Esther 4:13-14 - Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?

• Who or What Challenges You?

For some it may be watching an action movie like Braveheart or Gladiator. For others it may be listening to your teacher, your coach, your boss, or to a sermon. For others it might be reading a story from the Bible.

In today's Pump Up, I want to challenge you to identify how you can be motivated.

In the book of Esther there is this plot to kill all the Jews. Mordecai is a Jew as is Queen Esther. He is letting her know that if she doesn’t do something she nor her family will be spared either.

He then closes his motivational speech with these words, "And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?"

• You Are Where You Are For A Reason

Mordecai was telling Queen Esther don't you dare think for one moment that because you are the Queen that you can hang out in the palace and be removed from all of this. 
 
What a great motivational line and many have used something similar to it.

Can you see yourself coaching a team or an individual? You look them in the eyes and tell them this is why they were born, this is your tournament, match or game. Now go out there and do what you have been born to do. You are going out there and you are going to win.
Why? Because this is what you have been called to do right now in your life.

• Your Challenge Today

There is something that you have been called to do and now is the time for you to do it.

No Excuses. Nothing To It But To Do It.

I believe the hardest obstacle to overcome many times is our self. So let me be the one to give you a push out of your comfort zone.
Let me say it to you this way, “Who knows but that you have come to this place in your life because this is exactly where God wants to do something great with you.”
 
Now go and accomplish with God exactly what He wants you to accomplish.
 
Oh yes, Esther did step up to the plate and she did save the day.
Why? She believed like Mordecai that God had in deed called her to this position for a reason.

God is calling you. 

Think About This:

"Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful." Joshua J. Marine
 
Stay Pumped,

Gary A. Serago

Minister of God's Word

I Kings 19:11-12 - The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.           NIV

• Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless had a commercial years ago where their employee would keep asking this same question "Can You Hear Me Now?" He would appear in the strangest places and ask that question, "Can You Hear Me Now?"

In our text today the Lord was trying to get the Prophet Elijah to hear Him. When we think of God we have the tendency to think of Him always in some dynamic and insanely powerful way, but notice what the text says.

There was a great and powerful wind that did a lot of destruction but God was NOT in the wind. There was an earthquake but God was NOT in the earthquake. There was a fire but still no God.

Then came a gentle whisper and God was in the gentle whisper. Can you hear God saying in a very soft tone, "Can You Hear Me Now?" 
​

• What Do We Hear?

You know if you think about this passage doesn't it remind you a lot of your life?
I mean we have absolute chaos and noise surrounding us?

There is noise from the alarm clock to awake us. There is the noise at home in the morning trying to get the children to eat breakfast, when they don't want to because they are still half a sleep. Then we try to get them out the door to drive them to school or meet the bus.

There is the noise on the radio, noise from the traffic going to work, there is noise at work, and there is noise returning home. There is noise at the children's sporting events. Then when we finally arrive home we turn on the TV at night to unwind and there is more noise. 

When you are walking down the street look at the people walking around you. It is amazing how many will be talking on their phones or have their audio headphones in their ears or covering their ears.

For what?

Do we need more noise surrounding us?

• Would We Even Hear God?

What calamity is going to have to happen in our lives before we sit somewhere totally alone, our head in our hands, our spirits broken, and then we hear the voice of God say, "Can You Hear Me Now?"

Proverbs 1:5 says, "A wise man will hear and increase in understanding,..." Are you a wise person? If yes, then you should be hearing the voice of God and the best way to hear God's voice is to read His Word.

In Matt.11:15 and five other places in the Gospels Jesus says, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." He doesn't say he who has a mouth to speak, let him speak.

Ps.46:10 says, "Be still and know that I am God."

In other words, Be Quiet and Listen to God. 

Think on This:

Your ears aren't made to shut, but your mouth is.

Stay Pumped,

Gary A. Serago      
    
Minister of God’s Word

​Prov. 24:17-18 - "Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; Or the LORD will see it and be displeased, And turn His anger away from him." NASU

            When You Just Want To Scream "Yeah"

If you are a leader or successful in any area of life you made enemies along the way. Some times in life you didn't do anything. There are some people in life that will be your enemy and have flimsy excuses for a reason why they are against you.

One of the hardest things in life we will ever accomplish is not rejoicing when our enemy falls. When we want to scream "Yeah" the LORD says, don't do it.

            You Have A Visual Of That Person

When you read the scripture above a visual of that person came to your mind. When they fell you may have said to yourself, "Good, they got what they deserved."  You were glad they were receiving some type of punishment.

            How Are We Supposed To Respond?

We are not to be glad or happy. We are not to be jumping up and down with joy. You may be thinking, “Serago, you have got to be kidding me. You don't know what was said about me or done to me by him/her” You would be correct, I don’t know what was said or done, but God knows and that is why he/she has fallen.

God is dealing out the correct judgment, at the correct time, and He doesn't need us gloating about it.

Well, I guess you're right this is very hard.

So how am I to behave in this situation?

You are to realize that God is in control and that He is watching over you. He will judge those who mistreat us. He is the judge and we aren't. Let Him do what He is supposed to do.
 
           Joseph Is To Be Our Example

Also, it might help to remember what happened to Joseph in the book of Genesis.
 
His brothers sold him into slavery and then lied to their father about what had happened to him. I am always amazed at Joseph's faith when he makes this statement to them in Gen. 50:20 - "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.
 
Your enemies may be just like Joseph's brothers. What they have said about you and have done to you may have been done with evil intent, but God can use it for good. He did in Joseph's situation and may be doing the same in yours.

Give God time to work like Joseph did. Joseph had to wait for 13 years while God was working His plan.

            What Took God So Long Before He Acted?

It is my opinion He was giving the brothers time to repent which they never did and God could be giving your enemies time to repent and avoid being punished which they may never do.
 
When the ones don't repent within God's time schedule judgment will be passed down upon them. God's judgment will always be just and always on time.
 
The penalty will always fit the crime.

Think On This:

We always want judgment to come upon our enemies immediately, and we want our judgment to be delayed as long as possible.

Stay Pumped,

Gary A. Serago

Minister of God's Word