Pride…..the Lord says to swallow it! He opposes the proud and favors the humble. In Proverbs 16:5 it states that the Lord detests the proud! It disgraces Him! In Proverbs 16:18 it says Pride goes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall! Did that catch your attention? I know it makes my eyes widen! Pride goes before destruction….what good can come from pride? It is doomed for destruction. Are you prideful? Do you know people who are proud? How does it affect their lives and the lives of others?

Proud people think that they are above others. Proud people don’t consider how their actions  impact others. They think only of themselves and seldom even realize that pride is their problem.They would never admit it! They are focused on self satisfaction.They are arrogant. They have an excessive high opinion of oneself, one’s thoughts, appearance, and achievements. Have you ever seen someone that is always focused on having things their way. They are always right. Even if they have conviction that they are wrong, they would never admit it. These are prideful people who have one person in mind at all times: themselves!

I am reading about Haman and King Xerxes in the study of Esther. I don’t think I have ever witnessed pride greater than what these two men are dishing out. King Xerxes wanting to show off his palace and leadership in order to win the hearts of his people. He even went as far as showing off his wife, who refused to stoop so low. Of course, she was banished forever for that decision…but maybe she was better off for it!! You go girl! Then you have Haman who feels rejected and humiliated by one man, Mordecai,because he refused to bow down to him. Haman is filled with rage and pride. He decides that He is above everyone and will take revenge by punishing not just Mordecai,but  all the Jews from the entire empire!  Oh, and by the way Haman is taking it one step further…they must all be KILLED, SLAUGHTERED, AND ANNIHILATED! All this because one man refused to bow down before him! What on earth makes a person think that they can take lives of others into their own hands? What amazes me even more is that  the King agreed to this nonsense and gave Haman the authority to do whatever he pleased. He agreed to Haman’s plan without questioning or stopping to think of the prideful plan of Haman and without quetioning his motives!Remember, God knew what was going to happen and He was in control, not Haman! God’s plans cannot be stopped! Haman was doomed to fall!

Haman experienced an overwhelming emotion: Rage! He was full of anger. He was bitter. He was prideful.Most importantly, his anger never subsided. Look what it turned into! It overtook him! Have you ever known someone that has become angry over their past, a confrontation, circumstances in their lives, or how they have been treated? Have you ever experienced it yourself? What happens when we don’t let go of that anger? It turns into destruction…not only for those around us, but also in us! When we hold onto anger….we change on the inside. We become bitter. We become proud. We become defensive, insecure, and destructive. It takes ahold of us and it shows in how we act and how we treat others. It changes our personality…who we are! We need to refuse to let anger and hatred enter our hearts! “When it comes knocking at your door….don’t let it in!”(Beth Moore)

Life isn’t perfect. We have struggles! We have difficult relationships! We run into difficult situations that cause pain and heartache. We need to recognize our emotions and not let them control us….don’t let your pain turn into anger and bitterness. They will destroy you and those around you! Instead, turn to our Lord. Allow Him to heal you and recognize the fact that He is the one who ultimately judges those who mistreat us. It is not up to us to take revenge and to dwell on the past and make things right…that is His job! Let go and Let God!

Haman was full of pride. How should we react to those who are prideful? Here arer some thoughts that Beth Moore has helped me to recognize this week during my study! Mordecai did not slander Haman. He knew he could not control where his words might end up. Instead, Mordecai stood strong in his own beliefs and kept his mind set on the things above. He did not let his emotions take control of him! Colossians 3:2 says to set your thoughts on heaven and not earth. In other words, let the Lord control your thoughts and not the ways of the world! Resist the bate…do not be hooked by those who bate you along with their vindictiveness and cunning schemes.In other words, do  not allow the hatred and meanness to enter your heart as you react to those who are prideful.! Don’t let Satan influence your thoughts! Remember that God always trumps Satan! In the end, God will win! Always remember WHO God is and WHAT  He has done. He is our Deliverer!

One last amazing thing that I’ve learned this week is that when the Jews received the news of their death sentence, they were in the midst of celebrating the Jewish passover…those that allowed their hope to be renewed remembered (as they celebrated) that the Lord is the one that saved them and brought them out of Egypt. They remembered WHO they were and WHAT God had done for them. How awesome is that? Even in the midst of their trial, as they were issued the decree of their death sentence, they were reminded of the sovereignty of our Lord! He delivered them before and He would do it again! He is OUR DELIVERER! Haman is going down!! Pride goes before destruction!

Free will…..we all have it! Think of all the decisions we have each day. Which direction do we take? Will our decisions effect the rest of our lives ? Who will they impact? What result will come? I know I have blogged about this before, but today (wee hours in the morning!…what is God up too?) we are going to look at some biblical characters and the choices that they made!

