Book of Esther to fill in the gaps here, because really we're
just giving a quick overview this Sabbath morning. Also, prayer and fasting are
powerful tools. In verse sixteen, the Bible reads, go gather together all
the people of God that are present and Shoshan, and fast yet for me,
and neither eat nor drink these three days night or day. And I
also and my maidens will also fast. And then of course we're looking for
favor from the King. So we see in this story, prayer and fasting
are also powerful tools. Yeah. Please read through the whole chapter, the
whole Book of Esther and share your insights at your Daily portion dot com.
Thanks for joining us listening to friends. Always remember we cannot live by bread
alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. This
has been your Daily Portion with El David Harris. Make it a great day. Yeah,