Esther 10:3 (KJV) Make Greatness Truly Great

Esther 10:3 (KJV)

For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.

We are told that Mordecai was great. Yet the Holy Spirit does not simply tell us that he attained greatness. He tells us what Mordecai did with it.

Mordecai did not begin this book as a great man in the eyes of the world. He was just a faithful man. He refused to bow to Haman because his convictions were greater than his fear. He sat at the king's gate and paid attention to what was happening around him and there uncovered a plot against the king. He challenged Esther to recognize that God had placed her in the palace "for such a time as this." Again and again, we find a man quietly doing what was right long before anyone recognized his name.

By the final chapter, Mordecai was second only to King Ahasuerus. The man who once sat unnoticed at the gate now stood beside the throne. His greatness, however, was not measured by his office but by his purpose. He was "seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed."

Many people want success. Many desire influence. Some spend their entire lives pursuing recognition. Yet greatness is not great unless it is put to great use.

God never gives us influence merely for our own benefit. Whether He entrusts us with a classroom, a church, a business, a family, or simply a circle of friends, He expects us to use that influence to help others and to glorify Him.

That is exactly what Mordecai did. His position became a platform to serve. His authority became an opportunity to bless. His words brought peace instead of division, and his leadership sought the welfare of God's people instead of his own advancement.

Every Christian has influence. Someone is watching your testimony. Someone is listening to your words. Someone is helped—or hindered—by the way you use the opportunities God has given you.

The world measures greatness by how high a person climbs. The Lord measures greatness by how faithfully a person serves. Jesus Himself said, "But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.”

Perhaps that is why Mordecai's greatness has endured for more than twenty-five centuries. It was not built on ambition. It was built on faithfulness. When God finally placed greatness in his hands, Mordecai did not use it to make much of himself. He used it to make life better for others and to advance God's people.

May God help us do the same. Greatness is not found in having influence. Greatness is found in using that influence well. Greatness isn't great unless it's put to great use.

#FaithfulGreatness #BookOfEsther #BiblicalLeadership #ServeOthers #KJVBible

Make Greatness Truly Great: Faithfulness Before Influence

How has God given you influence to help others and glorify Him? Share your thoughts or a personal example in the comments—I’d love to hear from you.

For more Christ-centered Bible studies, daily devotionals, and biblical encouragement, visit marvinmckenzie.org. Join us as we grow together in God's Word, one passage at a time.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
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Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

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The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Esther 10:3 (KJV) Make Greatness Truly Great

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

http://youtube.com/post/Ugkxx5ERo1_IDt9UdM_i4U6HqayKTibQVUgr?si=RmKj7g-dW3BF5JfK

Esther 9:5 (KJV) Fighting the Wrong Enemy?

Esther 9:5 (KJV)

Thus the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would unto those that hated them.

The events of the book of Esther are historic and real. The Jews really were captives in Babylon. Haman truly hated the Jews and attempted to have them annihilated. Mordecai really did discover a conspiracy to overthrow the king and reported it. Esther truly did become queen in the place of Vashti.

And God really did overthrow Haman's attempt to destroy the Jews throughout the kingdom.

These events are true history.

Whether I fully understand it or not, the law of the Medes and Persians was that a king's decree could not be reversed. Therefore, the command to destroy the Jews remained in effect. What the king could do, he did. He authorized the Jews to defend themselves by destroying those who intended to carry out that decree against them.

Could we argue that there might have been another way to show mercy? Perhaps.

Could we contend that an almighty God could have decreed a different resolution? Many have made that argument.

What I know for certain is that these events are historical facts and that God recorded them for our learning—not so we would know to wipe out everyone who hates us, but so we would learn to show no mercy to our true spiritual enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Argue all you want with my application, but I believe the lesson is that our primary battle is not against the men and women around us. "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

These are the enemies to which we grant no quarter. These are the enemies we ask God for one more day to defeat.

Sin—especially the sin within me.

That is the enemy that hates me and must be eradicated.

#FightTheRealEnemy #BookOfEsther #DailyVisitWithGod #VictoryOverSin #KJVBibleStudy

Fighting the Wrong Enemy? This “Bloody” Chapter Points to Personal Holiness

What do you think? Is Esther 9 primarily about judgment, or does it teach us how relentlessly we should battle sin in our own lives? 

Share your thoughts in the comments—I’d enjoy hearing your perspective. For more daily Bible studies and biblical encouragement, visit marvinmckenzie.org.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Esther 9:5 (KJV) Fighting the Wrong Enemy?

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

http://youtube.com/post/Ugkx7L_cTPkAhazoB2dk6Kztlu1LkhcsS8R_?si=RGnVePFv6OvaeTHE

Esther 4:5 (KJV) The Biblical Method to Helping Hurting People

Esther 4:5 (KJV)

Then called Esther for Hatach, one of the king's chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, to know what it was, and why it was.

There are certain phrases in the Word of God that simply strike us. It is not a bad thing that the Word of God uses terminology that is old-fashioned and uncommon in our modern vernacular. It gives us cause to stop, pause, question, and investigate. While I object to all modern versions of the Bible because I believe their foundation is corrupt, there are some modern versions that "dumb down" the Bible and bring it into such modern vernacular that it sounds like a conversation between a couple of "valley girls." (Is that even a thing anymore?)

So Esther sent a messenger to Mordecai "to know what it was, and why it was." She had heard that he was in sackcloth and ashes, and she had sent him some clothes to improve his appearance. When he refused them, she wanted "to know what it was, and why it was."

