Thursday of the First Week in Lent
(Esther C12:14-16; 23-25; Matthew 7:7-12)
You will not find today’s passage from the Book of Esther in most so-called Protestant Bible. Its composition in the Greek language has put it outside the Canons of Jews and Protestants. The Catholic patriarchs, however, decided that many Jewish scriptures written in the Greek or Aramaic languages deserve consideration as the inspired word of God. Today’s passage certainly indicates a custom that Jews and Christians have practiced since their origins. In times of trouble, pious people always turn to God for deliverance.
Although God certainly has no need of human attention, He has revealed Himself as a father who cares for all His children. Just about all of us have had the experience of looking for something – perhaps a lost book or even a parking place. Rather than fret over the matter, we turned to God in our need. Then, quite remarkably, we found what we were searching for. It seems to happen more often than randomness can explain. Yet it also seems that if we ever tried to test the probability, we would come out frustrated.
