Bible in 90 Days 23: ISAIAH

Today is Day 56 in our journey through the Bible in 90 days.

We’re well into Old Testament prophecy now, which makes for a pretty heavy and challenging read at times…as you’re now discovering as you make your way through Jeremiah.

Isaiah is the first of 4 “major” prophets. That doesn’t mean the “minor” prophets are any less important – they just say less. In other words, the major prophets gave the major proportion of prophecy in the Old Testament – they talked a lot.

Prophecy was a unique calling in the Old Testament days. God singled out certain people that He gave specific words to. These people were then to speak those words to the others and obey them with unflinching loyalty. The challenge was that much of what they had to talk about was God’s wrath…which didn’t make them too popular. In fact, many people identify the man mentioned at the end of Hebrews 11 who got sawn in two, as the prophet Isaiah.

Isaiah 1:1 tells the time period and basic length of Isaiah’s career as a prophet…

The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. – Isaiah 1:1

4 kings, 1 nation: fascinating, I know.

What is interesting are some of the events that were transpiring during his career as prophet.

He grew up under King Uzziah in a day where the nation was prosperous and everybody did as they pleased…which is never good. Hence the harsh words of the opening chapters of the book. He prophesied toward the end of the nation of Judah – just a few hundred years before they’d be taken into captivity.

You can read all about what was happening during Isaiah’s career in 2 Chronicles 26-31. There were some major spirituals ups and downs from idolatry to purging the whole country of idolatry and reinstating real worship. As with any human called to a spiritual leadership role, Isaiah certainly would have gone through his fair share of ups and downs as well. However, throughout the book, he maintains a strong message of loyalty to the ONE GOD. Isaiah 8:13 sums up his message well…

But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. – Isaiah 8:13

Peppered throughout his words of condemnation and judgment are glimmers of hope, forgiveness, and the mercy that God wanted so badly to pour out on His people…

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. – Isaiah 9:6

Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. – Isaiah 30:18

But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. – Isaiah 43:1

I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. – Isaiah 43:25

I could go on and on, but the message is clear: although God does not approve of much that is happening within the lives of His people, He still loves them and longs for a deeper relationship with them. He has something much greater planned if they would just repent and turn to Him.

That’s the story with us as well. It’s so easy to settle for what the world offers – it looks good, it feels good, everyone is doing it. However, the right thing is rarely the popular thing. God’s plan is far better, and although it will cost you more up front, it will be worth the investment.

Another interesting thing about Isaiah is that it is considered to be somewhat of a mini-Bible because of the many similarities between the book and the Book. Here’s a run-down of some of the similarities between the 2…

The Bible: 66 books

Isaiah: 66 chapters

The Bible: 2 divisions – Old Testament (39 books), New Testament (27 books)

Isaiah: 2 divisions – the first 39 chapters, the last 27 chapters

The Bible: Old Testament focused on the law, New Testament focused on grace

Isaiah: chapters 1-39 focused on the law, chapters 40-66 focused on grace

The Bible: one of the first New Testament characters is John the Baptist, introducing the way of Christ by quoting Isaiah 40:3.

Isaiah 66 is all about the end of the world. In fact, he even speaks of the new heaven and new earth, which sounds very familiar if you’ve read Revelation (which we’ll read in just a few weeks).

I could go on and on about the many parallels between the two, but you get the point. It’s a subtle reminder that God, in His infinite wisdom, before the Bible was ever canonized, was able to give us a preview of coming attractions. I guess that’s one of the benefits of being omniscient!

Although Isaiah can be a bit of a challenging read (as many prophetical books often are), know that God has a plan for you and an undying, eternal love for you. He wants you to be fully committed to Him and completely faithful, but when you’re not, you have Isaiah 53 to cover for you!

Coming soon: 2 Sunday services

Today at Awaken, we tackled Joshua 3 – an epic chapter of faith and trust in the Lord and His power to fulfill His promises.

Without knowing any details about what was ahead, Joshua told Israel to pack up camp and head to the Jordan River. It was flooding when they arrived and crossing it would be impossible…unless God did it Himself. Following God’s vague instructions to have the priests bearing the ark of the covenant step into the Jordan, they witnessed a miracle! The Jordan River parted and all 2 million Jews walked across on dry land!

