How Do I Avoid Decisions I'll Regret? | Esther 1:19–20

Welcome to The Daily. Today, I want to give a shout-out to Jerry Espeseth from Somerset Hill, WI. Thanks for being a Project23 donor as we teach through every book of the Bible over 23 years. We cannot do this without you. Read more about Project23. Our text today is Esther 1:16-18 Then Memucan said in the presence of the king and the officials, "Not only against the king has Queen Vashti done wrong, but also against all the officials and all the peoples who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. For the queen's behavior will be made known to all women, causing them to look at their husbands with contempt, since they will say, 'King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, and she did not come.' This very day the noble women of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen's behavior will say the same to all the king's officials, and there will be contempt and wrath in plenty." — Esther 1:16-18 Have you ever watched your mind turn one difficult moment into an entire disaster? An awkward conversation becomes the end of a friendship. A bad report becomes the worst possible diagnosis. A mistake at work becomes, I'm going to lose my job. A conflict at home becomes, Our family is falling apart. Nothing catastrophic has actually happened yet. But in your mind, it already has. That is what Memucan does in these verses. Vashti refused one command from the king. It was a serious and public act, but Memucan immediately turned it into a crisis that would spread across the entire empire. Notice the escalation in his reasoning: All the officials → all the people → all the women → all the husbands. According to Memucan, one queen's refusal would soon produce "contempt and wrath in plenty" across the whole empire. That escalated quickly. But Memucan is not alone in this kind of thinking. We do it too. Fear rarely speaks in measured, careful terms. It gravitates toward absolutes like everyone, always, never, and completely ruined. I have caught myself doing this more times than I want to admit. Something unexpected happens, and my mind immediately runs ahead. I start preparing emotionally for outcomes that haven't happened, conversations that haven't taken place, and consequences that may never come. By the time I'm done, I'm exhausted from carrying a future that only exists in my imagination—and likely never will. This does not mean we ignore real problems. Wisdom takes consequences seriously. But wisdom also knows how to separate facts from speculation. Fear says, "This is what will happen." Faith says, "This is what I know right now, and God will meet me in whatever comes next." Jesus told us not to be anxious about tomorrow, because tomorrow will bring its own concerns (Matthew 6:34). He was teaching us not to borrow trouble from a future we have not yet entered. We are given grace for today's troubles—and when tomorrow becomes today, we are given grace again. So receive grace for today, and stop letting fear write stories about tomorrow that you do not yet know. You do not know every outcome. You cannot control every consequence. But you do know the One who is already present in every tomorrow you fear. DO THIS: Take one worry and divide a page into two columns: What I Know and What I Fear. Respond to the facts, then surrender the predictions to God. ASK THIS: What outcome am I assuming? What do I actually know? What future must I surrender? PRAY THIS: Father, keep fear from writing conclusions you have not written, and help me trust you with what I cannot see. Amen. PLAY THIS: I Will Trust My Savior, Jesus.

Welcome to The Daily. I want to give a shout today to Sean Durkin from Morgan Hill, CA. Thanks for being a Project23 donor as we teach through every book of the Bible over 23 years. We cannot do this without you. Read more about Project23. Our text today is Esther 1:13-15 Then the king said to the wise men who knew the times (for this was the king's procedure toward all who were versed in law and judgment, the men next to him being Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king's face, and sat first in the kingdom): "According to the law, what is to be done to Queen Vashti, because she has not performed the command of King Ahasuerus delivered by the eunuchs?" — Esther 1:13-15 I have learned this the hard way: when I'm angry, I don't always want counsel; I just want agreement. I want someone to hear my side, affirm my frustration, and assure me that I am right. So I call the person most likely to agree with me. Then I tell the story in a way that makes my actions sound reasonable, and the other person's actions sound ridiculous. I may not technically lie. I just make these small edits. That is what is happening here. King Ahasuerus is still burning with anger after Vashti refused his command. So he turns to seven influential lawyers. It may look like wisdom, but listen carefully to the question he asks: "According to the law, what is to be done to Queen Vashti?" He doesn't ask: Was my request reasonable? Why did she refuse? Did my intoxication affect my judgment? Did I play a part in her refusal? The king has already decided who is wrong. Now he wants his lawyers to decide what should be done to her. Anger does this to us. It turns counselors into jurors. Instead of inviting them to help us discover the truth, we recruit them to support our verdict. We don't want someone to examine the situation. We want someone to take our side. But truly wise voices do more than confirm your feelings. They slow you down. They ask questions. They point out what you may be missing. They help you separate facts from feeling. And sometimes, they tell you what you do not want to hear. Proverbs warns us that a fool believes his own way is right, but a wise man listens to advice (Proverbs 12:15). This is especially important when we are angry because anger narrows our vision. We see the offense clearly but overlook our contribution. We remember their words but forget our tone. We magnify their failure while minimizing our own. But the gospel gives us the freedom to stop. Because Christ has already carried our guilt, we do not have to protect ourselves from the truth. We can admit that we were impatient, defensive, controlling, or wrong without being crushed by shame. So maybe before you send the message today, or make the decision, confront the person, or tell everyone your side, pause. Ask yourself: Am I looking for wisdom—or am I looking for a witness for the prosecution? DO THIS: Share one unresolved conflict with a spiritually mature person who will tell you the truth, not merely take your side. Ask what you may be missing. ASK THIS: Do I seek counsel or agreement? What part of the conflict is mine? Who tells me the truth? PRAY THIS: Father, humble me enough to seek truth, receive correction, and make decisions guided by your wisdom rather than my anger. PLAY THIS: Christ Our Wisdom.

