New Year - Esther

Well it is a New Year, 2010, and alot of people have been telling me to start a blog. I'm not really sure what I have that is worth while sharing, but maybe the little thoughts in my mind, or lessons learned, may mean something to someone, or at least might bring a chuckle! If nothing else, then I can look back on these writings for my own purposes, and nothing more.

So this morning, I woke up, a snowy day today, came downstairs to find one of my books that I had ordered a few weeks ago! It's called "A Woman of Strength and Dignity - Esther" by Charles Swindoll. It's part of a series called Great Lives From God's Word. I love this series! I have been trying to get the whole series for quite some time now, and finally I'm getting most of them, only 1 more to get.... Joseph! I'm so excited to read them all! It's been so long since I have read a good book, it's rather sad.

I just finished reading the first chapter of my new book, and what a great opener! Swindoll talks about how though God's name is never mentioned in the entire book of Esther, His presence is in every work in this book! Swindoll writes "God's presence is not as intriguing as His absence. His voice is not as eloquent as His silence. Who of us has not longed for a word from God, searched for a glimpse of His power, or yearned for the reassurance of His presance, only to feel that He seems absent from the moment? Distant. Preoccupied. Maybe even unconcerned. Yet later, we realize how very present He was all along." How true a statement that is! I have felt like that and been through those times in my life where God has felt distant and I am standing there saying "God where are you?" I can't see Him, and sometimes don't recognize His handiwork, and sometimes I don't have enough faith to believe that He's got a plan in all the hard and difficult situations of life that I often find myself in. It's later that God reveals to me just how He brought me through, and says "See Amanda, I had it all worked out, TRUST ME!" I can't imagine what it was like for Esther, when God put her in the position of power, not knowing what the outcome would be for her, for her family, for her people!

I'm excited to read the rest of this, and see just how amazing God uses this woman, and to see God, who might not be mentioned by name in this book of the Bible, show up in some awesome ways through these events.