August 26 – Celebrate Victory!

Read Esther 9:20-32  Key Verses: Esther 9:22-23 …because on those days (Adar 14^th & 15^th) the Jews rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing and sending portions of food to one another and gifts to the poor. Thus the Jews undertook what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. (NASB)

This was the beginning of the feast day Purim.  Another holiday! A time to celebrate! God had once again rescued and redeemed His chosen people. The name of the holiday came from Haman casting the Pur or lot to see what month and day the Jews would be destroyed. That also became the month and day in a second royal edict that the Jews were allowed to defend themselves, and thus were not annihilated. The next day, Adar 14 in the provinces and Adar 15 in the city of Susa, was a day of celebrating their victory over their enemies. It was a holiday with feasting and rejoicing for all the Jews. To this day, some 2486 years or so later, it is still a Jewish holiday.

Victory over enemies! As I said once before—we don’t have many enemies. Not personal ones anyway. Oh sure, our nation has enemies, but we don’t have enemies in our town, unless you consider dust, heat, or those who break into cars as an enemy. We live sheltered lives—protected by our armed forces, police, and overbearing grandmothers! A 32 year old friend of ours was diagnosed in March with Precursor B-Cell mutation+ Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Now there is an enemy. One that is unseen in the blood—but real. I’ve prayed that God would “deliver him from his enemies, and set him securely on high away from those who might rise up against him” Psalm 59:1. Follow his blog at http://www.thesnyderadventures.blogspot.com/         .

Our enemies can be within us—our attitudes. Oh, the pain that bad attitudes can bring us and cause others to hurt as well. Guard yourself against such attitudes. Like Esther, have a good attitude about doing what is right. Paul provided good advice in my favorite verse, Philippians 4:8, And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise (NLT).  With good thoughts, come good attitudes. How is your thought life today?

Dear Jesus, help us to think good pure thoughts that would give us good attitudes and help us to share you with others. Thank you that you care enough about us to help us in even small ways.

© 2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.