It is so important to God that we understand the times and seasons that we are in that there was an entire tribe in Israel (Issachar) who understood the times and knew what Israel should do. (1 Chronicles 12:32) I believe that it's God's desire that the Body of Christ have a greater understanding of His times and seasons. There are certain blessings from God that seem to be more readily available in specific seasons, and we need to be aware of them. “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
We are about to enter a two-month time frame on the Hebrew calendar where praise is to overcome heaviness. We can see a link between the last month of the year, Adar, and the first month of the year, Nissan. Deliverance is at hand! Just as God delivered His people from the curse of Haman on Adar 13 and 14 and delivered them from the bondage of Egypt on Nisan 14, His grace to bring about our deliverance from the bondage of our day is readily available. Monday begins the month of Adar, which means strength. It is a time to celebrate the goodness of God with joy that overcomes worry, depression, and despair. It is a time when we should be identifying the gifts that God has placed within us so that we can walk into our destinies as overcomers. It is a time to reverse the curses spoken over us with decrees of truth written by the hand of God. He wants to bring forth the identities by which we are known in the spirit realm and is looking for agreement on earth to activate His power/strength in us. When we align ourselves with God we open the way for Him to deliver us from the bondage of our circumstances so that He can set us on a path that will lead us to our Promised Land. We have authority in the name of Jesus Christ to reverse wrong decrees and break the curses spoken over us. But, we must take the authority and be bold in our actions to take hold of the freedom that is at hand. Queen Esther demonstrates how faith can overcome fear through her actions to save her people from destruction. The book of Esther is interesting in that it never mentions God by name. Yet it is obvious that God is working behind the scenes through key people who make Him and His people a priority in their lives. Esther and her Uncle Mordecai settled in Persia during the Exile of the Jews. Because of her great beauty, Esther was one of the women selected to be a member of King Xerxes' royal harem. Her beauty and charm won the heart of the king, and he declared her queen. Esther's Uncle Mordecai was a God-fearing man who refused to bow down to anyone other than the One-True God. Haman, head of all of the nobles in Xerxes' kingdom, was the most powerful official in the empire and was offended by Mordecai's dedication to God. He wrote a decree, sealed by King Xerxes that ordered all Jews to be killed on Adar 13. Mordecai sent a message to Esther asking her to go to the king and beg for mercy. Appearing before the king without a summons could mean death for Esther. However, Mordecai's message compelled her to act. The message was, "And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14) A three-day fast for all of the Jews of Susa was called. On the third day of the fast Esther went before the king. She was welcomed as Xerxes extended his gold scepter to her. At a banquet table, Esther revealed Haman’s wicked plot and her identity as a Jew. The king ordered Haman to be killed and gave Mordecai and Esther authority to write "another decree in the king's name in behalf of the Jews..." (Esther 8:8) On the very day that the Jews were to be killed they were permitted to strike down their enemies. Adar 13, 14 and 15 were declared days of celebration and remembrance. This is the month "when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration..." (Esther 9:22) I encourage you to courageously put on "the garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair" (Isaiah 61:3) and seek God for the word He has spoken over you. Then declare that word for all of creation to hear and watch as the Lord delivers you from bondage and propels you into your God-ordained destiny. |
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