let's prove God right

I've heard it said...
that one of the most freeing
things to say is,
"But I could be wrong."

Simply because it takes the edge
off the totality of my insistence
on being right all the time.
And gives me a buffer
to allow for my  imperfection.

It's not an easy habit to begin
because our pride stands in the way.
But to be honest, being right all the time
is overrated.

As I'm sure is being worshipped.

I actually think, especially as an
imperfect human, I would cringe
if someone literally bowed before me.
that would give me the creeps...
To think that someone put me on 
a pedestal from which I could easily fall.

But people have been doing it for years.
And many were given the authority and position
from which to command it,
such as kings, princes, dignitaries and royalty.

Still, God is the only one to whom
we should feel our hearts compelled to bow.

But again today, in my reading of the word,
I came across another man
who was outraged at someone
for not bowing down to him.

Yet he was not even a king,
not even one in such a position.
This was the hard-hearted Haman.

If you've ever read the book of Esther,
then you are familiar with this sinister character.

I won't give all the back story,
as you can read it here.
But I will say that God showed me
something new in this.

Here is the list of characters
in this real life story...
King Xerxes of Persia (also known as Ahasuerus)
Haman, an official to Xerxes, seated above princes
Mordecai, guardian and father figure to Esther
Esther, Jewish princess, soon to be Queen
Vashti, former Queen to Xerxes

But the real tension of the story
lies between Haman and Mordecai...
or rather, within Haman about Mordecai.

When we enter this historical event,
Esther is being prepared and presented
for the approval of the king
and Mordecai is in the courtyard
daily checking up on her safety and welfare.

And Haman...
is parading around, simply looking
for any, and everyone to show him respect.

When Haman saw that Mordecai
would not bow down or show him respect,
he was filled with rage. 
He had learned of Mordecai’s nationality,
so he decided it was not enough
to lay hands on Mordecai alone.
Instead, he looked for a way
to destroy all the Jews throughout
the entire empire of Xerxes.
Esther 3:5-6 NLT

Mordecai was not ashamed
of his nationality, nor did he feel
compelled to bow to any man
due to his position.

Sound familiar?
I'm thinking of some recent reads
about Daniel,
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
and even in this book...
Queen Vashti.

None of this would just bow
or parade themselves to the whim
of royalty or another man...
as if they were owned by homage to them.

And most were first dedicated
heart and soul to God.

Interestingly, Haman stooped to
the very same tactics as did those
leaders under King Darius toward Daniel.
He suggested a law to the king
that would harm the very person whom
he did not like and wanted gone
from his landscape.
But even worse, Haman decided
to exterminate the entire Jewish race
just to spite Mordecai.

And If you do not know the outcome,
you really need to read it...
because this for certain is one of my favorite
historial events in the Old Testament.
It is full of twist and turns, that only God
could orchestrate.

But I feel the need to tell you
what God revealed to me in this.

Because it goes all the way back
to the beginning of creation.

You see, God has never been surprised by man.
He is omniscient...
that is all knowing.

And He did not fall off His throne
the minute that Adam and Even sinned
in the garden.

In fact, He knew it would happen.
He knew that the serpent was there...
that the temptation was there

God knows the end from the beginning.
And ever since Lucifer, the Arch Angel,
fell from heaven,
longing to be like God himself,
there has been this tension building.

For God longs to prove to that fallen angel,
now known as satan, or the devil,
that even a pile of dust, breathed into by God,
who has no real concept of the kingdoms
of the spiritual realm, would still choose
to worship Him, even when the fallen angels
who lived in a perfect and sinless world of heaven
had chosen not to.

I mean imagine that!
These angels had it good.
They had no illness, no sadness, no frustration.
They had no shame, frustration, stress nor guilt.
They had no darkness, deceit, crime, terrorism...
nor any of the current tragedies of this earth.

They did not really even need faith, because
they could SEE God and all that surrounded Him.
And yet, they couldn't find it within themselves
to bow down to the Most High because they wanted
all the same toys God had... and to be worshipped.

So God made man.
A being with a lesser kingdom perspective
than the angels, but still a free will like them.

And God is proving to satan,
that we, as humans will choose,
unlike him, to bow before and worship willingly
by faith alone, and not sight.

So how does this relate to Haman
and all those others I mentioned?

Think of the similarities.
Satan has planted in the minds of these men
the desire, like him, to be worshipped.
He tempts their hearts to manipulate others,
even to write laws to defy them and trap them
so that they can only lose if they disobey
and don't bow down
to the prideful lesser-than-God being.

And yet, time after time, God has found
faithful men and women who have proven
that standing for God, in the face of trial
can bring miraculous results.

These are all human replays
of what happened long ago
before the earth was even created.

And now, satan is just striving to prove his side,
fighting for the souls of man
through pride, manipulation and threat.

Whereas God is faithful to prove His side,
winning the souls of man
through love, grace and forgiveness.

And He does so with great protection
when we lean on and rely on Him
rather than our own understanding.

Daniel certainly couldn't understand
how walking into that lion's den was good.
But He chose to put his faith in God.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
I'm sure had no idea how a furnace
turned up seven times hotter could be
understood as a place to worship God.
But they chose to trust Him.

And here, Mordecai, had no real
understanding of the manipulation
and hatred in the heart of Haman.
But he had faith, as did Esther,
which he relied upon to carry him and prove
that God is worthy of relying upon.

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in
the Lord with all your heart and mind
and do not rely on your own
insight or understanding.
In all your ways know, recognize, 
and acknowledge Him, and
He will direct and make straight 
​and plain your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6 AMPC

Pride is an empowering addiction.

But the ability to admit
that I am less than perfect...
that I could be wrong and
make mistakes, lacking the desire
and need to be worshipped by others,
is freedom from that addiction.

And while some would say
that my faith in God is a "crutch,"
I have realized after much striving,
that relying and leaning upon God
is the most relieving thing my heart
could ever do.

For now I know I don't have to
understand it all.
I don't have to carry the full load.
I don't have to know all the answers.

Joyce Meyer's says...
"I'm not smart enough to fix
my own problems."
That's completely WHY I rely on God.

And I'm so very glad that
He has a plan and a purpose for my life.
Because half the time, I get mixed up
and confused as to which way to go.

Let us not strive to be right all the time
and end up like the Hamans of the world.
And let us also not bow to them,
or the pressures and stress of this world.

Let us rather depend and rely on our God.
For we are but dust, breathed into by Him
for the purpose of worship and glory.
​
Word of God
train me today...
To place my faith completely in You, Lord
bowing only to the Most High.

To maintain a humble heart and mind,
leaning and relying not on my own understanding.