THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE OF THE CHURCH OF NIGERIA (ANGLICAN COMMUNION)
DATE: WEDNESDAY, 5TH JULY, 2023
TOPIC: ESTHER OBTAINED FAVOUR: GOD WILL FAVOUR YOU TODAY!
TEXT: ESTHER 2:1-23
1. After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus subsided, he remembered Vashti, what she had done, and what had been decreed against her.
2. Then the king's servants who attended him said: "Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king;
3. "and let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather all the beautiful young virgins to Shushan the citadel, into the women's quarters, under the custody of Hegai the king's eunuch, custodian of the women. And let beauty preparations be given [them.]
4. "Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti." This thing pleased the king, and he did so.
5. In Shushan the citadel there was a certain Jew whose name [was] Mordecai the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite.
6. [Kish] had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been captured with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.
7. And [Mordecai] had brought up Hadassah, that [is,] Esther, his uncle's daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman [was] lovely and beautiful. When her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.
8. So it was, when the king's command and decree were heard, and when many young women were gathered at Shushan the citadel, [under] the custody of Hegai, that Esther also was taken to the king's palace, into the care of Hegai the custodian of the women.
9. Now the young woman pleased him, and she obtained his favor; so he readily gave beauty preparations to her, besides her allowance. Then seven choice maidservants were provided for her from the king's palace, and he moved her and her maidservants to the best [place] in the house of the women.
10. Esther had not revealed her people or family, for Mordecai had charged her not to reveal [it.]
11. And every day Mordecai paced in front of the court of the women's quarters, to learn of Esther's welfare and what was happening to her.
12. Each young woman's turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus after she had completed twelve months' preparation, according to the regulations for the women, for thus were the days of their preparation apportioned: six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfumes and preparations for beautifying women.
13. Thus [prepared, each] young woman went to the king, and she was given whatever she desired to take with her from the women's quarters to the king's palace.
14. In the evening she went, and in the morning she returned to the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch who kept the concubines. She would not go in to the king again unless the king delighted in her and called for her by name.
15. Now when the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his daughter, to go in to the king, she requested nothing but what Hegai the king's eunuch, the custodian of the women, advised. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her.
16. So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which [is] the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17. The king loved Esther more than all the [other] women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.
18. Then the king made a great feast, the Feast of Esther, for all his officials and servants; and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces and gave gifts according to the generosity of a king.
19. When virgins were gathered together a second time, Mordecai sat within the king's gate.
20. [Now] Esther had not revealed her family and her people, just as Mordecai had charged her, for Esther obeyed the command of Mordecai as when she was brought up by him.
21. In those days, while Mordecai sat within the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, doorkeepers, became furious and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.
22. So the matter became known to Mordecai, who told Queen Esther, and Esther informed the king in Mordecai’s name.
23. And when an inquiry was made into the matter, it was confirmed, and both were hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.
MESSAGE:
Favour simply means God’s goodness received without labour or sweat. It could also be used in place of mercy. Favour is not received by might or power; it is not even a product of one’s ability. The story in Esther chapter two specifically talks about the favour of God bestowed on Esther who was a complete stranger in the kingdom of Ahasuerus. After Queen Vashti was deposed, the king needed another beautiful woman to be his companion. Arrangements were made for young beautiful ladies to show themselves in what seemed like a beauty contest. When it was the turn of Esther, the Bible says “… And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her …And the king loved Esther above all the women and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown on her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti” (vs. 15 &17).
Beloved, as you go out today, the favour of the Lord will go with you. The Bible shows us two kinds of favour in relation to Jesus Christ: “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” (Luke 2:52). These two dimensions of favour shall be your experience today. It does not matter how many people are in your place of work or around you in your establishment, the favour of God will single you out and it shall be well with you.
Prayer:
Father, make me an object of Your uncommon favour today, in Jesus name. Amen.
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