Here’s Hope: “The enemy roams like a roaring lion, looking for the sleeping. When he comes here, let him find us keeping our promises, holding to faithfulness, down on our knees, eyes to the east. Watch and pray, no one knows the moment, no one knows the day.” ( Song: “Watch and Pray” by Twilla Paris )
Bible Reading: Esther 4:12-17
Consider This: The Old Testament book of Esther is a very inspiring story of a young woman and her Jewish family who were in exile in Persia. Esther’s beauty, wisdom, and deep commitment to God afford her the opportunity to become Queen to King Xerxes, who had no faith in God. In Esther chapter 4, we can read that well known verse, “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to the royal position for such a time as this.?”
Perhaps you and I are living in a time, in this pandemic, when we can say, you have been placed here for such a time as this? What is God calling us to do? Yesterday, I was privileged to watch Dr. Tony Evans pastor of Oakcliff Bible Fellowship of Dallas, on a morning news show. The hostess expressed to Dr. Evans, “we need to hear from you” His reply was spot-on. Dr. Evans said, “we need to understand the root of the problem. He then quoted 2 Chronicles 15:6, “One nation was being crushed by another and one city by another, because God was troubling them with every kind of distress.” Dr. Evans went on to say our country is having a “God problem.” (We are not obeying God’s teachings and laws, such as promoting abortion) Dr. Evans said that only God can bring the solution to our national situation. Dr. Evans then suggested three points that should occur for God’s healing of our land:
A. We need to have a “Sacred Gathering” to invite God back into our culture.
B. We as “the Church” need to be public Christians. He said this pandemic has forced the church to come out of the “church house and into the community and that is a very positive change.
C. We as the church need to be “Unifying in good works”, like adopting a local school or police department or nursing home.
Finally, Dr. Evans said, “until the Church steps up, any other public policy solution will just be a bandage” and not a real cure for our nation. I would contend, well said Dr. Evans!
Our country does have a sin problem because we are not looking to our Heavenly Father. Let us begin by being like Queen Esther in today’s scripture by calling out to our God in prayer. We need the healing that only He can provide by confessing that we are a sinful nation in need of God’s grace. Can I challenge you to call out to God each day and pray for our country and our national leaders. Let us also consider how we as a local assembly of God can reach out in our North Run community to help bring unity and God’s influence here as well.
Prayer: O God, please help us as your people, to call out to You each day asking for your forgiveness and your guidance in how we can help bring your peace and salvation to our little part of the world and our nation. Give us your wisdom as we move forward to reach out to our community. Amen.