The Lord is in control!

The Lord is in control!

King Xerxes of Persia lived in his capital city of Susa and ruled 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia. During the 3^rd  year of his rule, Xerxes gave a big dinner for all his officials and officers. For

180 days he showed off his wealth and spent a lot of money to impress his guests with the greatness of his kingdom. By the 7^th  day, King Xerxes was feeling happy because of so much wine. And he asked his personal servants to bring Queen Vashti to him. The king wanted her to wear her crown and let his people and his officials see how beautiful she was. The king's servants told Queen Vashti what he had said, but she refused to go to him, and this made him terribly angry. So the King banished her from the Kingdom. After a while, King Xerxes got over being angry. But he kept thinking about Vashti. Then the king's personal servants suggested that a search must be made to find  some beautiful young women and the one who pleases the King shall take the place of Vashti. At this time a Jew named Mordecai was living in Susa who was taken from Jerusalem to Persia during a capture. Mordecai had a very beautiful cousin named Esther, whose Hebrew name was Hadassah. He had raised her as his own daughter, after her father and mother died. When the king ordered the search for beautiful women, many were taken to the king's palace in Susa, and Esther was one of them. Hegai was put in charge of all the women, and from the first day, Esther was his favorite. He began her beauty treatments at once. He also gave her plenty of food and seven special maids from the king's palace, and they had the best rooms. Mordecai had warned Esther not to tell anyone that she was a Jew, and she obeyed him. The young women were given beauty treatments for one whole year. Then each of them spent the night alone with King Xerxes. In the evening she would go to the king, and the following morning she would go to the place where his wives stayed after being with him. There a man named Shaashgaz was in charge of the king's wives. Only the ones the king wanted and asked for by name could go back to the king. Xerxes had been king for 7 years when Esther's turn came to go to him. Xerxes liked Esther more than he did any of the other young women. None of them pleased him as much as she did, and right away he fell in love with her and crowned her queen in place of Vashti.

Lesson to be Learnt:

      At times we wonder with the things that are happening in our lives. We feel like we are totally lost and fret about the future. It must have been such a situation to Mordecai and Esther, when Esther was captured. But being captured and becoming a queen was only a part of her life. God is in full control of our lives. Esther might have thought that all these happened by itself. But my dear friend, for God’s children, everything happens for a reason. It may be a successful situation or a failure, whatever it is, the Lord is in full control. I usually pray to the Lord saying,” Lord I don’t know to control my life. I don’t want to take decisions based on my situations. I commit my life into your hands. Lord, please lead me in the right path”. So, whenever situations turn against me, I believe the Lord is in control, the Lord is in control. Today I urge you to commit your lives too into the hands of our Lord. When you do that, you will fear no evil, for we know that the Lord is in full control and turn every evil into good for us.

Psalm 23:4

(CEV)  I may walk through valleys as dark as death, but I won't be afraid. You are with me, and your shepherd's rod makes me feel safe.

(Hindi) चाहे मैं घोर अन्धकार से भरी हुई तराई में होकर चलूं, तौभी हानि से न डरूंगा, क्योंकि तू मेरे साथ रहता है? तेरे सोंटे और तेरी लाठी से मुझे शान्ति मिलती है।।

(Kan) ಹೌದು, ನಾನು ಮರಣದ ನೆರಳಿನ ಕಣಿವೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆದರೂ ಕೇಡಿಗೆ ಭಯಪಡೆನು; ಯಾಕಂದರೆ ನೀನು ನನ್ನ ಸಂಗಡ ಇದ್ದೀ; ನಿನ್ನ ಕೋಲೂ ದೊಣ್ಣೆಯೂ ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಆದರಿಸುತ್ತವೆ.

(Mal) കൂരിരുള്‍താഴ്വരയില്‍ കൂടി നടന്നാലും ഞാന്‍ ഒരു അനര്‍ത്ഥവും ഭയപ്പെടുകയില്ല; നീ എന്നോടുകൂടെ ഇരിക്കുന്നുവല്ലോ; നിന്റെ വടിയും കോലും എന്നെ ആശ്വസിപ്പിക്കുന്നു.

(Tamil OV)  நான் மரண இருளின் பள்ளத்தாக்கிலே நடந்தாலும் பொல்லாப்புக்குப் பயப்படேன்; தேவரீர் என்னோடேகூட இருக்கிறீர்; உமது கோலும் உமது தடியும் என்னைத் தேற்றும்.

(Telugu)  గాఢాంధకారపు లోయలో నేను సంచరించినను ఏ అపాయమునకు భయపడనునీవు నాకు తోడై యుందువు నీ దుడ్డుకఱ్ఱయు నీదండమును నన్ను ఆదరించును.