Esther Chapter 7 & Reading Plan for Week 2 (Blogging Through the Bible)

Happy Sunday and welcome to Week 2 of Blogging Through the Bible! We will be finishing the book of Esther and heading into 1 Peter this week.

Here's our reading plan for this week starting 9/7/14 from Courtney Joseph at Women Living Well, home of Good Morning Girls. Feel free to go to her blog with this link so you can print off this image and place it in your Bible so you'll have it right where you need it. *smile*

Courtney also has a printable for the reading plan for the whole month of September and the rest of the eWorkbooks for this month that you can download to print! Just use the link above. While there, please be sure to leave her a quick comment that Laurie of Grace-Filled-Moments sent you there to get your printables and be sure to say thank you! :)

Esther Chapter 7

Wow, what a turn of events we see here in chapter 7 of Esther! Here's my S.O.A.P for this chapter.

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Esther 7

Scripture: Esther 7:1-4 So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet, ² and as they were drinking wine on the second day, the king again asked, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.” ³ Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. ⁴ For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.”

Observations: Esther’s patience and God’s timing stands out to me in verses 1-2. We already know that she is a woman of patience because of the other events we have witnessed in her life so far…a year of preparations before being selected as Queen, fasting for three days before approaching the King without his request, and now we see her into the second day of a banquet and the third time of being asked of her petition and request by the King. Esther is waiting for just the right time to make her petition for her life and her request for the life of her people. This is God’s providence once again. Had she tried to ask the day before, the King would not have been kept awake by God that night so that he could read in the chronicles about Mordecai uncovering the plot to harm the King.

In verses 3-4 we see a woman whose emotions are being controlled by God. She has spent time fasting and is moving in the strength and the power of God in a very scary and uncertain situation. Her very life is at risk and the lives of her people. She’s not crying uncontrollably or yelling or demanding her way, nor does she attack her accuser. She is very respectful and humble in her approach to the King with her petition and request.

Application: Do I show the fruit of patience in my life? How do I approach the difficulties of my life, difficulties with other people, or even with difficulties with my husband? 

In the difficulties of this life, difficulties with other people or with my husband, I should:

1. Pray and fast to God.
2. Surrender my emotions to God.
3. Walk in His strength and power.
4. Approach in an attitude of humbleness.
5. Approach in an attitude of respect.
6. Be specific in my request.

Satan is our enemy and accuser. We have already won the victory against him because of the blood of Jesus that was shed for the remission of our sins. We now stand before God covered, forgiven, and protected from the hand of the enemy.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for helping me with the difficulties of this life. Thank You for Your Word that shows me how I need to handle these situations. I pray that I would always remember to come to You first for wisdom, for strength, and for power. I know I have certainly made a mess of things in the past when I’ve tried to handle things in my own way. Forgive me, Father, and help me to learn from my mistakes and to walk in the truth that You have revealed to me today. Thank You, Jesus, for Your precious blood that has covered my sins and has defeated Satan. Help me to walk in the victory that is mine as a child of God. In the powerful name of Jesus I pray. Amen!

Now it's your turn to share! Please leave your S.O.A.P./comments for chapter 7 of Esther in the comments section below. I'll see you here again on Wednesday!

Walking in His Grace, 

Laurie