“A man’s wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed. I say: ‘Keep the king’s command, because of God’s oath to him.‘ Be not hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand in an evil cause, for he does whatever he pleases. For the word of the king is supreme, and who may say to him, ‘What are you doing?’ Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way. For there is a time and a way for everything…“ – Ecclesiastes 8:1-6
I love the bold truth in today’s YouVersion devotional by Terria:
Solomon urges us to submit to the authority that God has placed above us. We are responsible to God in all things, but we must also submit to the civil, government, and work authority that God has placed us under. That is unless that authority contradicts the Word of God. We have to remember: believers have dual citizenship. This world is not our home. While we are here, we must act as valuable and productive citizens, but always with our eyes, our heart, and our actions turned towards God. Believers have a calling to pray passionately for those in our government, in our work leadership, and for those in authority over us that they too may turn their hearts towards God.
Spend any time around the water cooler, across the dinner table, or on social media and you’ll quickly find that submitting to those in authority over us is often not a welcomed concept.
There’s no question that God’s Word tells us to honor and submit to those who are placed over us, but what about those times when under authority we are also called to boldly stand up for what’s right? It’s a tricky balance for sure, but God never calls us to do hard things without supplying the wisdom and strength to follow through with the task. My mind immediately goes to the book of Esther, where we could learn a thing or two from this unlikely beauty queen who just happens to move the heart of the king and change the course of history by knowing the proper time and the just way…
Check out THREE ways we can learn from Esther and how she approached the king:
1. Be Available. “Perhaps this is the moment for which you have been created.” – Esther 4:14
Like Esther, God has placed each of us in a specific place, in a specific time in history, and in a specific sphere of influence to be catalysts for His purposes. Where you are and whose authority you are under is no accident. Are you seeking God’s wisdom and available to be used by God to speak Truth where He has placed you, or are you rebelling and hoping that with enough stalling He’ll move on and chose someone else? Perhaps this is the moment…
2. Be Prepared. “Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: ‘Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king…” – Esther 4:15-16
Before she can even think of approaching the king, Esther spends time fasting and in prayer, and she calls for an army around her to do the same. Man, I love that. In a world that tempts us to rush and move forward on our own strength, Esther challenges us to first prepare ourselves under God’s authority: to enter His presence, to seek His wisdom, to be willing to wait on His timing, and to humbly admit our need to rely on His supernatural intervention.
3. Be Obedient. “If the king regards me with favor and if it pleases the king… let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king’s question.” – Esther 5:8
For whatever reason, it took two banquets for Esther to submit her bold request to the king. She made herself available, she took time to prepare, but something about the timing of the first banquet just wasn’t quite right. Esther knew there was great significance in acting at the proper time and in a just way when approaching the king! How many times do I plan my approach but fail to listen to the Spirit’s leading in a situation where He may be willing to act if only I would lay down my will – my plan – for His? Probably too many to count.
*Let’s Talk: Where is God calling you to greater obedience today as you submit to the authority He has placed over you?
There is a time and a way for everything. When it comes to submitting to those in authority over us, we can either be known for our bad attitudes and constant opposition, or we can do it God’s way and be known for our willing submission and humble reflection of Christ.
I don’t need to tell you which one will shine brighter in the darkness…
At His feet,
Week 6 Challenge: Spend every day this week praying for someone in authority over you. Pray for opportunities to be available, prepared, and obedient to shine Christ as you humbly submit to the leadership under which God has placed you.
Week 6 Video:
Week 6 Reading Plan:
Week 6 Memory Verse:
Good encouragement today! Thank you for sharing from Esther! love this!
Hi Paula! So glad you were encouraged! So much we can learn from Esther, isn’t there?
A great message to start off the week. Thank you.
I know I’m challenged, Gloria. Thanks for joining us!
This is so timely as I have some tough things that are going to happen today at work. It has prompted me to pray for the Board and each person over me. I am ready to shine the light of Jesus as I know the Board’s decisions are going to bring chaos and confusion among the staff. I am so amazed at the timing of today’s bible study. I was dreading today an now I know I am here for such a time as this. I feel empowered by the word of God to face this challenge. Please pray with me for the non profit I work for that helps the needs of many in my community.
Prayers sent!
Aaahhh… yes!! God’s Word empowers and equips – and I love how you have allowed it to change your outlook, Trish! Stopping to pray for you, your board, staff, and organization now…
I certainly needed this today! I am a teacher and we are approaching state testing this week. It is nerve racking for students, parents, and teachers. I wish we all did not have to go through this stressful testing process in this way. However, our authority (the state), requires this of us and it is important to have a positive attitude and work as hard as we can to apply ourselves and do as we are told. The timing is everything for a teacher to get all of her material taught efficiently before this test. Then we wait and pray that all of our hard work will play out during the testing week. Like Esther, I’m here in my job as a teacher where God has placed me as an example to so many, I have prayed throughout the year and now I wait on the Lord for his perfect work!
Oh Penny, I am praying for you! As a mom whose kids attend public school, I can’t tell you what your positive attitude and encouragement means in the midst of testing week! Thank you for the many sacrifices you’ve made to prepare your students well, and for the example you are to staff and students. Cheering you on!!
I have had so many “ooooh OK, now I get it” moments during this series. Love it!
Me tooooooo Alicia!! Love it!
Wow! The timing of your blog Whitney is amazing. I have been trying to find another job to get away from my boss but doors have been closing. Through today’s scripture and Esther, I know I am here in my role for a purpose, to shine God’s light. My boss’ dad was a minister, he passed a few years back and am not sure where she is with God. However, I now know that I am here to serve God’s purpose. I will be available, prepared (submit to God’s timing – not my own) and be obedient, patiently praying and listening to the Holy Spirit. Thank you so much Whitney!