In addition to challenging everyone to step into their own Jordan River (whatever that looks like in their lives), we also had a practical way to take a step of faith as a church. Like Joshua and Israel, we don’t know much about the future except that we’ve prepared and God is with us. And since we don’t know much about what’s ahead, all we can do is take the next step in front of us. For us, that means adding a second Sunday service in a few weeks.

Except for Easter, today was the biggest service we’ve ever had at Awaken. We had chairs all the way to the back wall of the sanctuary! So…

Sunday, July 31 will mark our first Sunday with a 9am & 11am service. They’ll be identical services which will double our seating capacity and our serving capacity. Here’s more info…

Bible in 90 Days 22: SONG OF SOLOMON

Today is Day 50 in our journey through the Bible in 90 days.

This stature of yours is like a palm tree,
And your breasts like its clusters.

I said, “I will go up to the palm tree,
I will take hold of its branches….”

- Song of Solomon 7:7-8

“Whoa. Was that really in the Bible?! Is that talking about what I think it’s talking about?”

Yeah, it was. Sex, love, romance, physical desire, dating, and more sex – it’s all over the 8 chapters of Song of Solomon. Why is that? Because GOD CREATED SEX. It was His idea. He’s glorified by it (in its proper context).

In short, GOD LOVES SEX.

Unfortunately, although God created sex and is glorified by it, the world has taken it and perverted it.

Song of Solomon gives a glimpse of what a pure, Godly relationship looks like between a man and a woman. It’s passionate, it’s fun, and it’s God-glorifying.

Many people try to turn Song of Solomon into an allegory about Christ’s love for the Church. Although Jesus does passionately love us, that’s not what is being portrayed in this love story. It’s about a real man and a real woman – falling in love, getting married, and making it last (what a nice change of pace from our culture, huh?).

Song of Solomon was written by Solomon, probably when he was young and in love. Later, he became so intoxicated by this feeling of love that he tried to get it from many women (about 1,000 of them – to be exact – 1 Kings 11:3).

Song of Solomon can be broken up into 3 main sections: courting and preparing for marriage (chapters 1-3), honeymoon and marriage (chapters 4-5), and making it last (chapters 6-8).

One theme that runs throughout the book is purity and patience. The phrase “don’t awaken love until it pleases” appears throughout the book reminding us that love has an appropriate time to be awakened, but it’s not something to play around with. Chapter 2 mentions the foxes that will ruin the vineyard. Foxes are things like lust, impatience, and selfishness. Capture them before they destroy! In chapter 4, the beloved speaks of her sister being “a garden enclosed.”

Our culture NEEDS Song of Solomon!

For one, part of God’s will for us is sexual purity (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5). The Bible only says “this is God’s will” 3 times, and that is one of them – I’d say we should pay attention! In a world where 85 year Hugh Hefner is dating multiple 20-something-year old blondes and having ongoing sexual encounters with them all, pornography is at our fingertips, and guys like Anthony…I forget his name…can’t keep his pants zipped, we need to pay attention to GOD’s plan for sex. The world’s obviously is not working!

We need more people who will be “a garden enclosed.”

Another reason we need Song of Solomon is to help people understand that God doesn’t hate sex. In fact, as I mentioned above, He loves it. It was His idea – He created it! Unfortunately, man has taken something intended to glorify God and made it into something to glorify man. We’ve perverted it. It’s time to GIVE SEX BACK. We need to hand it back to God and allow it to glorify Him as it was intended (within the context of marriage: one man and one woman).

Song of Solomon is a bit steamy at times, but that’s the way it was meant to be. After all, you read Proverbs 5, right? It says for husbands to be enraptured by their love for their wife. That’s not passive, if I have time, if we get a chance, love – it’s passionate!

Single people: take your time! Don’t rush relationships. Pray through them. When you meet that guy or girl who pushes you closer to Jesus and challenges you in your faith, you’ll know it. Wait for them! In the mean time, live as pure as possible.

Engaged people: it’s worth the wait. I know it’s challenging and it’s easy to justify getting physical because you know you’re going to get married anyway. WAIT! You’ll be glad you did.

Married people: GO FOR IT! Don’t wait for him/her to initiate. Godly, Biblical married love is passionate and fun. Hang out, go on dates, have sex, and glorify God!

Bible in 90 Days 21: ECCLESIASTES

Today is Day 50 in our journey through the Bible in 90 days.

Only 40 days left, can you believe it?!

