New Beginnings

Scripture: Rom 8:31

Title: New Beginnings

Romans 8:31b

31b  If God is for us, who can ever be against us?

As we say in the country we have been hunkered down in our homes and had limited travel.

During the last four months we have been hunkered down and now we are out of our homes and limited places we could go. It’s our first Sunday at Church in what seems like forever.

We're out in the community with limited restrictions currently. These restrictions that's been placed upon us by our government and also by our Bishop. We should follow all of these instructions as best as we can. However, there are things that we can learn from this.

We are now starting a new beginning. But at times it can seem like we're back where we start off about four months ago. Especially if we watch the news and listen to all of the information that they give us every day, morning and night, about the Covid-19.

With this new beginning we are able to get out and move around in our community but we still have to be concerned about our health. Those masks that we are asked to wear makes my nose itch and are uncomfortable but I wear them anyway. The requirement to wear them keeps changing back and forth so I keep one in my truck.

This morning I want to take a look at two people: Job and Esther. Both had extenuating circumstances that happened in their life. So let's have a look at what they endured during their life. Let's see how they overcame and what happened to them as they struggled with this earthly life that God has given us.

1. Job

The Oldest of the Old Testament books is Job. The Book of Job is about New Beginnings. It tells us that Job was an extremely wealthy, wise, and highly respected man. Yet Satan tried to drag Job away from God, and everything Job owned was ripped away by natural disasters and criminals. Not only that, everyone in Job’s family except his wife died. In a meeting that God had in heaven Satan told God if you let me take all that he has Job will turn away from You. God agreed to let Satan try but he couldn't kill him. So Satan took off right away to make that happen.

Job didn’t have a clue as to why this was happening to him. And when his body was suddenly covered in boils, blisters, and oozing sores, thanks to further attempts from Satan, he was really confused. And miserable!

Through all of the physical and emotional pain and suffering, however, Job remained faithful to God. He argued, questioned why and wanted God to come down for a chat about this whole situation happening to him. It wasn’t going to be a happy conversation the way Job saw it and felt. Then with all of this happening he begged for mercy. He even wished he’d never been born. But through it all, even his friends that felt they had the correct answer as to why this was happening to him, he never forgot that all he had was God’s to give or to take away.

Because of Job’s faithfulness God gave Job a new beginning. He gave Job even more wealth than he had before. He gave Job the same amount of children they had before, he gave Job grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Job accepted God’s new beginning for him with a heart of thanksgiving, honoring God in all he did for the rest of his life.

Would you be able to struggle, endure, and hold on to God with life like Job had. Could we keep looking to God for the answers like Job did? Job never lost his faith in His God.

2. Esther

Esther is all about God’s divine timing and intervention. Esther is about New Beginnings. Esther “had no father or mother” she lived with her uncle so many think she possibly could have had a humble life. She was very beautiful and was picked to be one of the lady’s in waiting for the King. When King Ahasuerus (A-has-suer-us)deposed Queen Vashti (Vas-ti) because she didn’t want to exhibit herself to the party the King was having. Esther found favor in the king’s eyes.  When the Jews were threatened by a decree from the King that was brought about by one of Mordecai enemies. This decree was to allow all of their goods to be taken. Worse of all they could be killed. So Mordecai (More-de-kai) came to Esther to ask her to intervene on behalf of the Jews and speak to the king about this.  At first she was reluctant. She prayed and thought about it for awhile. Mordecai saw God’s hand in this and told Queen Esther that “who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14c)? Esther courageously said that she would enter the king’s court at the risk of her own life but said “I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish”.  The Jews were spared and so was the life of Queen Esther, who rose to the position of Queen under King Ahasuerus who “reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces,  in those days as King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne which was at the citadel in Susa”.  Esther was Queen to the king that ruled over the greatest empire at that time.