Haha. How fitting for today's blog. Thanks to whomever created this.
This morning, beginning at 3:45 (!!!) the smoke alarm our hallway started to “peep”. Only this “peep” sounded more like “PEEP” in the wee hours of the day. It wasn’t peeping because there was smoke or a fire, but a warning that the battery was low. I laid there a little longer thinking I didn’t hear what I thought I heard. I wanted to sleep. But, then it “PEEPED” again. Finally, at 4:30am I decided to get out of bed, rummage through the battery drawer, and retrieve a new and hopefully “non-peeping” 9-volt battery. Tim was like, “What are you doing?” (I have been known to have my dreams become a part of me and walk around or do or say silly things. But this was no dream.) He was not disturbed by the annoying sound. (Boy does that bring back memories of the babies crying in the middle of the night. Who do you think heard those sounds too? Yep! How do “most” men do that?)
Ahhhh, no more warning. I had converted the old battery into a new one. The smoke alarm was ready for action. Now, I could sleep. Not! The alarm clock was going to be going off at 5:00am, so I just laid their peacefully saying a looonngg prayer of thanksgiving and for others.
When I was reading Esther 8 this morning, verse 17B triggered a thought of my battery incident. (Stay with me here. I’ll bring it back around to the battery story.) It says, “Not only that, but many non-Jews became Jews—now it was dangerous not to be a Jew!” Let’s briefly think back about the tradition of the Jewish nation. They are God’s chosen people; when they were in battle and seeking God first, they would conquer their enemies with His help and guidance; when they would go against God, things didn’t turn out so good for them; often others would fear them because they knew that the Jewish nation had God on their side; etc. In Esther 8 great events had occurred. Haman, an enemy of the Jews was now dead. He was hung on the gallows that he had built for Mordecai the Jew. (Love the irony!) Yet, an edict was still out there for the Jews to be annihilated in the twelfth month. Mordecai now was given authority, with the king’s blessing, to create another edict that would contradict Haman’s, or in short protect the Jews. Now the Jews had order to protect themselves by annihilating and destroying anyone who messes with them.
That’s where verse 17B came into play. Once people knew that this edict was created, they remembered the history of the Jews and who they belonged to….God! I believe “the others” were more afraid of God than anything. So some of “the others” converted and became God’s people.
Now, let’s fast forward this a few years. God sent His Son to us through a virgin birth. He lived a sinless life. He died a horrific death. He rose again so that we can live eternally with Him when we “convert” our life over to Him.
There is a “peep” that goes off consistently in our present day, and it’s not my smoke alarm. It’s a warning that someone needs to be converted to Christianity. Once you’ve been changed, you are “fire safe”. No worries of Hell for you. Once you are in the hands of God and have trusted Him with all your heart, you are His forever! Praise Him!
Much like I couldn’t go back to sleep, due to time, there in no time for “sleep” for Christians either. There is work to be done and prayers to be said for others and ourselves. There may not be any sleep, because the end is near, but there is peace. Peace and blessed assurance of a hope of living with Christ in Paradise.
Like many non-Jews became Jews to save their lives, don’t you think it’s time for you (if you are a non-Christian) to be changed forever? Listen to the “peeping” and be converted. The time is near and God is here.
See you in Heaven!
Blessings to you.
| August 24 |