Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the clothing and the horse, as you have said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king's gate: let nothing fail of all that you have spoken. Then took Haman the clothing and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and caused him to ride through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.' Esther 6:10 WEB

Haman the Agagite, who was second in command to the king in the Persian empire, hated Mordecai the Jew because he would not bow down to him when he passed by. He was a descendant of King Agag, while Mordecai was a Benjaminite descended from King Saul. This means that their families had been enemies for a long time (1Samuel 15:9) and quite possibly if Saul had followed God's command to wipe out the Amalekites, Haman would have never been born (1Samuel 15:3).

One morning while particularly annoyed, Haman went into the courtyard to ask the king to hang Mordecai the Jew. He did not know that during the night, God had been working behind the scenes. The king had not been able to sleep that night so he had a book of records read to him and discovered that Mordecai had once saved the king's life, but had gotten no reward.

So the moment that Haman entered the courtyard, the king summoned him and asked him 'What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?' Haman thought that the king was talking about him, and he came up with an elaborate plan of dressing the man in the king's robe, setting him on the king's horse, and having the highest noble lead him through the streets proclaiming: 'This is the man the king delights to honor!'

When Haman completed his speech, the king told him to hurry and go do everything that he had said for Mordecai the Jew, whom Haman hated. 'Leave nothing out!' Haman had to dress Mordecai in the king's clothing, put him on the king's horse, and then lead him through the streets, shouting before him, and it was his idea. It was the beginning of a great fall for Haman, and a great promotion for Mordecai.

God is not even mentioned in the book of Esther, but oh He is there silently working in the lives of His people, delivering them from things they do not yet know about. The wind is invisible but powerful, and so is the power of God. There was no sign from heaven, and no one heard a sound, yet circumstances changed around them. The problem that faced God's people was soon gone with the wind, and instead of their destruction, it became the cause of their promotion.

God can turn around what was meant to harm you, and make it exalt you. What was meant for evil can work out for your good. Do not fear what others have devised against you. As you focus on God, He takes care of things that you do not even know about. Put your trust in God, for not even a sparrow is forgotten by Him (Luke 12:6).

Prayer: Heavenly Father I thank You for taking care of me. I don't always understand, but Lord I look to You today. My help comes from You! Help me take the high road and trust You while You fight this battle, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray.

Note: Ladies, today is "Thankful Thursday" at our "Ladies in Distress" group! All group members are welcome and invited to post something, whether big or small, that you are grateful for! This group is private, so if you are not a member and are having trouble joining, just post on the website somewhere and we will get you set up :). Here is the link: Ladies in Distress group

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