Bad News
I am certainly not a fan of bad news. I don’t like giving bad news or receiving bad news. I know for sure that I’m not exempt from getting bad news. I remember what I was doing and where I was at when I received bad news. Sometimes it seems surreal and unbelievable. I remember the sick feeling in my stomach and the weakness of my knees.
The province where young queen Esther lived was bewildered by the edit from the king that their people would be legally killed and plundered on an upcoming date. There was a pretty big variable to this news though: the king was not aware of Esther’s ethnicity. Check this out…
13 Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews – young and old, women and children – on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. 14 A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so that they would be ready for that day.
15 The couriers went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was bewildered. (Esther 3:13-15 NIV)
As the king and Haman celebrated, the news started reaching the people of the Jewish community. I can only imagine the fear and dread that they felt. I have a hard time understanding the king and Haman’s mindset. How could a person get to a place where they want to destroy an entire people group, men, women & children? This is catastrophic bad news. The edit comes out in late January or early February that the day of death will be December 12. I think it would be safe to say that the wealthy would figure out how to leave and escape, but the poor and middle class were probably stuck.
I’m learning to deal differently with bad news… I take it straight to the Lord. I try hard not to panic in the face of bad news. I immediately seek the Lord for direction as to what I should do next. If I freak out at the bad news, I can’t make good decisions dealing with the situation. The Lord gives me guidance and calms my spirit when I seek Him out. While I may be in “uncharted” territory, there is not such place for Him. He always knows the way to navigate through bad news and difficult situations. I totally trust Him.
Pressing On!
Dwayne