Oh Candy, praying that God will use you in mighty ways in your boss’s life for the time that God calls you to serve under her. Yes to God’s timing… it is always perfect!!!
Once again, my world is rocked by how God works through LGG in my life. Today it is through Ecclesiastes 8 and Whitney. I am an active member of a small Twelve Step fellowship and our National Conference is being held this coming weekend. Last week I was asked to share my story of recovery as the speaker at the Sunday Spirituality Brunch. My story is all about how I finally, sincerely asked for God’s help, sought to develop a relationship with Him, and found Him. My story is all about starting to read the Bible and God communicating with me through scripture, guiding me to better know his will for me. My audience will be a little less than 100 people, but it’s a long 45 minutes, mostly ‘spontaneous,’ with little prep time. My dilemma: I have been told to talk about my spiritual journey but not focus on the specifics of my faith. People in the audience will have different concepts of a higher power than me. Some are atheists who consider their higher power to be the people of the program. Some are spiritual but not Christian. I don’t know how I can possibly tell my story without being specific, including various scripture verses. And I feel the evangelical call to share what Jesus has done in my life. So I feel I am experiencing the exact conflict Whitney describes between submitting to earthly authority vs. God perhaps calling me to a greater obedience to not minimize His role in my life. In terms of Whitney’s three points from Esther, number one, I have made myself available to be used for His purpose by agreeing to do this speech. I’m asking myself now if He’s put me here specifically and how can I shine the light of Jesus in this situation. Number two, I need to prepare for it in my heart and mind in the next few days, so I am asking for His help in prayer, and I’m asking for yours! And number three, I pray to be obedient to the Spirit’s leading. Today’s SOAP verse tells me the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way. I’m praying for wisdom and thankful beyond words for the measure of knowledge God has granted me so far, most especially through these LGG studies! Today, my major concern and God’s guidance converged with a bang I n the Monday Blog Post and SOAP of this LGG study. This happens a lot!! I’m very thankful!
Awesome opportunity. I feel for you in that delimma though. I will pray that you will have wisdom as you prepare your speech and your heart for this challenge.
Oh Marla, I am so thankful that you said yes to this incredible opportunity!! I will pray that the Spirit will clearly guide you in what to say, that you will know His wisdom and strength as you boldly share your story, AND that through the Truth that you share the audience will be moved to seek to know more about this new life you have in Christ! The One who has called you is faithful, and He will do it!! Much love to you today!
Awesome, teaching this morning. Thank you for sharing.
Jacqueline, thank you for joining us… so glad you’re here!
Thank you so much for this! I work in a large church, I’m the women’s ministry director and please hear me, I LOVE the people I work with, I LOVE my church, but sometimes the WM takes s back seat to other ministries and my heart’s desire is to bring about real discipleship for our women and our church. Not just an hour of Bible study on the weekend but real relationships. I believe this is the Holy Spirit’s prompting and your challenge reminded me to pray for those in authority at my church but also to pray for my own heart to be in tune and patient and wait for God.
Kathryn, I love the humility you have expressed here in your commitment to pray for those in authority at your church, as well as your desire for your own heart to line up with God’s timing. That right there girl… that’s an incredible first step!
Wow! Like others have mentioned, this devotion came at the perfect time for me. I have been struggling with where God is calling me and if my current job is where I can best be used and this study today, caused me to pause. Whether God has me at this place for the longterm or not, I know this…He has placed me there for today and I need to reflect Him and honor Him there. Beyond my work situation, this spoke specifically to another area of my life…finding a mate. Often, I have rushed ahead of God…thinking I’ve found His best but not waiting for God’s confirmation. Taking the lead in that area of my life instead of letting God prepare me and then cause someone to take notice of me and pursue me…I run ahead too often. Reminded to pray and enlist those around me to pray for direction and then do the following: Make myself available, Be prepared and Be obedient…in every area of my life. Thank you for your words today and most importantly, for always pointing us back to Him!
“He has placed me there for today…” – that’s it, isn’t it? God, help us all to be faithful to where you have placed us TODAY (I love how you applied this to finding a mate too). Praying for you Stacy!
Beautiful photo!
Tough challenge to submit and obey when not agreeing.
Few days late reading this week, but WOW did this hit home. I’ve been married almost 26 years, 20 of them my husband has been what the doctors term “high functioning alcoholic”. He has also been arrested twice for cocaine, rehab twice plus last March in the hospital due to liver and body shutting down cause of excessive drinking. He was sober for 5months and 22 days. I realized mid July 2015 he was drinking again, It was like the straw that broke the camels back for me! He can not and will not admit he has a problem. He walks around our small town as though he has done NOTHING wrong. My dilemma: Do I stay or do I go! We have 2 daughters (25,22) a part of me says stay so that they do not have to deal with inevitable, the other part of me says leave the loveless marriage and be happy. I’ve been praying “Fervently” since January for God to give me direction.
I have a comment about the scripture verse chosen for this week. “Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that It will be well with those who fear God because they fear before him.” Ecc 8:12 The scripture goes on to read “But it will not go well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow because he does not fear before God.” The weekly scripture verse seems to conclude this as a fact but Solomon is actually contradicting this statement (which was popular belief)as not being factual. The next verse says, “There is a vanity that takes place on the earth, that their are righteous people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked (it doesn’t go well even though they fear God), and their are wicked people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous (it does go well for the wicked even though they don’t fear God). I said that this also is vanity.” Solomon’s conclusion is that bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people. Life is unfair and doesn’t play by the rules. He then comes back to his theory that life is meant to be enjoyed in spite of the unfairness and hardships we suffer. “And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.” It really all comes down to our focus in life. Our attitude can become bitter or grateful. Solomon feels we should choose to find joy in the blessings God has provided in spite of the injustice of this world’s system.