John Gill simply says, "what was the reason of his appearing in sackcloth, and why he did not receive the clothes she sent him.” The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges says, "to know what his mourning attire meant.” Matthew Henry writes:

"To know more particularly and fully what the trouble was which he was now lamenting, and why it was that he would not put off his sackcloth. To enquire thus after news, that we may know the better how to direct our griefs and joys, our prayers and praises, well becomes all that love Sion. If we must weep with those that weep, we must know why they weep."

I realize that Esther and Mordecai still had a secret family relationship at this time and cared deeply for one another. But the lesson still holds for us all because, as brothers and sisters in Christ, our care for one another needs to go beyond a simple, "How are you?" to knowing both the what and the why of their good days and their bad ones.

Esther had already, if you will, "thrown some clothes" at Mordecai's trouble. But food, clothing, and money are seldom the real solutions to the needs of men.

If we are to pray for others and truly seek to help them, we must take the time "to know what it was, and why it was" that they are in such a state.

When we do, we will often discover that the issue is spiritual. It involves an enemy of greater proportions than most can imagine. And it requires help that is not merely supernatural, but eternal and almighty.

#KnowTheWhatAndWhy #BearYeOneAnothersBurdens #BiblicalCompassion #BookOfEsther #KJVBibleStudy

The Biblical Method to Helping Hurting People: Find the What and the Why

Have you ever discovered that someone's greatest need was very different from what you first assumed? Share your experience in the comments—I’d love to hear your thoughts. 

Then visit marvinmckenzie.org for more daily KJV Bible studies, practical Christian encouragement, and resources to help you grow in your walk with Christ.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Esther 4:5 (KJV) The Biblical Method to Helping Hurting People

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

http://youtube.com/post/UgkxziDawqjrcqld54doZwW8K-F9pwS-59GD?si=E05L0RSfKN657YuM

Esther 3:4 (KJV) Before You Speak, Read This Bible Lesson

Esther 3:4 (KJV)

Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew.

Haman is the villain of the book of Esther. But the problem all started because his fellow servants noticed that Mordecai did not bow. They hounded him daily because of it and eventually told Haman.

Through their lack of discretion:

• Haman overreacted.
• The king was manipulated.
• The city was perplexed.
• The Jews were threatened.
• Eventually, Haman was hanged.

I don't want to make light of Haman's pride, aggression, wickedness, and sin.

But it would be wise for us to note that it all began because someone, whose business it wasn't, stuck his nose into it. Who knows what they thought they would gain? Some people don't have to gain anything except the satisfaction of stirring the pot, causing trouble, and perhaps getting someone else into trouble.

Their mouths ultimately contributed to the death of the very man they were meant to serve. They did not serve Haman well by stirring things up.

#MindYourOwnBusiness #ChooseWisely #BookOfEsther #GuardYourTongue #DailyBibleStudy

Before You Speak, Read This Bible Lesson: The Dangerous Power of Someone Else's Business

Has someone else's meddling ever caused trouble in your life—or have you learned the hard way to mind your own business? Share your thoughts in the comments! Then visit marvinmckenzie.org for more daily Bible lessons, practical Christian living, and verse-by-verse encouragement from God's Word.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Esther 3:4 (KJV) Before You Speak, Read This Bible Lesson

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

http://youtube.com/post/Ugkxkswz6fxH1RGYWqaymS1Xcr12e0cuqeUe?si=tEfHXpfRq7fZHGlu

Esther 2:4 (KJV) Does the Bible Approve Everything It Records?

Esther 2:4 (KJV)

And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.

One of the most important principles of Bible hermeneutics—really, of interpretation in general—is understanding:

• Who is writing?
• Who is the intended reader?
• What are the circumstances of the writing?

This passage is a clear example of the importance of that principle.

We know that God the Holy Ghost is the ultimate Author, but God used human penmen to write each of the books of the Bible. In a manner only God could accomplish, each penman was allowed to write in his own style, using his own personality and offering his own perspective, while still writing the 100% infallible, God-breathed Word of God.

Every Word of God is true, pure, given by inspiration of God, and is:

"...profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."
2 Timothy 3:16–17 (KJV)

That does not mean God approved or endorsed every event or action of man that is faithfully recorded in His Word.

What happens in Esther chapters 1 and 2 "pleased the king." It did not necessarily please the Lord. The Bible faithfully records the deeds of men. God chose to include these events for our profit, and He even used them to bring about a good outcome. But that does not mean He approved of the events themselves.

What we see in the book of Esther is God's ability to use circumstances brought about by the corrupt nature of mankind and turn them to His purpose.

We need never fear that some act of man will be so evil, so wicked, or so wrong that it can thwart the ultimate plan of God.

Things happen that are terribly wrong. We sometimes wonder why God did not bring events about differently. Yet nothing happens that can alter God's ultimate purpose for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

#DailyVisitWithGod #BibleHermeneutics #StudyTheBible #BookOfEsther #GodsProvidence

Does the Bible Approve Everything It Records? Read Carefully

What do you think? Have you ever noticed the difference between what the Bible records and what God approves? Share your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to hear from you. 

For more daily Bible studies, biblical insights, and Christ-centered resources, visit marvinmckenzie.org.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Esther 2:4 (KJV) Does the Bible Approve Everything It Records?

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

http://youtube.com/post/UgkxfxDdvJRuVc4cx9hHB30ljoo_sRPWa6KQ?si=5aLxyKOkX2h7HiTb