Have you ever woke up with a song or a verse in your mind?  Sometimes I do and recently, it was this Malayalam song ” Ithu Yahova Oondakiya Sudhinam, Innu Nam Santhoshich-arthiduka” which translates, “this is the day that the Lord has made, so let us rejoice with loud cheers.”  We sang this song in our morning prayer and I felt a joy and an expectancy of something beautiful.  In my private prayer I was led to meditate on Esther 9, in particular about “this day“.  The following Tuesday I woke up with the English song, “This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice, I will rejoice.”  I knew then “This Day“ had significance in what I am praying for and I continued meditating on Esther 8 & 9.  (Read the story of Esther in the Bible, or a summarized version at the end of this blog)

This Day, a Single Day, the Exact Day!

In the story of Esther, Haman and the royal officials cast lots to select a day and month to kill and annihilate all the Jews-young and old, women and little children (3:7).  He offered ten thousand talents of silver to the royal treasury for the expenses to carry out the killings.  Haman lied to the King saying the Jews didn’t obey some laws; when it was about one man, Mordecai, not bowing down to him.  The King gave his signet ring and told him to do as he pleased but rejected his money.  Dispatchers were sent by couriers to all King Xerxes’s provinces with the order, to be carried out on a single day, the 13th day of the 12th month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods (3:13).  When Haman’s plot was exposed by Queen Esther, King Xerxes asked Mordecai her relative, to write another edict in the king’s name against the enemies of the Jews (8:8).  It was to be carried out on the exact day the enemy planned to kill the Jews.  The tables turned and the Jews killed all the enemies and plundered their wealth (9:5).  In one day Haman was hanged, Esther received his estate and Mordecai received his signet ring (8:2). The Jews were granted the right to assemble and to protect themselves.  This day turned out to be a day of deliverance for the Jews – a day of protection, relief, provision, rest, celebration, joy and feasting (9:1-17).  What a day!

Significance of This Day in my life

For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.”  I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2).  I believe this day I found favor like Esther in the presence of the King and it is a day of salvation for my household and for the people I am praying for.

This is the day the Lord has made and I will rejoice.  The enemy had hoped to overpower but the tables are turned around and I have the upper hand over those who hate me.  I have the help from everyone because of the fear of the Lord.  Today, I strike down the enemy’s plans, plots, assignments and traps against me, my family, my friends, my people, and my church.  I cut them in the name of Jesus.  This day’s edict will continue until the enemy’s roots are completely destroyed.  This is the day my sorrow turned into joy and my mourning into a day of celebration.  This day the enemy is put in his rightful place.  This day there is transfer of wealth.  This day the Lord overruled the enemy’s plans.  This day I have the signet ring, and have been given authority over enemy territory.  This day I write over the enemy’s edict as seems best to me.  This day is appointed by God (8:12)

Dear loved one, today is your day, the day the Lord made especially for you.  Today is the day of salvation.  You have the authority of His Word and His Name to override what the enemy has written over you.  Take time to be in His presence and write another edict (The Word) as seem best in His Name because no one else knows the depth of your needs, desires, hurts and threats as you know.  For God it takes only a moment, a day to reverse everything the enemy has been planning and plotting against you.  May this day be a day of salvation, victory, healing, provision, rest, joy and celebration in your life.

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Story of Esther 

Esther was an orphan who was raised by her cousin Mordecai.  In the third year of his reign, King Xerxes held a 180-day feast for all his nobles and officials to display the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty.  After that he gave a banquet lasting 7 days for the people who were in the citadel of Susa.  While intoxicated, he ordered his queen Vashti to appear before him and his guests to display her beauty.  She refused and was banished from his presence forever.

To replace queen Vashti, they brought beautiful young virgins from every province of his kingdom and they went through twelve months of beauty treatments. Esther, a young Jewish girl, was one of them who was brought to the palace by her cousin Mordecai and told her not to reveal her identity.  He waited at the gates to keep an eye on her.  Esther found favor with the King and was chosen to be the queen.

One day, Mordecai overheard two of the king’s officers plot to assassinate the king and informed Esther.  She warned the king about it, and Mordecai was given credit and the officers were hanged.  Soon after this Haman the Agagite was given a prominent position and special honors by the king.  All the people bowed down to him except Mordecai.  This enraged Haman, who, with his wife and advisers plotted against the Jews, making a plan to kill all Jews throughout the Persian Empire.  The thought of just killing Mordecai was too insulting for him.  So he gained the king’s approval to write an edict for the destruction of the Jews, Mordecai’s people.  Mordecai found out about the edict, tore his robe and put ash on his head as a sign of mourning.  He sent a message to Esther and she fasted for 3 days with her maidens before she went to the king on behalf of her people.

Esther found favor to be in the presence of the king.  She requested a banquet with the king and Haman and the king granted her request.  During the banquet, she requested another banquet with the king and Haman the following day.  That night Haman ordered to make gallows to hang Mordecai because of his rage against him.  The second night, during the banquet, Esther told the king of Haman’s plan to kill all the Jews of the Persian Empire and pleaded for her life too because she was a Jew.  The king was enraged and had him hung on the gallows built for Mordecai.  The king then appointed Mordecai as his prime minister, and gave him the authority to override the edict that was written by Haman.  This edict gave the Jews the right to defend themselves and a second edict allowing them to arm themselves to kill as well as plunder.  The same day the King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of Haman.  This fight began on the 13th day of Adar, the date the Jews were originally to be annihilated by Haman’s edict.  The day the enemy planned for destruction became the day of celebration.  Purim is celebrated as a day of joy, feasting, and giving and it became a custom to celebrate annually.