Living with Integrity and Humility in a Pagan Society
- jacarroll71
- May 31, 2013
- 2 min read
Today’s reading: Nehemiah 13:1-Esther 3:15
My selection: Esther 2:16-17
And when 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 women, and she won grace and favor 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.
My reflections: Esther handled herself wisely in the presence of the king and the court. She listened to the advice of her cousin/foster father, Mordecai, and to the advice of the king’s eunuch, Hegai. As a result she stood out from all the other candidates for the position of queen, winning grace and favor. This gave her credibility when she reported an attempted assassination of the king. It would give her credibility when she had to appeal to the king for the lives of the Jews in the kingdom.
The book of Esther shows the importance of living with wisdom and integrity in the midst of a hedonistic society. [See 1:8]. It further shows that God rules sovereignly over all the kingdoms of the earth and no one may escape His judgment.
My challenge: Do you feel the pressure of life in a society that is godless and hedonistic? Do you wonder if it is worth the price to live with integrity and humility among people whose principal thought seems to be personal fulfillment and pleasure? Peter admonishes us:
Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.1 Peter 2:12.
Remember Esther and Mordecai, examples of living with honorable conduct before the face of a God who rules even over pagan kingdoms.
Tomorrow’s reading: Esther 4:1-9:17
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