Daily Devotionals

Devotional: July 4th

For Reading and Meditation:
     Esther 5:1-2

Esther';s three days of prayer and fasting are over and now she has to approach the king. To come before the king uninvited could mean instant death. But Esther has already concluded that if her people are to be saved, there is no alternative. "If I perish, I perish," she says (4:16). Although Esther has fasted and prayed, this does not relieve her of the need to approach the king personally. Some Christians think that when we pray and fast then God goes before us and relieves us of the responsibility to take action ourselves. Prayer and fasting sharpen our spiritual focus, and enable us to take the right and most effective action. Esther, knowing the king's love of beauty, pays the closest attention to her appearance. Wearing the most beautiful apparel she can find, she slowly approaches the king. We do not know whether or not he was shocked to see her walk into his presence uninvited, but it is obvious he was overcome by her loveliness. The king holds out the royal scepter to Esther - a sign that she is welcomed. What a splendid picture this is of the way we sinners are accepted by the Almighty. God has a "scepter of righteousness" (Hebrews 1:8, KJV), which represents His holiness. We are not pure enough to approach Him ourselves. However, dressed in the robe of righteousness which Christ provides, we are able to come before God, touch the scepter of His burning purity which He holds out to us, and be welcomed into the divine presence as if we had never sinned. If that's not worth a Hallelujah, then I don't know what is!

Father, how can I sufficiently thank You that because of the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ I don't need an invitation to come into your presence; I can stand before You at any time. What marvelous mercy. I am eternally grateful. Amen.

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