MEMORISE:
Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. Revelation 2:5
READ: Esther 2:1-4
1After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.
2 Then said the king’s servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king:
3 And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hege the king’s chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them:
4 And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.
MESSAGE:
From today’s Scripture reading, we concluded that substitution can be negative or positive. To Vashti it was negative, however to Esther, it was positive. The replacement that is coming your way shall be positive in Jesus’ name. Esther 2:17 says:
“And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.”
Anyone who is able to install a king would also have the power to unseat him. Romans 13:1 says it is God who sets kings on the thrones. This is why anyone in a position of authority must be very careful not to offend the One who placed him or her there. Nebuchadnezzar is a classic example of someone who did not remember that the Almighty rules in the affairs of men. He did not realize his folly until he was turned into a beast.
You must endeavor to keep anything God has given you, to avoid being replaced. As believers, the story in Esther 2:1-17 should teach us some lessons. We must watch so that nobody would take our crown (Revelation 3:11). It is a pity that many so-called children of God are no longer holding fast their position of adoption, rather they are selling their birthright like Esau, for food.
Vashti momentarily forgot that she was a queen by virtue of the fact that her husband was the king. She flouted the king’s order and someone else took her crown. To avoid being replaced, we must be careful to obey, every instruction given to us by our Savior, King and Husband – Jesus Christ, as we see in John 15:16-17.
The Scripture referenced above further enjoins us to bear fruits. When we do so, we honor and compliment Jesus’ work of salvation. However, when we refuse to bear fruit, we make His death a waste. Refusal to bear fruits could lead to one’s substitution. May you never experience negative substitution in Jesus’ name.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, whatever will make me lose my position in Christ don’t let me do it in the mighty name of Jesus.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Numbers 32-33.
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
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