Top Ten of 2023: Joy Clothes – #6

Thank you for counting down with us to the #1 episode of 2023. Why not enjoy a Christmas cookie right now as you listen, and not a broken one or a burnt one, but one you’d give to a friend. You’re worth it! Here’s your 6th favorite episode… joy clothes.

Special thanks to Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission, for bringing us the Bible For Busy People this Christmas season!

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Transcription:

Thank you for counting down with us to the number one episode of 2023. Why not enjoy a Christmas cookie right now as you listen and not a broken one or a burnt one, but one you’d give to a friend. You are so worth it. Here’s the sixth favorite episode of the year, Joy Clothes.

It’s Friday, so you and I are definitely going to be doing joy bombs in the Psalms. But first, the exciting conclusion of Queen Esther’s story. I’m Erica, welcome to the Bible for Busy People. You and I have been on a two week long rollercoaster, and boy oh boy, our hands are in the air today as we celebrate and remember God’s victory he gave to Esther the Queen, and to Mordecai the Jew, her faithful cousin and her adopted father. And we celebrate how God uses ordinary people like Esther and Mordecai, and you and I, to change the world. He weaves us into his plans and it’s beautiful. So, join me in Esther chapter 10, the final three verses, one more trip on this rollercoaster. Here we go.

King Xerxes imposed a tribute throughout his empire, even to the distant coastlands. His great achievements and the full account of the greatness of Mordecai whom the king had promoted, are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Media and Persia. Mordecai, the Jew became the prime minister with authority next to that of King Xerxes himself.

Wow.

He was very great among the Jews who held him in high esteem because he continued to work for the good of his people, and to speak up for the welfare of all their descendants.

I don’t know about you, but I want to be like Mordecai. I want to be faithful and loyal. I want to do the hard things. I want to encourage the people around me to do the hard things. The hard things for God that he’s calling us to do. I want to do the right things. Mordecai knew that his life was in danger because he refused to bow down to the evil right hand man of the King, Haman. And he still refused to compromise his principles and his faith, even though he knew he might lose his life. He almost did, but God intervened and it’s because Mordecai was courageous. Esther was courageous. They were part of God’s plans. They were chosen to be part of God’s plan, but they didn’t need to say yes. Do you realize that? God could have used somebody else, but they said yes. Marinate on that today and consider and ask God, what do you have for me? What plan do you want me to say yes to? And God, this is what I would add, please give me the courage to say yes. Who knows what God will do in your life. He is the same God who intervened in the story of the Jews all of these many years ago. I don’t know how many, but it’s a lot. Okay? He intervened and saved his people. What will he do through you?

Meditate on that in the coming days and ask him, say, God, I know that you made me for such a time as this. You wanted me to live at this point in history. Point me in the direction you want me to walk. Let me tune into what you have for me. This is a good prayer to pray. Alright, we are going to celebrate now because it is Friday. We’re going to be doing joy bombs in the Psalms, and I chose Psalm 30, because I feel like if I were Esther, this is what I would say, even though it was King David who wrote this psalm. Here we go. Psalm 30, beginning in verse one:

I will exalt you Lord, for you rescued me. You refused to let my enemies triumph over me. Oh Lord, my God, I cried to you for help and you restored my health. You brought me up from the grave, oh Lord. You kept me from falling into the pit of death. Sing to the Lord all you godly ones, praise His holy name for his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime. Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. When I was prosperous, I said, nothing can stop me now! Your favor, oh Lord, made me as secure as a mountain. Then you turned away from me and I was shattered. I cried out to you, oh Lord, I begged the Lord for mercy saying, what will you gain if I die? If I sink into the grave? Can my dust praise you? Can it tell of your faithfulness? Hear me Lord, and have mercy on me. Help me, oh Lord. You have turned my morning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. Oh Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.

Do you remember that moment when we were reading the story of Queen Esther this week, when Mordecai was sitting in sack cloth and ashes? He heard that the evil right hand man of the king wanted to kill all of the Jews, because of something he had done. Something good he had done. He would not bow down to the evil right hand man. He would only bow to God. And Haman was so full of hatred and pride, that he was like, I’m not just going to kill Mordecai, I’m going to kill all the Jews. And Mordecai was in mourning and deep prayer and asking the Lord to intervene and begging him for mercy and telling Esther she had to go before the king. But look at how the story ended. It did not end with Mordecai begging God for mercy in sack cloth and ashes. Just as we just read in Psalm 30,

You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.

Mordecai was promoted to be the new right hand man, and I am certain that King Xerxes was better off with Mordecai at his side than he was with Haman. There’s a beautiful verse in Isaiah chapter 61, that talks about how God gives beauty for ashes. That is what he gave to Mordecai and Esther into his people. And I believe with a full heart, it is what he wants to give for you too. Your story does not end in sack cloth and ashes. Your story ends in beauty. God turns mourning into joyful dancing, and he uses ordinary people to accomplish his extraordinary plans. That is the story of Queen Esther in a nutshell. Oh, until next time, you are so very loved.

Thank you for making space to study the Bible with me today. If you feel something stirring in your soul, that’s the God who made you, saying, I love you and I want to know you. It’s what Christmas is all about. Jesus came for you so that your soul would know its worth. He came to bring joy to the world, and to your world. It’s the most beautiful love story ever written, and it’s true. It’s the greatest rescue mission in history, and it was for you. If you want to respond to that stirring in your soul, to know Jesus a little better, please take a moment and check out our show notes, where you’ll find lots of hope and encouragement for your journey.

The Bible for Busy people is brought to you this Christmas season by Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission. Every day and every night, their team is on a mission to share the good news with our neighbors who are homeless. Like the angels who came on the night, Jesus was born. They make sure that every person who walks through the doors of the Mission knows that there is hope because Jesus came, and how much He loves them. Every person they meet on the street encounters the love of Christ through a friendly smile, a warm blanket, a cup of cocoa, and an invitation to take that next step toward healing from addiction or mental illness. If you want to be part of making sure every soul knows its worth in Seattle this Christmas, volunteer or donate at ugm.org. Thank you and Merry Christmas.

This podcast is one branch of a Christmas tree called Purposely, a network designed to connect you with life-giving conversations, and to inspire you to find and live out God’s purpose for your life. If you’ve got a pulse, you’ve got a purpose.