WELCOME TO ESTHER!

 WELCOME BACK TO DEEPLY ROOTED!!!

Welcome back, Deeply Rooted peeps! As we kick off the fall semester for many of you, we are going to start reading a new book: Esther! Our hope for you is that this devotional can be a great place for you to continue and/or form the habit of being in God’s Word consistently each day. If you are new to us, Deeply Rooted consists of a short reading (less than a chapter every day) and a quick explanation of what it means. Then, you can read a few questions to think about during the day, an action item or challenge to practice what we learn, and listen to a song each week that ties in with what we’re reading!

Are you ready?! ME TOO! Let’s talk about Esther!

ESTHER INTRODUCTION:

The book of Esther was written around 480 BC, and we actually don't know who wrote it. Some people believe that Mordecai, a character in this book, possibly wrote it... but no one is 100% sure! The story of Esther is about a young Jewish girl who is made queen of Persia. During this time, the Jews were a minority group in Persia, and because of this they were often seen as suspicious and even a threat to the rest of the kingdom. As queen, Esther discovers that the Jewish people are in terrible danger. She learns that she may be the only person who can step up and save them, but by choosing to stand up for her people, she may have to risk losing her own life!

An interesting fact about this book of the Bible is that it is the only book that does not mention the name of God a single time. Despite that, this powerful story teaches us a ton about courage, spiritual gifts, and how God is ultimately at work in everything, even when we can't see Him clearly.

THINK ABOUT IT:

1. If the word "God" isn't mentioned in the book of Esther, why do you think God has it placed in the Bible? How can God show up in a story even if He's not named in it?
 
2. What are you looking forward to learning more about in Esther?

TRY THIS:

Prepare yourself for what's ahead by checking out this video from the Bible Project! It gives a more in depth introduction to Esther!!

SONG OF THE WEEK:

The song of the week is called King of Humility. This week, we will learn about a not-so-humble king who does what he wants whenever he wants. Our king, Jesus, is quite the opposite! Listen to this song this week and reflect on how Christ humbled Himself even when He didn't have to, then think about how we can live humbly this week! Here are the links to listen on YouTube and Spotify!

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