...scenes

The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases. (NIV) Proverbs 21:1

The book of Esther begins with King Xerxes throwing the party of parties to display his wealth and glory. For a full 6 months Xerxes and his guests revel in indulgent eating, excessive drinking, and admiring the vast wealth of the empire. At the end of the party King Xerxes decides to show off another of his prizes. . .the physical beauty of his queen. The brave queen refuses. She chose to not degrade herself before the king’s drunken guests.

The king consults his wise men to determine what should be done to her. After discussing the matter, one of the seven nobles, Memucan, advises the king that Queen Vashti has not only done “wrong” to the king, but also to all the nobles and all the people throughout all the provinces of the kingdom. Their fear? If left unpunished, Vashti’s rebellious attitude toward her husband would influence all the other women in the kingdom to rebel against their husbands’ authority. Uh oh!!!! The wise men anticipate that there could be no end to the disobedience, disrespect, and discord in their own homes. Wooooops!

Memucan advises the king to take immediate and drastic action to deal with the situation. He advises the king to issue a “royal decree” forbidding Vashti from ever again entering the presence of the king. Her position of queen would be given to someone more worthy.

Just another day in Persia? I think not! God is on the move in mysterious ways. He is sovereign. He is working behind the scenes. He is rearranging events and changing minds until His perfect plan is in place.

God is always at work. He is at work today in your life. You may not recognize His activity in the mundane aspects of life, but He is always at work. Even now, He is rearranging events and changing minds until His perfect plan for you is in place. Just watch.

How is God rearranging your life right now?

-murji kruger