‘The king loved Esther more than all the other women and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti’ (Est. 2:17, NKJ).

We studied the story of Queen Esther. Against all odds, the little girl became the queen; the orphan became the mother of the nation. This is the grace of God in action. The enemies of the Jews failed completely. Vashti is gone forever and Esther is the Queen. It is the decree of the Lord. We praised God and we prayed.

Next week we shall have a romantic coming together. The wives have invited their husbands to come to a party called “The Esther’s banquet”. We shall not hire caterers or any professional party planners. We the women in Father’s House shall cook and arrange the hall. We shall do everything by ourselves trusting God to bless our efforts. Please pray for us… We shall dress with Nigerian traditional dresses. By faith we decree that our husbands shall be impressed (in a good way). The single sisters, who trust God for marriage in 2015, shall do the serving and the baby-sitting. We shall rejoice! We shall share testimonies! The victory of godliness and truth must be celebrated, if the devil likes it or not! By faith, the water in the marriages shall be turned into wine. Holy romance, so rare in this part of the world, shall overflow to all the participants. Holy Spirit, have Your way…

‘On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them’ (Est. 9:2)

There is a time of reckoning. There is ‘a day of the Lord’, when His judgment is revealed. At last, the thief is caught and he has to restore many times over, all that he stole. The oppressed becomes free and promoted above the oppressor. The silent can finally speak and sing. Sin, sickness, bondage of fear, all is destroyed and replaced with life and joy.

God ‘delights in judgment’ (Jer 9:24). This is a spiritual law and it is a great encouragement for the victims during times of oppression and persecution. The devil tries to make us to forget it. We have the impression that God has abandoned us and that He is not fair to our situation. We see the wicked prosper and we feel bad. This period may be longer than we expected. God is training us thru the fire to mature our faith. Every tear that falls is counted by God, be sure of that! The training unto godliness seems so painful and lonely. But God is the One who supervises it. There is a moment when the labor is over and the child is born. That moment, we are released from the pain of waiting and hoping. The body has no memory. Immediately, it forgets the pain and comes into rest, victory and joy.

God alone knows the moment of transition. Suddenly, the tables are turned upside down, the innocent victim is released and she becomes the judge of the oppressor. The glory of the power of resurrection replaces the shame of sin, defeat and death. There is no fairy tale as beautiful and exciting as the story of redemption in Christ Jesus. The perfect picture is in Him alone and we are invited to partake from the same glory.

In Christ I declare:
I am a child of God!
I sit with Christ in heavenly places!
I shall rejoice forever!
My testimony is fruitful!
To the glory of God!
In Jesus name
Amen!