Tag Archives: do right

Stand Fast!

               Standing  Fast!

    In the sermon we were listening to this week, we were exhorted to Stand fast! It is so much easier to go with the flow, to float downstream than to paddle against the current, to stick to your convictions than to give in to popular opinion.

We have seen this in the last few weeks in our community, our church and in our family. How much do our convictions mean to us?  We have seen more than one who will not give in, lose their jobs. All they have striven for through the years, and almost their freedoms of movement have gone.

    If we had been told that this would happen in this free country of New Zealand three years ago, we would not have thought it possible. Now we find ourselves barred from certain areas, as we are  told to move on by authoritarian voices, and who knows how much worse it will get! But if we can do this in the secular world, does it follow on in our spiritual life which is far more important? We are told by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 16 :13 to “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be  strong”. And  again  in  Ephesians  6:11-13  we  are  given  the  reason  why  this  is  so necessary.

    We aren’t in this fight alone, God has provided His armour for us to use, but our part is to take it up and use it. Stand up for what is right and don’t give in!

The Story of Queen Esther (Part Six)

                             Esther’s Preparation.

Esther 4: 1-17

     Mordecai had heard the news of the Jews’ danger. He was very upset and grieved, and wore rags of mourning as he marched past the palace. Esther tried to give him decent clothes to put on but he refused, so she made a point of finding out what was wrong….

The lesson for us in this is that if we deliberately do wrong and sin, we grieve the Holy Spirit and we are told to not do this (Ephesians 4:30). We cannot cover sin up, we have to get to the bottom of the matter and put it right with confession and repentance if the fault has been ours.

Mordecai told her that she had to go to the king and tell him what Haman’s wicked plan was. If she didn’t,  her own life was in danger along with the rest of her people. Esther knew what the ramifications were…. if she went to the king before he wanted to see her, she could lose her life even sooner!

It wasn’t enough for Esther to find out what was wrong…. she had to DO something about it, and it was Mordecai who told her what to do. In the same way, the Holy Spirit prompts us to do what is right to fix problems (Psalm 51:3-12).

Esther went into a three day fast and prayer session with her maidens before going to the king, and we too must spend much time in prayer before attempting to fix any problem.

Esther’s cousin was very sad,                                                                                     She wondered why the news was bad,                                                                 But when she heard she then did care,                                                               And took it to the Lord in prayer.

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