“But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king‘s commandment by his chamberlains: therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in him” (Esther 1:12).
TEXT — Esther 1:1-12
Message
Many times, we act on impulses. We do things without thinking deeply about them, or we are swayed by the desire to please or impress other people. We are oblivious that our actions have impact, for good or ill, on others and on ourselves. And even when we realise this, it is often too late: the damage has been done. Somebody says: “It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.” Therefore, our future is being written or re-written by the decisions we make.
King Ahasuerus presided over the Persian Empire that spread from India, in present-day Asia, to Ethiopia, in Africa, over 127 provinces. Three years into his reign, he made a great feast that lasted for six months for his princes, generals, and servants. It was an opportunity to display his riches, honour, and majesty. Afterward, he organised another feast for seven days for all the people in Shushan where his palace was located. The king made lavish provisions for the party, serving guests wine in golden vessels. His wife, Queen Vashti also held a feast for the women in the royal household. On the final day of the feast, when the king and his guests were thoroughly drunk, he made what turned out to be a rash and thoughtless decision. He commanded the queen to be paraded before his guests, to show off her beauty. This made no sense to the queen, and she refused to obey the king’s command. This eventually led to her dethronement.
We must watch our decisions, particularly when our heart is merry and everyone is applauding and rejoicing with us, or when we are in deep distress and no help seems to be forthcoming. At such a time, we must strive to retain our clarity of thoughts. If we act without thinking, we will leave a trail of consequences that may not be redeemable for the rest of our lives. The grace and wisdom of God can become our saving grace in our moments of decisions.
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.
