“But the Jews that were at Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth day thereof, and on the fourteenth thereof; and on the fifteenth day of the same they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness” (Esther 9:18).
TEXT — Esther 9:13-19
Message
A Christian brother testified how God gave him total victory in his academic life. During his post- graduate studies, a lecturer threatened to make life unbearable for him. The situation worsened during the examination when the lecturer promised to ensure he failed. The brother went into prayers after the examination and to the surprise of everyone, including the lecturer, he passed the examination.
Like the lecturer, Haman made himself the archenemy of the Jews. He hated them even when they did nothing to him. He did not only plan to hang Mordecai, Esther’s uncle; he wanted to eliminate God’s people. Eventually, Haman’s plans turned against him and his entire household. Besides losing his life, his ten sons were hanged on the gallows he made for Mordecai.
Although we thank God for the resounding victory He gave the Jews over their enemies, believers should not rejoice when their human enemies fall into calamities. Our archenemy is the devil who only uses people to accomplish his nefarious acts. We should, therefore, pray for the conversion of the ignorant, willing tools in the hands of the enemy. We use spiritual weapons at our disposal to destroy the works of the devil that target our lives and the Church.
The final rest for all believers will come when we get to heaven. Though the promise to enter into that rest has been given, we must watch, pray and strive in the strength of the Lord to enter in because our enemy does not give up in a fight until his final defeat. He still hopes to win somehow after many losses, but in the power of the Lord, we shall ultimately win the battle if we do not faint.
Thought for the day
God’s presence with us guarantees our victory in every battle.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