I mentioned in my last blog that I am studying the book of Esther. One chapter a week which really makes you think about every aspect that is going on in great detail. There are many points that have surfaced during this first chapter but the one that keeps me thinking is the fact that the decisions we make effect the future (of course cause/effect), but they also define who we are. This first chapter speaks of King Xerxes and his reign. He is a very powerful man who basically was given the throne through inheritance and never had to work for anything he had. He had it all…over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush! But there was one thing he didn’t have control over and that was Greece. He wanted control so he threw a HUGE party to convince all his nobles and military and leaders that he was trustworthy and able to come through . His party lasted 180 days!! Can you imagine that? Entertaining for that long …. the King truly wanted to make an impression! Can you imagine all the drunks (as he let them have as much wine as they wanted-which by the way was not custom as they were only suppose to drink when the King raised his cup!) You see, he was trying to make an impression on them with all the food and wine and beauty of his palace. He was trying to win their approval so that they would fight a good fight for his kingdom in order for him to  be in control of all the land. What he had was not enough.  In order to even get more support he through a 7 day party for the public in order to get their attention. To top it all off,  he called for his Queen in order to show her off too, but she refused to come to him. What a blow to his ego! He was humiliated and full of rage (probably even more so because of his drunkeness)! So instead of going directly to his wife, the problem, he went directly to his eunichs to see what he should do and what kind of punishment he could give! You see, this decision by Queen Vashti could effect the entire providence. All the wifes of all the men would hear of how the Queen treated the King and could respond the same way to their husbands  showing what they thought was disrespect . We are not sure why the Queen refused to go to the King, but have many thoughts as to her decision (I’ll let you study that one!) Ultimately her decision caused an uproar  and she was ultimately banished from the King forever. WOW!

What strikes me most is that there was a reason for all of this! You see, many years earlier King Cyrus had conquered Babylon, the home of exiled Israelites. He then issued the decree in Ezra 1 that allowed the exiles to return to Jerusalem. Some never returned, a fact that becomes pivotal to the story of Esther! Why did Esther stay ? What was in store for those who remained? What would be the results of their decision? This story is just about to unfold for them as we look at the results of the decision of the King for throwing the wild 180 day party to impress his people and the results of the Queen for refusing to answer the King’s call to come into his presence. An opening to God’s plan of using Esther to save God’s people!!

Every decsion we make defines who we are. Every decision we make ultimately effects our future and the way things turn! What have we learned about the King? The King was a using everything he had to win approval of the people. He wanted more power and would do anything to get it. He wanted to impress people by showing them everything he had, including his own wife. When things turned ugly, instead of turning to his wife or to God, he turned to drunks to help him make the right decision! He was humiliated and would do anything to prove to others that he needed to be respected. Did anyone truly respect him in the first place? Why didn’t he initally turn to God regarding the upcoming battle with Greece? He didn’t rely on God, instead it was all about him! He wanted all the splendor, glory, and majesty as he displayed his vast Kingdom to  his people! What a large ego!

Then there is the Queen. We don’t know much about her except that she was very beautiful and obviously strong willed! The King wanted to show his power and glory by bringing his beautiful treasure to show off to all the other men. Would she have any dignity left? BethMoore asks a question here in her study…”Would the Queen show more loyalty to the King or be more loyal to her own dignity?” Look at what was at stake! The Queen had a choice to make…one that would effect the entire world. Could she win with either decision? At the time she didn’t know what the consequences would be, but she took that chance! Wow, what a woman!! We never hear about Queen Vashti again! But we do know, that she stood her ground and was not going to pretend to be anything she wasn’t! She stayed true to herself regardless of her circumstances! Now that is respect!

The decisions we make each day effect our future and how others  perceive us! How do you respond to situations and how do your decisions  reflect who you are? I have had a few incidences lately  where I have observed others and the decisions they have made. These are Christians! The choices they have made have truly made an impact on my perception of them. As I have observed them and especially now that  I have studied this first chapter in Esther it has really hit home in my heart that we really need to look deep down inside and make a conscious effort in all the decisions we make. Why do we make the decisions we do and do pit  decision reflect who we are? Ultimately God is the one who is watching and wondering who is this child and where is her heart? Is He pleased??

It’s tough being a woman! This is the title of the latest Beth Moore Bible Study. It is the study of Esther. It took Beth Moore over a year and a half to write the study! It has just recently been released and she gleams with excitement to share her insights with women throughout the world. I love her studies and have learned so much through her writings and through her knowledge of the Word. I am excited to sit and study this summer and enjoy the teachings of Esther and apply them to my life.

I wanted to share with you one of the thoughts that she has placed in my mind this week. The book of Esther starts off by saying “This is what happened during the time of Xerxes”….it is almost like the storybooks where we read “Once upon a time….”  Upon Beth’s research she finds these words show up 5 times in scripture and each time all introduce impending catastrophe or doom!  It really makes you want to forget about all those stories that begin with once upon a time doesn’t it?

