JULY 26
DAILY DEVOTIONS
"For if you keep silent at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" Then Esther told them to reply to Mor'decai, "Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish." - Esther 4:14-16 (RSV)
Remaining silent in times of danger and injustice is always tempting. Yet it is risky to speak when threatening forces or dictatorships loom around us. Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, "Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act." Those who do speak up in such times for truth sometimes do end up imprisoned or executed as Bonheoffer did in a Nazi prison in 1942.
A very young beautiful Hebrew woman named Esther was faced with this kind of predicament many centuries ago when the Jews were under the dictatorship of the Persian Empire and ruled by their autocratic kings. Esther had been forced into the King's harem while only a teenager and then had discovered a plot to exterminate all Jews in Persia. In order to try to save the Jewish people from annihilation, Esther had to take the risk of entering the king’s chamber unannounced and speak directly with him. If he disapproved, her bold action meant death. Yet Esther knew she couldn't face evil alone. She gathered others to pray and fast with her.
It was only then Esther risked her life by going before the king and speaking. Her courageous actions offer an example for us now in how to victoriously face hard situations. Like Esther, we need to: (A) Calculate the Price. She knew she may die. (B) Prioritize. Esther felt survival of the Jews more important than her life. (C) Prepare Adequately. She fasted, obtained support, and prayed. (D) Act Boldly. She didn't linger before acting.
Rather than remaining silent in difficult situations or avoiding them altogether, we too can act and speak in defense of others and confront evil victoriously today by following Esther's courageous example. We all live in a morally corrupt world crying out for those willing to speak for truth and justice. Who knows whether or not you too have come to the Kingdom for such a time as this? Your voice is needed as never before!
Prayer:
God,
Grant me courage to speak truth in evil times.
Amen.
Meditation For The Day:
Speaking empowers. Silence devours.
Brief Devotions For Busy Lives: Daily Spring Renewal Paperback
– May 23, 2017, by Rev. Dr. Mary Johnson (Author) Available from Amazon
Used with permission of the family of the late Rev. Dr. Mary B. Johnson.
Rev. Dr. Mary Johnson, D.Min., (1942-2018)
Mary was Ordained in 1975.
She served both as a Parish Pastor and in multiple Specialized Ministry Settings.
She worked on the Clinical Staff of New England Memorial Hospital and Middleton Pastoral
Counseling Center in Massachusetts and was a Director of Green Pastures Counseling Centers in N.H.
She was a state Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor,
Nationally Board-Certified Counselor (N.C.C.), and Nationally Certified Pastoral Counselor (AAPC)
and held certification as a Clinical Member of the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (A.C.P.E.).
She received a Doctor of Ministry Degree in Psychology and Clinical Studies
from Andover Newton in Newton, MA.
Dr. Johnson also founded Good News Specialized Ministries, Inc.
This unique ministry provided education and Clinical Christian Counseling to thousands of people over the decades and trained numerous Clinical Counselors and Counseling Ministers while offering weekly non-denominational worship services to the community for more than 20 years.
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I had the honor and privilege of working with Pastor Arnie Johnson
when I served as the pastor for the Richmond Community United Methodist Church in Richmond, NH from 2019 - 2022.
I personally have been deeply touched by Mary's writings. Her family has graciously allowed me to share them with you. - Pastor Sharon Sargent
"I always considered my ministry at Richmond as a shared ministry. Mary had the expertise that helped me function as well as I did. I received critiques on the way home after the services. I finally realized that I may have “arrived” when one day she was pleased with my performance with no critique! That took several years! So, I would love it if you would use the picture of the two of us and mention Rev. Dr. Mary Johnson as my spouse and partner in ministry, and she continued to be until the day she died, four days before the end of my appointment at Richmond." - Pastor Arnie Johnson
Rev. Dr. Mary Johnson is the author of eight other published books including:
"Activating The Power Of Pastoral Care: A Team Approach";
"Brief Devotions For Busy Lives: Daily Spring/Summer/Fall/Winter Renewal"(Vol.1-4);
"Flying Free: Transforming Grief and Loss into Renewal";
Following The Angel Trail: In The Steps Of Jesus";
"Love In Action: The Healing Heritage Of The Counseling Ministry Of The Church";
"Visions Of Hope: Voices Of Americana";
"Healing Streams: Journeys Of Healing".
She has also been published in the AAPC professional Journal "Journeys" and in the Keene Sentinel.