Speaker 1: 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.
Speaker 2: Good morning, good morning, good morning, it is Sabbath. It's
June seventh, twenty twenty five. Hello, my name is El
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 with lesson number eleven, how to
Study Bible Prophecy, under the caption Ruth and Esther, This
is going to be really good. Good Ruth and Esther.
Before we get into that, I'd like to just say
welcome to you and ask you to please go over
to your Daily Portion dot com. Please join our online community.
Please please let us know where you are in the
world at your Daily Portion dot com. This is one
of the ways that we continue to build faith and fellowship.
Let's go ahead and pray and then we will get underway. Father,
we thank you for giving us the opportunity to come
together on this Sabbath morning to listen for your voice
and then do your will. Please help us to actually
do your will in Jesus name, I pray, Amen and
Amen again. There is so much I could say, but
I think this one we need to just jump right
in with two feet to get us started for the
week that's coming. Okay, And so we're going to start
by really focusing on Esther tomorrow, and I think so
tomorrow and the next two days we will be looking
at Ruth more keenly and then circle back to Esther. Okay.
And so let's begin by reading from the Book of Esther,
the Book of Esther, chapter five and verse two, and
the Bible reads, so it was when the King saw
Queen Esther standing in the court, and I want you
to begin to imagine, like see yourself observing the scene
in the court, that she found favor in his sight,
and the King held out to Esther the golden scepter
that was in his hand. What would you have done
in that situation? Then Esther went near and touched the
top of the scepter. Now you realize in those days,
like if even Queen Esther had come into the presence
of the king unbeckoned, unwelcomed, and he did not he
did not extend the scepter, that would have been a
messy scene. But this is what we want to do.
I'm going to read just a part of the text
again from Esther five and two from the New English translation.
She gained his approval, favor approval, She gained his approval.
The King extended to Esther the golden scepter. Now, in
our lives, the question is like, do I ever feel
afraid or uncertain? If I feel afraid or uncertain, it's
not time to retreat. Not as a believer, not as
a child of God. It is not time to retreat.
I want you to really just pause and think about this.
The Bible says in Hebrews chapter four and verse sixteen
that we are to come boldly before the throne of grace,
where we can find grace to help in the time
of need. So we can go to God's throne in
prayer go to God's throne in prayer. One person said
that when we speak to God, we pray to God.
Prayer bring does not bring God down to us, but
takes us up to God, sort of like what Paul said.
We're seated with Christ Jesus in heavenly places, our Father,
who are in heaven hollowed. Be thy name, and then
we continue. The idea is that when we are praying,
we are in connection with God. We are in the
space of approval, We are in the place of favor.
You are his beloved son, You are his beloved daughter
in whom he is well pleased. So he extends, I'm
talking about God now when we are in that kind
of a relationship. He extends his favor to the faithful.
He extends his favor to the faithful. And so in
verse sixteen of Esther Chapter four, I'll read some of it.
It says, so will I go in unto the king?
And if I perish, I perish?
Speaker 1: Huh.
Speaker 2: So we need to have courage when we're standing in
the gap for others. This is what Esther's ministry was
all about, standing in the gap for others. Her people
were quote scheduled to be destroyed. But she was to
stand in the gap. Now we stand in the gap
for people who are slated to lose their souls because
they have chosen to hate love. They have chosen to
separate themselves when God has been bringing them close to him.
They have chosen to break God's law when he has
given his law as a covenant to be written in
their hearts, in our hearts and on our minds, so
that we can be his children. And so we stand
in the in the gap. I will go in unto
the king. This time we're talking about king of the universe.
And even though okay, in this case, of course the
Bible is saying it'll violate the law, that's not the
case with God. And if I perish, I perish. I
think it was Moses who said, God, now you can't
destroy your people. You can't destroy your people. Destroy me,
block me out of the book, blot me out of
relationship with you, because your people, if you bring them
out of captivity and you destroy them, then all of
the nations will say that you were not able to
keep them. It will tarnish your name. So Moses took
on that same mentality that Esther had and so we
need to commit to stand for the truth. We need
to stand for truth, and even when it's uncomfortable, let
love for others override fear for your own safety. You
go into God's presence, you intercede for them, You go
back into the lives of the people who need help,
and then whatever happens after that, that's really God's business.
It's not our business. It's not our business. Let's continue. Ecclesiastes,
chapter three and verse seven. There is a time to
keep silent, and there is a time to speak. We
need to be praying for a discernment at all times.
In times of moral collapse or in spiritual crisis, silence
can be betrayal. You are working in some agency. You're
working in some agency where the laws not the laws,
but the rules have changed drastically. Some of those realities
actually our ethical problems. Some of them may even rise
to the level of moral problems. While you are still
there with the little bit of time you have left.
Maybe you've not gotten a letter that says you have
the opportunity to retire, but you're there right now. In
those moments, once in a while, silence may be betrayal
of God. There are times to speak, there are times
to be silent, but be willing to be God's voice
when your people need it the most. Ooh, somebody just
heard that. In Revelation, chapter twelve and verse one of
the Bible reads, and there appeared a great wonder in heaven.
You're a great wonder. By the way, if you're people
of God, a woman clothed with the sun. I'll leave
it right there. So as a part of God's people,
remember that how you live, how you serve, just like
with Esther, how you live, how you serve, how you
intercede reflects the character of God through the Bride of Christ.
Do I look like how God wants me to look
when I am interceding for people? You know, there are
some people I've been in systems. Let's just say where
the political process was so overwhelming that when people would intervene,
or people would intercede, it wasn't because it was something godly.
It was to get their own means, It was to
get their own ways. It was what they desired, but
not what God necessarily desired. And so when we intercede,
we intervene it is to reflect the character of God.
We are the bride of Christ like a queen in
covenant with the king. I think somebody got it. I
think somebody got it. There's so much more that we can, will,
and must learn from the stories of Ruth and Esther.
But suffice it to say we represent God and all
that we say, all that we do, and we can
do it because God gives us the grace and power
to do so. Make it a great salad of peace.
Thanks for joining us listening. Friends.
Speaker 1: 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,