Esther 1:1-3:15

1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Psalm 35:17-28

Proverbs 21:19-20

TRUTH

How would you define the word, truth?  What does it mean to you?  What value does that word hold in your life?  

This morning, "truth" came up in discussion and I thought about how everything goes back to God's truth.  We use His Word (His truth) to govern our decisions; we find comfort in Him and His Word (His truth) because He promises us He will be there for us and guide us.

How can we choose something against God if we are choosing to live out His truth?

God always gives us a choice to choose Him in any and every situation.  Choosing what is right over choosing what is popular is key.  We aren't here on this earth to please others and appeal to them if it is at the expense of following our Father's commands.  I'm sure if we gathered as a congregation and wrote down all of the instances that we made worldly decisions instead of God-centered ones, we'd be here for a while typing away.  As I sit here thinking about worldly advice vs. God's truth, it makes me see how important it is to spread the Word.  Those friends who give you poor advice may actually think that their advice is sound and that they have your best interest at heart.  Let that sink in.  Frequently, people believe what they have to say is right, and have a narrow minded view of the truth.  And when I say "people", I am including myself.  Walking in my faith is a humbling experience, and I'm grateful to have a God who is willing to show me that much patience and teach me lessons that enable me to grow.  I think a good goal for us is when we are confronted with advice and opinions from others, we should think to ourselves, "I am a Christian and I believe what God has to say is true.  Does this align with what I know to be true?" and then make a choice of how we're going to direct our thoughts and actions.

In Esther, King Xerxes was enraged when his wife, Queen Vashti, wouldn't come to parade around in front of himself and the military leaders, princes, and nobles, when she was summoned.  He wanted to showcase her beauty, and she refused.  He was angry that she didn't follow his command, and while under the influence of alcohol, and with advice from wise men, he made an irreversible decision to give her title of queen to someone else.   When his command was not honored, it appears that his pride was hurt.  He made a rash decision and because it was a royal decree, even if he later regretted it, he would not have the option to reverse what he had done.  In today's day and age, in a world where society tells us to "drink and be merry", "stand up for ourselves", "don't let anyone treat you poorly", "have a voice", etc., it is important to make sure that whatever you do, you are doing it in God's name.  If having a voice means that you are dishonoring Him with the words you speak, you should silence your tongue.  If "standing up for yourself" is really another way of saying that you won't tolerate your pride getting hurt, I challenge you to think, "Who am I really standing up for?  Is it God, or my ego?"  While we may not relate entirely to King Xerxes, the man who found a new queen when his queen wouldn't come on command, we can probably relate to making quick decisions when we are angry.  Let us learn from these stories in the Bible and use them as fuel to pick up our crosses and walk with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Dear Lord, please help us to release any self centeredness that is anchored in our hearts, and please help us to use your truth as a sounding board.  We love you.  Amen