Fire can be a force for good as well as evil, depending on how one decides to use it. While it can give us heat in the winter and light in the darkness, it can also destroy cities and damage our bodies. That’s why one of the first lessons we learned as kids was to respect fire . . . not play with it. But in Proverbs 9 Solomon tells us that, more potent than fire, there is a force which has the power to both give life and purpose or to rob one of it. That power is within us, and it is called “language.” The wise man learns not to play with it!
Scandals abound in a drama cast in the ancient Persian Empire. In the midst of political intrigue and betrayal, a beautiful orphan girl suddenly becomes the leading character, as God’s providence rescues His people from certain death. At first glance, Esther is the heroine and Mordecai the master manipulator. Take a closer look, however, and you’ll discover that behind the scenes, God is pulling the strings as His sovereign providence unfolds.