When I chose the lemons for this pie, they were actually gifted to me from our neighbor. It really was the best flavor for this particular confection.

When the King of Persia chose to honor Mordecai, he realized from his midnight insomniac reading that Mordecai had saved his life. (The beauty of documenting important events and God’s influence at work on a nation through the previous 4 days of prayer and fasting).

When God chose the nation of Israel (through Jacob and his 12 sons), He set up a Levitical (chosen family) priesthood and a sacrificial system of worship to reflect the beauty of heaven to the people of earth.

It is no wonder that when evil Haman wrote up a decree to annihilate God’s chosen people (the Jews) and the King signed the edict, God stepped in to save them. In the end, Haman and his family were wiped out. Mordecai the Jew and his family (Queen Esther) were saved. Haman’s friends recognized the power of the Jewish God in an ominous foretelling of the events to come.

Even so, with the new covenant God chose men, women, boys and girls from all peoples, nations, tribes and tongues. Colossians 3 reminds us that we have a responsibility to take off the old sin nature and put on the new nature given us through Christ Jesus (our Passover lamb, Jesus Christ the Lord).

Colossians 3:12 ESV

[12] Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience…

Whether it’s lemons, reactions to heroic deeds or a people to honor God’s name…the choices are made. My husband read a quote this week about God “finding” us as a shepherd finds the lost sheep. How beautiful to pray: “Lord, find me” rather than “help me to find you, God”. It is His specialty to bring salvation and find those who recognize they are lost.- Teresa #chosen #holy #dearlyloved

Esther 5:9-14, 1-13 ESV* (bold added)

Haman Plans to Hang Mordecai

⁹ And Haman went out that day joyful and glad of heart. But when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, that he neither rose nor trembled before him, he was filled with wrath against Mordecai.¹⁰ Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home, and he sent and brought his friends and his wife Zeresh. ¹¹ And Haman recounted to them the splendor of his riches, the number of his sons, all the promotions with which the king had honored him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and the servants of the king. ¹² Then Haman said, “Even Queen Esther let no one but me come with the king to the feast she prepared. And tomorrow also I am invited by her together with the king. ¹³ Yet all this is worth nothing to me, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”¹⁴ Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Let a gallows^[g] fifty cubits^[h] high be made, and in the morning tell the king to have Mordecai hanged upon it. Then go joyfully with the king to the feast.” This idea pleased Haman, and he had the gallows made.

The King Honors Mordecai

6 On that night the king could not sleep. And he gave orders to bring the book of memorable deeds, the chronicles, and they were read before the king.² And it was found written how Mordecai had told about Bigthana^[i] and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, and who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. ³ And the king said, “What honor or distinction has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” The king’s young men who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.” ⁴ And the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king’s palace to speak to the king about having Mordecai hanged on the gallows^[j] that he had prepared for him. ⁵ And the king’s young men told him, “Haman is there, standing in the court.” And the king said, “Let him come in.” ⁶ So Haman came in, and the king said to him, “What should be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?” And Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?”⁷ And Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor, ⁸ let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, and the horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown^[k] is set. ⁹ And let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king’s most noble officials. Let them dress the man whom the king delights to honor, and let them lead him on the horse through the square of the city, proclaiming before him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.’” ¹⁰ Then the king said to Haman, “Hurry; take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Leave out nothing that you have mentioned.” ¹¹ So Haman took the robes and the horse, and he dressed Mordecai and led him through the square of the city, proclaiming before him, “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.”

¹² Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman hurried to his house, mourning and with his head covered. ¹³ And Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and his wife Zeresh said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of the Jewish people, you will not overcome him but will surely fall before him.”

*Oneyearbibleonline