Ecclesiastes is 1 of 3 books ascribed to the pen of King Solomon (the other 2 are Proverbs and Song of Solomon). This trifecta of Bible books summarizes Solomon’s life well…

Proverbs is full of wisdom and was compiled throughout his life.

Song of Solomon was probably written when he was young and in love.

Ecclesiastes was written toward the end of his life, when he had experienced it all.

2 words or phrases you read throughout Ecclesiastes are “vanity” and “under the sun.” “Vanity” is used 36 times in just 29 verses and “under the sun” is found 29 times in 27 verses.

“Vanity” describes something that is useless (like “grasping for the wind” – Ecc. 2:11) and “under the sun” describes the earthly (non-eternal) way of living. Chapter 2 gives a good summary of the book and Solomon’s experiences, as he lists things he tried to find fulfillment in: buildings, gold, silver, women, drinking, and more. What was his conclusion?

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done 
And on the labor in which I had toiled; 
And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. 
There was no profit under the sun. – Ecclesiastes 2:11

At times, Solomon seems to go on rants about how useless life is and how meaningless his existence has been. It’s the sad state of someone who has turned to the world for satisfaction and found out that the world had nothing to offer.

His rants of vanity and uselessness are punctuated by deep recollections on the eternal God…

I know that whatever God does, 
It shall be forever. 
Nothing can be added to it, 
And nothing taken from it. 
God does it, that men should fear before Him. – Ecclesiastes 3:14

God is in heaven, and you on earth; 
Therefore let your words be few. – Ecclesiastes 5:2

If anyone had the right to write about the experiences of the senses and their inability to satisfy, it was Solomon. 1 Kings 3:13 says that since Solomon requested wisdom instead of riches, God gave him wisdom as well as riches – more than anyone who ever lived or ever would live!

1 Kings 10:14 says that his annual income was 666 talents of gold. According to the current price of gold per ounce, 666 talents of gold in our day would be $1,102,948,747.20! The guy was raking in $1.1 billion per year! And that wasn’t even all of it – the verse goes on to say that that doesn’t even include his income from merchants, traders, kings, and governors!

A few more things that King Solomon had…

- 40,000 stalls of horses (1 Kings 4:26)

- a staff of 183,300 workers building the Temple, carrying & mining rocks and minerals, etc. (1 Kings 5:13-15)

- a fleet of ships that he built for the purpose of going to get more gold (420 talents, to be exact – the modern equivalent of $695,553,264)

- 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines at his beck and call (1 Kings 11:3)

…and that’s just the beginning.

In other words, he experienced it ALL. If he wanted it, he got it. But where did it leave him? The same place it will leave anyone who tries to find satisfaction apart from God…

EMPTY.

He closes the book with some very important words. Take these words to heart, coming from a man who experienced it all…

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: 
Fear God and keep His commandments, 
For this is man’s all.

For God will bring every work into judgment, 
Including every secret thing, 
Whether good or evil.

- Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

ALL of Scripture is relevant, but in a culture obsessed with getting, having, experiencing, and feeling, Ecclesiastes hits the nail on the head.

When Galileo & Newton wrote their findings on gravity, you didn’t go out and test them yourself – you took them at their word. After all, they’re the pros – they know what they’re talking ahout.

Solomon is a pro. He knows what he’s talking about. Take him at his word – the world is empty. Find satisfaction in Christ alone.

Bible in 90 Days 20: PROVERBS

Today is Day 49 in our journey through the Bible in 90 days.

If you ever feel like you have A.D.D., Proverbs probably really resonated with you. At times, it seems to be all over the place: from money to parenting, from temptation to wisdom, from marriage to investing sometimes right within the same paragraph.

Although finding a main theme for each chapter or section isn’t always easy, the theme of the book as a whole is wisdom. It would make sense that it was about wisdom, since its author (except for chapters 30 and 31) is King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived. According to 1 Kings 3, God made Solomon the wisest man who ever lived.

Not only was Solomon supernaturally gifted with wisdom, but he was also experientially gifted with wisdom. After all, he was King David’s son, he built the Temple, and as king, he experienced many things that contributed to the wisdom he shared in Proverbs.

Much of Proverbs is specifically targeted toward young people (Proverbs 1:8). Parents, you know how it is – your kids think they have it all figured out. Solomon sets a great example of laying it out straight – hitting the hard topics and not backing down.

