My Favorite book....

I was laying in bed last night trying NOT to think of a song that John had inadvertantly "sang" right before shutting out the light!  Its one by Beyonce, whom I DO NOT listen to but this one has been just going gangbusters and the tune is quite catchy and therefore hard to get outta your mind once it has been inserted there!  So there I was, laying there, alternately praying, thinking and repeating those stupid words, Oh oh oh oh...(you have to hear the song to get it, its called "Single ladies") and I started to think about the kids, Lindsay and Matt in particular but all of them in general and then I was reminded of some scripture that I love to pray over our kids when they are facing what seems like insurmountable odds.

One of my favorite books in the bible is the book of Esther.  Many years ago I heard some very good teaching on this particular book that made me see such richness, such depth, that it became so much more than just a story to me.  Esther was a young jewish woman who ended up in the King's household by unusual means.  Her uncle, upon her being "taken" there, advised her to do all that she was asked and to not tell anyone she was jewish.  She, being a wise young lady, was obedient to her uncle and did as she was told.  After her year of preparations she was chosen to be the new queen, replacing the previous queen who had fallen out of favor with the king.  Esther was beautiful and wise and the king was quite fond of her.  One of the kings henchmen, Haaman and his cohorts concocted a plan to extinguish the Jewish nation and the king, being none the wiser to his wife being a jew, went along with the plan. Mordecai, Esthers uncle, discovered the plot and told Esther about it, urging her to go before the king and plea for the lives of the jewish people.  Esther, being afraid, because in those days, if you went before the king, uninvited, you were often beheaded, wasn't so sure of Mordecais request.  Moredecai told her (and this is one line that resounds in my heart quite often in my life) "You were made for such a time as this"  (yes, my words, read your bible for your versions words)  For such a time as THIS?  Wow, that right there is a whole sermons teaching!  Anyway, Esther goes back to the palace and asks the servants and such to fast and pray that, and this is the part I pray over the seemingly insurmountable obstacles, that the heart of the king would be changed. Esther, in total obedience to the Lord, taking her position seriously as being in the right place at the right time in order to save a nation and listening to her uncle and paying attention to detail, she walked into the throne room and requested the lives of her people.  The King?  He heard the pleas of his wife as his heart had been moved to compassion, he recounted his decree and even went so far as to have the henchmen who plotted the whole nasty plot, killed but not before thoroughly disgracing him by making him give Mordecai his robes and parading him around the city on a stallion (which is what Haaman had wanted for himself). 

It has amazed me the number of times I have prayed that prayer that the heart of a king would be changed, that the ones who are in charge would recant their decree and see fit to move out of the way for our children.  It has been an invaluable teaching to me of obedience, listening to those wiser than I, of prayer, don't go into a situation unprayed for, and being positionally in the exactly right place, for such a time as this!  I am passionate about these things and want so much for our children, all of them, to see the hand of God move, the heart of a king changed, and miracles happen on their behalf.  I am sure that the Lord wants to do many things for them, for this generation of children who fight, what seems like, much bigger foes, much darker enemies, and greater strongholds.  BUT, the victory will be all the sweeter! 

On another note, Kaylee and Lu are HOME!!!  I saw them get off the little prop engine plane in Newport and just couldn't even hold myself back from rushing out there and hugging them.  Lu just grinned and did her AH, thing and started pointing and "talking". I am so glad to have them back safely. 

Whats your favorite book of the bible?  Why do you love it?  What has it taught you?  Why do you go back to it?  I'd love to hear your go to scriptures, maybe I can use them to study for myself!