Evil Plans = Destruction, Gods Plans = Abundance

Esther 7:1-10

1 So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet. 2 On this second occasion, while they were drinking wine, the king again said to Esther, “Tell me what you want, Queen Esther. What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!”

3 Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor with the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my request, I ask that my life and the lives of my people will be spared. 4 For my people and I have been sold to those who would kill, slaughter, and annihilate us. If we had merely been sold as slaves, I could remain quiet, for that would be too trivial a matter to warrant disturbing the king.”

5 “Who would do such a thing?” King Xerxes demanded. “Who would be so presumptuous as to touch you?”

6 Esther replied, “This wicked Haman is our adversary and our enemy.” Haman grew pale with fright before the king and queen. 7 Then the king jumped to his feet in a rage and went out into the palace garden.

Haman, however, stayed behind to plead for his life with Queen Esther, for he knew that the king intended to kill him. 8 In despair he fell on the couch where Queen Esther was reclining, just as the king was returning from the palace garden.

The king exclaimed, “Will he even assault the queen right here in the palace, before my very eyes?” And as soon as the king spoke, his attendants covered Haman’s face, signaling his doom.

9 Then Harbona, one of the king’s eunuchs, said, “Haman has set up a sharpened pole that stands seventy-five feet tall in his own courtyard. He intended to use it to impale Mordecai, the man who saved the king from assassination.”

“Then impale Haman on it!” the king ordered. 10 So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai, and the king’s anger subsided.

As we see here in this story that Haman got the reward for his wicked scheme. Instead of impaling his enemy on his 75 foot pole he got impaled on it. What Haman was exercising in can be termed as devilish wisdom. He was operating in a wisdom that was not from God and so it clouded his perception of reality. When operating in devilish wisdom one tends to be so focused on self and how their plans will satisfy the flesh and their ego that they do not even consider the ways of God and what He can do to interrupt the plans we have made without Him, especially when those plans are against His children. Thank God He has our back in those situations. Even though there are times when it looks like those who plot against us may succeed, in the end they come to their own destruction.

There was a ponzi scheme that went through the community a couple of years ago. This particular scheme wrapped up some within the body of Christ. The force behind the scheme in the initial stages wasn't one of trying to take advantage of others. I think that as the endeavor grew bigger and bigger and was more successful those in charge became deceived by the devil and lost their focus on their initial intent. The person in charge was professing a faith in Jesus and I truly think he had a relationship with Him in the beginning. After some time of success and getting some positive press he began to think he could do things on his own. This would have the beginning of the downfall, although it wouldn't come to a head until much later. This person ended up in jail, broke, divorced and alone when only months prior he was free, married with four kids and had many "friends". How this fits in with the story of Haman is that as time went on Haman got full of himself and thought himself to be higher than those under him and when he felt like he was disrespected he got mad and in the end lost. I prayed for this man and his family as all this came to light. Jesus speaks of this:

Luke 12:2-3

2 The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. 3 Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear!

This is why what is done when no one is around is not a time for us to do things we don't think others will know about. Our integrity in those times is where it matters most. Who wants the sins they do in private to be exposed to all? No one I know. This is why a life in Christ is not something that you can put on for a couple of hours on Sunday when you are in church. Being a true follower of Jesus is a 24/7/365 endeavor. Jesus needs to be the Lord of your life every second of every day of your life. If you are only playing around with a relationship with him or maybe you don't even know what that means, you must make a decision not to play around with religion. Religion is the downfall of most people. Why I say that is religion is based on man and a relationship is based on an actual knowing the person you are in relationship with. Since Jesus came to this earth, died on the cross for our sins and was raised from the dead He is alive and wants to be in relationship with us. Why else would He come and do that? He wants to be involved in every aspect of our lives. When we decide to follow Jesus and live according to His Word we become truly free. Many people think that the Bible is full of do's and don'ts that mean you can't have fun or enjoy your life. On the contrary, by following the Bible and living according to Jesus' plan for your life you not only will have life but you will have it in abundance to the full until it overflows. Here is Jesus Himself telling us this:

John 10:10 (AMP)
10The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).

That is such comforting news! That must be why it is called the Good News. Jesus came so that I could have and enjoy life so much that it is abundant and will overflow my life. This means every area of my life. My health, my finances, my relationships, my family, my mind, etc. There is no area of my life that Jesus didn't come to reclaim. Why wouldn't I want to have a relationship with someone who promises me that?

If you want to have a relationship with this man Jesus who came so that you too can have and enjoy life, in abundance to the full until it overflows then all you have to do is ask. What? It's that easy? Yes! Ask Jesus to come into your life and be your Lord and Savior and He will come in and reside within you. Once you do that He will change your life forever, in a good way not a bad way. Praise God that He loves us so much that He sent Jesus to earth to redeem that which was lost with Adam and Eve. What I have just discussed is not a religion but a relationship with the person of Jesus. It gets even better! When Jesus ascended to heaven to be with God the Father He sent the Holy Spirit to be with us until He returns. The Holy Spirit is our counselor, comforter, teacher and guide through this life we live on earth. He is the source of the dynamic power we can use to be mighty in Christ. The same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is ready to work through you to impact this world for Jesus. All you have to do is ask that the Holy Spirit fill you up to overflowing and ask for evidence of this happening by speaking in other tongues. This in nothing to be afraid of nor to shy away from. We need to Holy Spirit in our lives to reveal the truth of the Word to us. Without His involvement we will not fully understand what the Word is saying and will not properly apply it to our lives. People trying to have a relationship with Jesus without the involvement of the Holy Spirit is like the carpenter who tries to use his circular saw when it is not plugged in. He won't be able to cut anything until he connects the saw to the power source. We are the same way. We cannot fully operate as Jesus has created us without being plugged into the Holy Spirit.

Father I thank You for Jesus, for the Holy Spirit and for Your plan for my life. May I be filled afresh and anew today with the Holy Spirit to guide me and direct me on the path You have laid out for me. Show me the next step to take and may I continue to be fully reliant upon You to show me that next step. In Jesus name, Amen.

Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved