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Day 141 Esther 4:1 When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry; 2 And came even before the king’s gate: for none might enter into the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth. 3 And in every province, whithersoever the king’s commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes. 4 So Esther’s maids and her chamberlains came and told it her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he received it not. (KJV) What do you do when life takes a turn for the worse? Do you tell everyone about your woes, or do you take your woes to God? Esther became queen instead of Vashti. No one knew her Jewish heritage when Haman decided to kill the Jews because Mordecai refused to bow before him. With the king’s consent, an order went throughout the kingdom to kill the Jews on a specific day in the twelfth month. Esther didn’t know why Mordecai rent his clothes and sat in sackcloth and ashes before the king’s gate and sent him clothes which he refused as he mourned the decree with fasting, weeping, and wailing. It doesn’t say specifically that Mordecai and the Jews prayed to God when they fasted, wept, and wailed. Yet, it was the custom among the Jews to seek God in such a manner when their souls were grieved by difficult circumstances that only God could help. As Christians, you too seek God when life takes a turn for the worse. You might not sit in sackcloth and ashes, but you might fast and pray until you get an answer only God can give. When the life of your child hangs in the balance, when your finances are so bad you don’t know how you will live from day to day, when you lose your job. In the past couple of years, we have seen circumstances like those mentioned due to the pandemic. People lost their loved ones, jobs, homes, finances. We faced shutdowns, gone virtual, and still, there is no end in sight for the pandemic which mutates into many variants. What are you doing? Have you sought the only One who can help in times like these? Have you fasted and prayed? You might not face one person responsible for your trouble as the Jews did, but you face bacteria that kills without respect of people. It’s time and past time to pray and seek God to end the pandemic. Let’s pray: Father, You alone are the creator. You made us in Your image. You promised to take care of us when we call on You. Let Your Word go out throughout the world to destroy the plague that kills Your people and destroys families. We know the name of this plague and we know the person responsible for the destruction of so many lives. I come against the thief, Satan, whose chief aim is to destroy Your people by any means possible. Let Your Word go through the earth to destroy the plague and bring life, not death to everyone who calls on Your name. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Copyright © 31 October 2021 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay.