Skip to main content

JOY COMES IN THE MORNING

THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE OF THE CHURCH OF NIGERIA (ANGLICAN COMMUNION)

DATE: THURSDAY, 20TH JULY, 2023 

TOPIC: JOY COMES IN THE MORNING 

TEXT: ESTHER 9:1-19

1. Now in the twelfth month, that [is,] the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day, [the time] came for the king's command and his decree to be executed. On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the opposite occurred, in that the Jews themselves overpowered those who hated them.
2. The Jews gathered together in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could withstand them, because fear of them fell upon all people.
3. And all the officials of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and all those doing the king's work, helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.
4. For Mordecai [was] great in the king's palace, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces; for this man Mordecai became increasingly prominent.
5.  Thus the Jews defeated all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, with slaughter and destruction, and did what they pleased with those who hated them.
6.  And in Shushan the citadel the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men.
7.  Also Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,
8.  Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha,
9.  Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vajezatha --
10.  the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews -- they killed; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
11.  On that day the number of those who were killed in Shushan the citadel was brought to the king.
12.  And the king said to Queen Esther, "The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the citadel, and the ten sons of Haman. What have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? Now what [is] your petition? It shall be granted to you. Or what [is] your further request? It shall be done."
13.  Then Esther said, "If it pleases the king, let it be granted to the Jews who [are] in Shushan to do again tomorrow according to today's decree, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged on the gallows."
14.  So the king commanded this to be done; the decree was issued in Shushan, and they hanged Haman's ten sons.
15.  And the Jews who [were] in Shushan gathered together again on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and killed three hundred men at Shushan; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
16.  The remainder of the Jews in the king's provinces gathered together and protected their lives, had rest from their enemies, and killed seventy-five thousand of their enemies; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
17.  [This was] on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. And on the fourteenth day of [the month] they rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness.
18.  But the Jews who [were] at Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth [day,] as well as on the fourteenth; and on the fifteenth of [the month] they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.
19.  Therefore the Jews of the villages who dwelt in the unwalled towns celebrated the fourteenth day of the month of Adar [with] gladness and feasting, as a holiday, and for sending presents to one another.

 
MESSAGE:  
When Haman got the permission of king Ahaseurus to kill all the Jews, there was confusion, weeping, wailing and mourning all over the city (4:1-3). Mordecai declared fasting and instructed the Jews to put on sack clothes and lie in ashes. The news got to Queen Esther and she risked her life to see the king (4:16). God gave Esther favour before the king and the decree was reversed. The Jews rejoiced greatly for the victory God granted them before their enemies (vv. 5-10). A day of feasting and gladness was fixed by the Jews to celebrate this victory.
 
Child of God, you may currently be weeping, despair and even depression. “weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Psa. 30:5). Trust in God more than ever and be confident that He is in control. Your present situation is not going to be permanent; it will soon fade away. Every problem has its expiry date. Your time to laugh and dance is very close by. You should never think that God is unfair to you. Note that every cloud has a silver lining. Keep trusting Him and you will soon laugh.

Prayer: 
Lord, give me grace to persevere and keep trusting You in Jesus’ name. (Amen)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CHURCH OF NIGERIA ELECTS NEW BISHOPS AND ONE ARCHBISHOP

The Episcopal synod of the church of Nigeria Anglican Communion has elected six new Bishops, and one Archbishop. The election which took place at the Basilica of Grace Apo, Gudu district in the Diocese of Abuja on Thursday October 29, 2009 has the following:- The Rt. Rev. Friday John Imaekhai Bishop, Diocese of Esan, Elected: - Archbishop of Bendel to replace The Primate elect, The Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh The very Rev. Ralph Ebirien of St Stephen’s Cathedral Bonny Elected: - Bishop of Niger Delta Diocese The Venerable Ezekiel Bolarinde Dahunsi of Church of Pentecost FESTAC Lagos Elected: - Bishop Diocese of Ido- Ani The Rev. Canon Justus Emeka Mogekwu of St. Paul’s Kakuri, Kaduna Elected:-Bishop Diocese of Asaba to replace Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh. The Venerable (Prof.) Dapo Folorunso Asaju of the chapel of Light, Lagos (LASU) Elected:-Bishop for Theological Education in the office of the Primate The Venerable James Olaoti Akinola of St. James Iludun Oro, Kwara S...
Post a Comment
Read more

EXCERPTS FROM: 24/7 WARFARE PRAYERS AND SUPERNATURAL BREAKTHROUGH MANUAL

INTRODUCTION Right from childhood, the number “SEVEN” has always been an intrigue, an interesting puzzle, a fascination, and a great phenomenon to me. I was actually born on the seventh day of the month; perhaps this was one of the reasons why something leaps inside of me whenever I see the number. But as I grew up in the Christian faith I began to see a regular reference to it the scriptures. I was kind of saying, whoa! Holy bliss! Seven occurs 257 times, or 7 × 41 Seventh, the fractional part occurs 98 times or 7× 14 Seven –fold occurs 7 times. Seventy occurs 56 times or 7× 8 “Seventy” in combination with other numbers occurs 35 times or 7× 5. God is pleased to stamp the number “Seven” with the seal of perfection and completeness. God never down played the importance of the number, because it was the number of God. It is a carrier of God’s mysteries. It pleased God that, the Seventh man from Adam – Enoch sh...
Post a Comment
Read more

FIVE NEW FULL FLEDGED ANGLICAN DIOCESES

Five new Dioceses have been created in the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion. The Church's official website - http://www.anglican-nig.org/main.php?k_j=12&d=352&p_t=index.php? posted the information thus: The Standing Committee Meeting of Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion has approved the creation of five new full fledged Dioceses at their meeting at the Cathedral Church of St. Stephen’s Umuahia, Abia State. They are Shendam Diocese carved out of Langtang Diocese, Plateau state, Ido-Ani Diocese from present Owo Diocese, in Ondo state, Igbomina West from Igbomina Diocese,Kwara state, Ilesha North East from Ilesha in Osun state and Ijebu South West from Ijebu Diocese in Ogun state. At the presentation, the head of the Committee responsible for creation of new Dioceses, the most Rev. Joseph Akinfenwa Archbishop Ibadan Province and Bishop of Ibadan who led a team of four assured the house that the stage is set and the New Dioceses have met all the requirements for creation...
Post a Comment
Read more