That’s one thing I love about Proverbs – it’s not scared to say it how it is. Below are a few of my favorite (honest, in-your-face) Proverbs…

Better to dwell in the wilderness, 
Than with a contentious and angry woman. – Proverbs 21:19

He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, 
It will be counted a curse to him. – Proverbs 27:14

As a dog returns to his own vomit, 
So a fool repeats his folly. – Proverbs 26:11

A little sleep, a little slumber, 
A little folding of the hands to rest;

So shall your poverty come like a prowler, 
And your need like an armed man. – Proverbs 24:33-34

I could go on. The bottom line is, Solomon says it how it is…which is how the whole Bible is written (as you’ve probably noticed by now), and it’s how we should be as well. The world needs more honesty. Dads (like Solomon) need to tell their kids how it is, in order to train them up in the way they should go. After all, as Ecclesiastes points out, it’s wise to teach others from your wisdom.

So who are you teaching?

What are you learning?

Both of those should be something that you do for the rest of your life. Always be sharing from your experiences, but don’t talk so much that you can’t listen – you need to learn from others as well. After all, even the wisest man who ever lived made some pretty terrible mistakes and didn’t follow his own advice…so do as he said, not as he did.

My Dad

That’s us in all of our glory. And no, that’s not my little brother sitting in my lap – that’s my little sister, Kara. I’m sure she loves this picture.

In honor of Father’s Day, I wanted to post a quick blog dedicated to my dad…

SOME THINGS MY DAD TAUGHT ME…

My dad always taught me to do the right thing, no matter the cost.

My dad taught me to be a man and own up to my mistakes.

My dad taught me to be a hard worker.

My dad taught me the importance of being involved in church.

My dad taught me the importance of being there to talk – I always knew he’d hear me out.

My dad taught me plenty of corny jokes. If you ever mention something about ears, hearing, or listening, expect him to reply with “Huh?” as if he can’t hear you. Also, since his name is Dennis Miller, when he meets someone new, he often points out that, unlike the other Dennis Miller, he’s never had a show canceled.

My dad taught me the importance of sacrifice by paying for years of Christian schooling for my sister and I.

My dad taught me about generosity. To this day, I know that if I need anything, my dad will drop any amount of cash, any task that he’s working on, and give of himself to help any way he can. He’s just that kind of guy. When I talk with him, our conversation normally ends with, “Do you guys need anything? Is there anything I can do?”

My dad was always my #1 fan. He was also my baseball coach, basketball coach, pitching coach, batting coach, computer repairman, rocket launcher, and camping buddy.

When we went camping, he got my reel all hooked up, line baited, and then handed it to me to do the easy work.

And although neither one of us is perfect, my dad embodied Proverbs 22:6 - “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

The last decade of our lives has looked a lot different than the first 17 years. Personal decisions, plans, and a calling from the Lord has led us each down different roads and to different states. We now live over 2,000 miles apart, but God still has a plan for each of us and I’m thankful for the foundation my dad set years ago.

Dad, I love you!

Happy Father’s Day!

(Let’s hang out soon.)

Bible in 90 Days 19: PSALMS

Today is Day 46 in our journey through the Bible in 90 days.

You did it! Psalms is not only the longest book of the Bible, but it also contains the longest chapter in the Bible: Psalm 119.

Not only is it a landmark to make it all the way through Psalms, but yesterday (day 45) marked the half-way point of our journey through the Bible in 90 days! We’ve been at this for a month and a half now – don’t give up.

Real. Raw.

Psalms (for the most part) is a very refreshing read. It’s almost like reading David’s journal that he took with him while he was in the field with the sheep or in a cave hiding from Saul. Or, if it were written in our day and age, it would be like reading his blog. It’s very real, open, and honest. At some points, you can almost hear the tears hitting the paper.

David isn’t the only author though – there are many others: Solomon, Moses, Asaph, and quite a few anonymous authors. They all write from their hearts. They question, they doubt, they worship, they pray, they sing, and they cry. They hit the whole range of human emotions.

The Psalms vary not only in content but also format. There are Messianic Psalms that point ahead to the coming Messiah, historical Psalms that look back at Israel’s history as a nation, didactic Psalms that give practical instruction, and so much more. Back in the day, Psalms was used as the church’s hymnal. Can you imagine if the worship leader at your church started rocking out with Psalm 58?!

Just be me.

