God's Got Your Back

I was reading in the book of Esther this morning about how Haman decides that he has got to kill Mordecai the Jew. He builds a gallows in the front yard of his home to hang him on. Okay, can I say that if one of my neighbors builds a weapon to kill people on their front lawn, I might have to scratch my head and wonder about that.

So the king decides that he is going to bless Mordecai because he had foiled a plot to kill the king earlier, and it just so happens that Haman is in the court coming to see Xerxes about having Mordecai hung on the gallows, when the king calls for Haman and asks his opinion on how the king should bless "the one who has the king's favor".

Haman, full of himself, obviously thinks that the king is talking about him, so he devises an elaborate plan to show off how much the king admires this man that he wants to bless. It's hilarious, Haman says, dress the man in the king's robes, put him on the king's horse and have one of the nobles lead this man throughout the entire city proclaiming how much the king favors him.

Can you imagine the look on Haman's face, when the king tells him that he has come up with an excellent plan, now go and do what you have devised for Mordecai the Jew? Talk about being between a rock and a hard place. Makes me laugh just to think about it. Of course you know that Mordecai knew that Haman hated him, so I've got to think that while he was being paraded around with Haman saying such nice things about him, he had to have seen the irony.

I think of a couple of Scriptures here, "No weapon formed against you shall prosper." and "Pride goes before a fall." Do you think Mordecai was thinking of these as he was lead around by Haman? What about Mordecai? Do you think he was thinking that he was about to be honored when Haman came and got him from the king's gate? He knew that Haman was the man who had tricked the king into decreeing that the Jews were to be destroyed in the coming days.

I love how God shows up for Mordecai in this story, probably when he least expected it I'm sure. I know that seems to be how it is in my life, God has always showed up for me and my family, it just hasn't always been at the outset of whatever challenge we've found ourselves in, but towards the end. God's not vicious or mean to us, I think that He likes the dramatic rescue. I mean after all don't we like it when the hero swoops in at the last possible second to save the day? I know that I do, and if we like that then surely God does too huh?

Life on this planet is interesting and exciting if we will stop long enough to realize that even though to us it may look like our world is ending God is there with us every step of the way, and He has got our backs no matter what. I'm reminded of one more Scripture that says, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you, so that you may boldly say the Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man can do to me." (Hebrews 13:5-6)

Strength and honor!