The Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 8 JULY 2023 – TOPIC: BEWARE! YOU ARE THE TARGET OF THE ENEMY
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THE DAILY FOUNTAIN
DAILY DEVOTIONAL OF THE
CHURCH OF NIGERIA (ANGLICAN COMMUNION)
DATE: SATURDAY, JULY 08, 2023
TOPIC: BEWARE! YOU ARE THE TARGET OF THE ENEMY
5:1. Now it happened on the third day that Esther put on [her] royal [robes] and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, across from the king’s house, while the king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, facing the entrance of the house.
5:2. So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing 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. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the scepter.
5:3. And the king said to her, “What do you wish, Queen Esther? What [is] your request? It shall be given to you — up to half the kingdom!”
5:4. So Esther answered, “If it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him.”
5:5. Then the king said, “Bring Haman quickly, that he may do as Esther has said.” So the king and Haman went to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
5:6. At the banquet of wine the king said to Esther, “What [is] your petition? It shall be granted you. What [is] your request, up to half the kingdom? It shall be done!”
5:7. Then Esther answered and said, “My petition and request [is this:]
5:8. “If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, then let the king and Haman come to the banquet which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king has said.”
5:9. So Haman went out that day joyful and with a glad heart; but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, and that he did not stand or tremble before him, he was filled with indignation against Mordecai.
5:10. Nevertheless Haman restrained himself and went home, and he sent and called for his friends and his wife Zeresh.
5:11. Then Haman told them of his great riches, the multitude of his children, everything in which the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and servants of the king.
5:12. Moreover Haman said, “Besides, Queen Esther invited no one but me to come in with the king to the banquet that she prepared; and tomorrow I am again invited by her, along with the king.
5:13. “Yet all this avails me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”
5:14. Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Let a gallows be made, fifty cubits high, and in the morning suggest to the king that Mordecai be hanged on it; then go merrily with the king to the banquet.” And the thing pleased Haman; so he had the gallows made.
THE MESSAGE:
The Bible does not tell us any error committed by Mordecai against Haman other than his refusal to bow and reverence him. The reason was simply that Mordecai had declared he was a Jew (3:4; 5:9). This was the only reason why Haman was full of indignation against Mordecai and the entire Jews and mobilised all financial, material and official resources at his disposal to carry out his evil venture (2:9; 5:11 cf. Psalm 2:1-4). Mordecai became a target of Haman at the king’s palace because he chose to keep the law of Yahweh (Exodus 20:1-5).
Beloved, as soon as you rise to fulfil the purpose of God for your life and shun the ways of sin and the world, you are already a target of the devil. As a matter of fact, anyone who is in Christ and is prepared to live godly in Him should be ready to face persecution and trials from Satan. The reason the devil goes all the way to afflict us as children of God is to make us compromise. So, you should never think that the devil is happy with you when you choose to stand for the truth anywhere you may be. There will definitely be deliberate attempts of the enemy of your soul working through the agency of your friends, wife, husband, boss etc. God expects that you should never give up because He is with you to deliver you (Isaiah 43:1-5). Just relax confidently on the saving arms of the Master and keep to the pattern of life He has you – the pattern of truth and righteousness. God will surely deliver you.
PRAYER: Father, deliver me from all the plots of my enemy, in Jesus’ name. Amen
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