I guess what I love about the Psalms the most – on a very practical level – is that they free me up to just be me. The Psalms remind me that even great men of faith went through some very trying times, and yet, in the end, they always saw God’s faithfulness displayed.

I also love being reminded to look for God in everything. You can see God through nature, through His faithfulness in history, through His promises to deliver, through the job that He provides even through some of life’s darkest moments, and in so many other ways. That’s a great reminder for me, because I can easily get accustomed to seeing God only in certain areas. I need to be reminded to look everywhere for Him. He’s displaying His faithfulness everywhere I look.

If you were to pick a favorite Psalm, which one would it be?

I think I’d choose Psalm 136 – “His mercy endures forever.”

 

Something has to give

For almost 2 years now, I’ve been working 1, 2, or 3 jobs on top of planting and pastoring Awaken Church, as well as being a husband and dad. It’s been quite a challenge.

When I began my own graphic design business from my home, KevMill Designs, I didn’t expect it to go anywhere or really last any lengthy period of time (hence, the wildly creative name, KevMill Designs). It started because a friend from New Mexico wanted to use my skills for a business card for his company. Word spread quickly, and to my surprise, things really took off. So much so that I soon was able to quit 1 of my jobs and eventually scaled back at my second job so that I could devote more time to graphic design. Since then, I’ve also done graphics at Lasaters Coffee here in Clarksville and I am still the Art Director for Inpop Records in Nashville…oh, and also a pastor, husband, and dad (not in that order, of course).

Although it’s been great, and I’m thankful for the year and a half that I’ve had to use my art skills to bring in a little extra money, the time has come for me to step away from KevMill Designs. It’s not because of a pay raise somewhere else, but it’s because of a need to prioritize. I feel that I am doing many things about 75% because I never have time to do anything 100%. Something has to give. And if something has to give, I will not allow it to be my marriage, family, or church that does. So, although the financial side of things doesn’t exactly measure up, in the best interest of my marriage, family, church, and personal well-being, I’m taking a step of faith, trusting in God’s promise to provide, and taking the axe to KevMill Designs.

It’s a bittersweet decision – the last year and a half has been amazing. I’ve designed blog headers, billboards, banners, bulletins, slides, window clings, menus, t-shirts, posters, business cards, and almost anything else you can think of with graphics. I’ve worked with people from many different states and even a few in different countries. I’ve been able to do it all from my home, which has been a huge blessing. However, although my office is right upstairs, and I often wear slippers to work, I rarely get to hang out with my family…and that’s not ok.

If you are a client of mine or you’re looking for graphic design or something similar, I have good news for you – I have a few names to pass on to you…

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Chris Varble (Clarksville, TN)

- chris@chrisvarble.com

Jesse Lusko (Albuquerque, NM) – Clean Sweep Creative

- cleansweepcreative@gmail.com

- Behance portfolio

VIDEO/ANIMATION (editing, After Effects, Motion, etc.):

Isaac Del Toro (Clarksville, TN)

- historian136@gmail.com

- vimeo portfolio

PHOTOGRAPHY:

Hector Cruz (soon to be Clarksville, TN)

- hector@mooreandcruz.com

- mooreandcruz.com

- flickr portfolio

I have a few jobs in the works right now, and should be finishing them up this week or next. Once that’s done, so is KevMill Designs. From this point on, I will not be accepting any new jobs.

Please pray for my family and I in this time of transition. We expect great things from the Lord. He’s always provided and we know He always will.

Bible in 90 Days 18: JOB

Today is Day 40 in our journey through the Bible in 90 days.

In 40 days, we’ve covered 18 books of the Bible! Wow! In just 5 more days, we’ll hit a milestone: the half-way mark! Keep going…

Today we finish up Job and start the book of Psalms. Job is a book of tragedy, foolish counsel, mourning, but also great strength. It’s also the first book in the “poetry” section of the Old Testament. The Bible is divided into sections, and isn’t always chronological. Case in point: the book of Job. Job lived around the time of Abraham – in fact, they could have been buddies.

ONCE UPON A TIME…

Job begins happy and cheery. All is well, Job’s 10 children are partying, his animals and servants are living the life, and Job is in regular fellowship with his best friend: God. It doesn’t take long for life to take a turn for the worst, however. By the end of the very first chapter, all of Job’s kids are dead, his animals have been killed and/or stolen, almost of of his servants are dead, and he’s completely crushed.

