MOURNING OVER SIN

Esther 4:1 When Mordecai learned what had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, crying with a loud and bitter wail. NLT

Haman, the prime minister of the land, hated the Jews, and Mordecai in particular. He could not stand the thought that Mordecai did not bow down before him and acknowledge him worthy of being put on a pedestal. He took advantage of the situation and arranged to have all the Jews in the kingdom killed on a set day in the following spring.

Mordecai went into mourning for the Jews. I don’t believe he was focused on himself nearly as much as he was for his fellow Jews. The Jews were the chosen people of God. They were the chosen vessel of God for the coming Messiah and for bringing God to the world. Mordecai was absolutely devastated. He publicly showed his grief by the way he dressed and crying out in anguish of heart.

We live in a world where hatred of Christians is everywhere. Daily there are people being executed for their faith in God. Wherever you go, there is a strong effort to remove any discussion about Christ from the public arena. Whole societies have banned children of God from the public arena and persecution is common.

When was the last time we cried out in anguish of heart over the slaying of fellow believers? When was the last time you prayed for those who daily face the threat of death? When was the last time you pleaded with God to stop the madness?

We say we love the family of God, but do we really? We somehow have gotten the idea that if we aren’t personally under fire or affected by the persecutions, we don’t have a need to be bothered by it.

If it doesn’t affect us, can we honestly say we love the Lord? Pray for those who put their lives on the line for Christ. Pray for those who are being publicly ostracized because of their faith. Things are only going to get worse in the world and beseeching God on one another’s behalf is one of our greatest testimonies of our love for the Lord.