It is our life….once upon a time! Our lives are full of stories. Some stories we would rather not share because of the sadness that comes along with them. We don’t want to share the difficulties and trials we face.  But when  we look back and reflect on all the times where our lives were full of trials, discouragement,  and disappointments we usually see a brighter light at the end of that tunnel!  We came through those difficulties with greater perspective and insight on our lives. Those were the times where we grew the most!  There is no escaping the troubles of this life! They are all around us! Look at society today…people have financial strain, relationship difficulties, illness, etc. Troubles and trials surround all of us. Our problem is that we focus on those problems instead of focusing on our Lord. Our faith wavers daily. We get swallowed up by the hardships of life. We need to remember that our trials are a time of growth! I am learning to ask the Lord “what are you teaching me today!” Always remember that the Lord will never give us more than we can handle and that as we face the trials that He will give us strength, courage, and hope to come to the brighter side. Allow Him to guide you and to mold you along the way so that when you DO come through the trial, you can see the growth that you have made!

Beth Moore learned ,as she studied, that through those 5 circumstances  associated with impending catastrophe that the ending to those stories were happy….but before that happy ending was realized, much grief occured. Your mountain may seem too big to climb and the tears may be filling you to the rim, but know that Christ is there to comfort and guide you to a place of rest and refreshment! He never leaves us nor forsakes us!!

IMPACT! Have you ever thought of that word? It has been coming up in my mind alot lately…How we impact others! How others impact us! How we can make an impact on a situation! Impact can be powerful can’t it? A lot of things have impacted my life. Many have been positive  but there have also been negative!  Both of them have made differences in my life . Today, think of things that have impacted your life.

I used the word impact with my daughter, Ally, a few weeks ago.  I was getting frustrated with my 9 year old as I watched her play soccer. I am trying my hardest not to live my old soccer days through  Ally, but some days it is really hard. I see Ally on the field and know that if she would have just a little more confidence and a little more aggressiveness that she could make some fireworks out on that field and help her team win some more games. You know, it is always just being one step ahead or one step quicker than the other team. So , one day I told Ally….” don’t just be a part of the game, go out there and make an IMPACT”…of course, with only being 9 years old she was like “okay mom, what’s that mean”!  I won’t bore you with my explanation to her! But it sure has made me think about the word impact and how we live our lives today.

Everything we do can impact someone elses life. Everything we say can impact someones life. The way we react to situations and the choices we make each day can impact anothers life. What kind of power is that? Have you ever thought about that? Wow, the stress that can cause us! I don’t even want to go there! 

I have been thinking about children alot lately and their journey’s as little ones walking with Christ. Teaching preschool at a Christian school has given me the opportunity to make an impact on little ones. They are like sponges as you tell them stories of Jesus! Their faces just light up and you can see in their eyes that they want to know more !  I love teaching children and sharing God’s truth with them! It is the kind of impact I want to make ….to plant seeds in their little hearts! What can be greater than watching those seeds sprout?

Often, we don’t even know the impact we make on others. I was going through Ally’s room last week trying to declutter and came across this little notebook by her bed. NO, I was not snooping, but just came across it as I was organizing her books! Anyways, I opened it up(she’s only 9 so I can still do that right?) and in it was something I was not expecting…journaling! She usually stays up and reads after we say her prayers and now I know that she also journals and prays to God on her own. Tears rolled down my face as I realized the IMPACT that we make on our children!  She has seen me journal before and she hears us pray each night and at age nine she is understanding the importance of that ….enough to do it on her own! Don’t ever forget the impact you can make on little ones…even when you don’t realize they are watching!

But you see, it is not just the little ones we impact! It is all of those around us….those that have breaking hearts, those that are lost, those that are searching for someone to just show some love or kindness, those that are poor, those that are lonely. The list can go on and on. The sad part is that most of the time we don’t see those that are struggling because they hide it so well. We keep our hearts closed and don’t share our needs with others. We don’t see those that need some of Christ’s love or compassion. We tend to look at the outside and don’t search to look on the inside where people are hurting and needing grace and compassion.Instead, we tend to be self centered and think of ourselves and make choices and decisions based on our needs and wants instead of those around us.  What kind of impact does that make?  Christ wants all of us to live our lives each day full of His grace and love so that we may impact those around us and make a difference in their lives! Remember as we live each day to love one another just as He loved us and hopefully as we do that we can make a difference in someone else’s life.

Who has impacted you ? Who has touched your life in a way that it has changed how you respond to situations? Who has impacted your life in a way that has changed your thought process? Who has impacted you in such a way that it has molded you into who you are today? Maybe many individuals have impacted your life and helped you become who you are today. It could be your parents, your teachers, your coaches, your grandparents, your friends. It could have been little things they did to make you feel special and important. It could have been love that they showed you during a tough time. Maybe it was forgiveness and grace. I pray that you would think of those people today and thank God for those many blessings in your life. I also pray that as you reflect . that you too will be encouraged today to not just be  part of the game, but to go out and make an impact on someone else’s life today. Put others first and know that the decisions you make, the words you use and the way you live your life can impact someone else!