Whenever I get to Job 1:20, I always have to pause – it blows me away. It tells us his response to his severe loss: WORSHIP.

I want to say I’d respond the same way, but so many times (with much less loss), I’ve responded the wrong way.

His loss continues in Chapter 2. Satan decided that taking his family and wealth wasn’t enough – he’d also take his health (with God’s permission, of course!). So, by the end of Job 2, we find this (once) wealthy, healthy, man of integrity sitting on a pile of ashes scraping his gaping wounds with broken pieces of pottery. It doesn’t get much lower than that…but then it does.

Who need enemies when you have friends like these?

Most of the rest of Job is either Job complaining about his circumstances (rightfully so) while trying to maintain his integrity and faith in the Lord, or his wife or 3 friends (Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar) giving him terrible advice. It’s brutal. By the end, he’s making sacrifices to atone for their sins because God won’t listen to them!

In Job 8:4, Job’s good old buddy, Bildad, even has the audacity to accuse Job of hidden sin! As if Job were to blame for his suffering! That’s a sad misconception that is sometimes even taught from pulpits today: hidden sin is causing your suffering. If you’d just repent/have enough faith/give enough money, God would heal you/bless you/prosper you. Sometimes, hidden sin or lack of faith is the issue, but don’t be so quick to apply that to every situation. Sometimes, some very Godly men and women suffer very deeply.

There are glimpses of hope throughout Job, though. Job 19:25-26 is a well known one…

For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God,

What a statement!

The hook-up

Although Job is a book full of suffering, mourning, and sorrow, it ends on a high note when God appears. He spends the last couple chapters reminding Job that He is Master/Boss/Creator/Sustainer, then He hooks Job up. According to Job 42:10, God answered Job’s prayers, then restored his possessions…TWOFOLD! God is faithful!

If you’re suffering right now, take heart. God knows and God cares.

Enjoy the book of Psalms for the next few days – it’s a nice change of pace after such a heavy book like Job!

…Don’t get used to it, though, Ecclesiastes is only a few books away!

Bible in 90 Days 17: ESTHER

Today is Day 37 in our journey through the Bible in 90 days.

Today we finish up Esther and begin the book of Job. Esther is like a Red Bull – it’s short, but it provides a punch!

Esther is only 10 chapters long, and it’s one of only 2 books of the Bible named after a female. Do you know the other one? (Hint: It begins with “R” and rhymes with “tooth”).

One of the most intriguing things about Esther, however, is that the name of “God” is not found anywhere in the book! Not only will you not read the name of God in Esther, but you also won’t read about the Messiah, prayer, worship, faith, heaven, hell, the Temple, or the Law! So, your first question might be, “Why even include Esther in the Bible?” Many people throughout history have asked the same question, and some, such as Martin Luther himself, have even argued that it shouldn’t be included in Scripture.

I disagree.

I believe Esther to be a very practical and applicable picture of daily life and circumstances. Sometimes we do see God move and work in powerful, mysterious, and miraculous ways. However, more often than not, God works behind the scenes, and instead of seeing God Himself, we see the effects of God at work. Enter Esther…

Esther has always been a favorite book of mine. It’s packed full of plot twists, treachery, villains, unlikely heroes, and surprises. It keeps you on the edge of your seat for all 10 chapters. I’ve taught through Esther twice – once when I was a youth pastor and once with Awaken. At Awaken, I called our study of Esther “God is NOWHERE” because the title so clearly describes the book. At first, you may read “God is Nowhere,” which may be your same reaction when you first read a book of the Bible that never mentions God. However, as you look closer at the title, and the book, the reality begins to emerge: God is Now HERE!

I had just taught week 3 of our study in Esther – a messaged called “The Miss Persia Pageant” – when the flood hit our church back in May of 2010. One of the pictures that sticks in my mind the most is a picture of our sanctuary filled with muddy water with our Esther banner hanging in the background proclaiming “God is Now HERE!”

I hope you found encouragement in your walk with God as your watched Him supernaturally orchestrate the events of the book of Esther. There’s no question that it’s God at work!

Even though His people had been disobedient, and some of them (like Mordecai) weren’t even geographically where they should have been at the time, God loved them and provided for them.

Whatever you’re going through and however distant God may seem, rest in the fact that GOD IS NOW HERE.

Next up: JOB!