In my personal devotional time I’ve just begun a study by Henry Blackaby called, Called and Accountable. This week I’m studying thru the book of Esther. Today I was in chapter 3 where Haaman, angered by the refusal of Mordecai to bow down to him, hatches his secret plot to exterminate the Jewish people. Foolish thing to do, considering that God famously said that those who bless Israel will be blessed and those that curse Israel will be cursed. Also foolish considering God promised that Israel would always remain a people and a nation.
But you knew that and I knew that. What I didn’t know and maybe you knew was some interesting information about this word, Purim. Now the Jewish people celebrate the Feast of Purim in remembrance of Esther’s bold decision to save her people by alerting the King to Haaman’s wicked plot. But before Purim was a celebration, it was a persian word for dice or lots. See, Haaman casted lots or rolled the dice to determine when he should set in motion his plan to exterminate Israel. What he came up with was one year.
Now, God soveriegnly allowed it to be one year, to give Esther a chance to intervene. But this is what struck me. God is never mentioned in the book of Esther. And yet His fingerprints are all over this book. This roll of the dice by Haaman tells me that God is in the random things of life. Which really tells me that nothing is random.
So when things happen to you that seem out of order, random, misplaced, know this. God is in it. His fingerprints are all over it. Sure, you may not see God, but He is there. He is in charge. He is on the throne.
What’s even more intriguing about the story of Esther is that wicked movements and laws were being passed in the Persian government. It was an ungodly state. And yet, God was there, working thru man’s pride, cunning, and evil to bring about His will.
So for Israel, Purim went from an obscure persian word for randomness to a reminder of God’s faithfulness. God turns man’s random acts of wickedness into demonstrations of His glory. God takes the random events of your life and turns them about for your good.