Welcome to The Daily. I want to give a shout today to Gordo Christianson from Verton, VT. Thanks for being a Project23 donor as we teach through every book of the Bible over 23 years. We cannot do this without you. Read more about Project23. Our text today is Esther 1:9-12 Queen Vashti also gave a feast for the women in the palace that belonged to King Ahasuerus. On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha and Abagtha, Zethar and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, to bring Queen Vashti before the king with her royal crown, in order to show the peoples and the princes her beauty, for she was lovely to look at. But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king's command delivered by the eunuchs. At this the king became enraged, and his anger burned within him. — Esther 1:9-12 Nothing exposes our need for control faster than hearing the word no. Remember, Ahasuerus had spent six months displaying his wealth and power. Then, on the final day of another seven-day feast, with his heart "merry with wine," he commanded seven eunuchs—castrated male officials who served in the royal palace and were often assigned to women's quarters because they posed no sexual threat—to bring Queen Vashti before his guests. What he was trying to do was display her beauty, just as he had displayed everything else. But Vashti refused. We need to be careful in our interpretation here because the text never tells us why she refused. We do not know if she was being courageous, defiant, wise, or wrong. But what is unmistakably clear is the king's reaction to her action: "The king became enraged, and his anger burned within him." This moment reveals a great deal about the king. We often focus on what someone "did to us" because it helps us avoid what their action exposed in us. You see, Vashti's refusal did not create the king's pride, insecurity, or need for control. It exposed what was already there. And resistance does the same thing in us. My will does not enjoy being resisted. I doubt yours does either. When our plans are interrupted, our advice is ignored, our authority is questioned, or someone refuses to do what we want, anger can rise quickly. The easy explanation is: They're the problem. But anger often sits on top of something deeper—a threatened desire, wounded pride, lost control, or fear of embarrassment. Ahasuerus's concern was not his relationship with Vashti. He needed her compliance to preserve the image he had spent months building. Her refusal threatened his public image, and his anger exposed just how fragile that image really was. The book of James teaches that conflict often comes from desires at war within us. We want something, and when we do not get it, we react. This does not mean every form of anger is sinful. Jesus became angry at hard hearts and injustice. But righteous anger seeks God's honor and another person's good. Selfish anger protects my image, comfort, timeline, and control. Here is a question I have had to ask myself in my own anger: What am I trying to protect right now? This one question can expose the idol hiding behind my anger. Unlike Ahasuerus, Jesus possessed all authority, yet he did not use his power to protect his public image. When he was rejected, mocked, and opposed, he entrusted himself to the Father. On the way to the cross, he did not retaliate. He surrendered himself for us. That is power under God's control. So before you defend your reaction today, let God examine it. Maybe that interruption, disagreement, or refusal is not merely a problem to remove. Maybe it is an opportunity to reveal where you still demand control. Being told no does not have to make you burn with anger. It can become an invitation to surrender to the true King. DO THIS: When irritation rises today, do not respond immediately. Identify the desire beneath your anger and surrender it to God before you speak. AS

Welcome to The Daily. I want to give a shout today to Andrew Bright from Highland Ranch, CO. Thanks for being a Project23 donor as we teach through every book of the Bible over 23 years. We cannot do this without you. Read more about Project23. Our text today is Esther 1:5-8 And when these days were completed, the king gave for all the people present in Susa the citadel, both great and small, a feast lasting for seven days in the court of the garden of the king's palace. There were white cotton curtains and violet hangings fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rods and marble pillars, and also couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and precious stones. Drinks were served in golden vessels, vessels of different kinds, and the royal wine was lavished according to the bounty of the king. And drinking was according to this edict: "There is no compulsion." For the king had given orders to all the staff of his palace to do as each man desired. — Esther 1:5-8 The table is full. The room is stunning. The wine keeps flowing. And everyone is free to have exactly what they desire. It sounds like freedom—but it may be one of the clearest pictures of bondage in the chapter. After spending 180 days displaying his wealth to the leaders of the empire, King Ahasuerus hosts another feast. This one lasts seven days and includes everyone in Susa, "both great and small." The details are intentionally excessive: white cotton curtains, violet hangings, silver rods, marble pillars, gold and silver couches, precious stones, and golden drinking vessels. An abundance of royal wine fills the scene. Every detail communicates the same message: there is more than enough. Then we arrive at the decisive line. The king orders his staff "to do as each man desired." It may sound generous, but it exposes a lie we still believe: that if we give our desires more room, they will eventually be satisfied. But human desire is never satisfied, as the poet Mick Jagger famously observed. It only wants more. More money becomes the new normal. More food creates another craving. More attention raises the level of attention we require. And more comfort makes every inconvenience harder to bear. The line of desire keeps moving. I've noticed this in my own life. Something I once prayed for can quickly become something I take for granted. Before long, I'm reaching for the next thing as though the last blessing never came. That's what desire does when it's left unrestrained. It convinces us that satisfaction is always one more thing away—one more purchase, one more experience, one more promotion, one more relationship, or one more achievement. But the problem is not enjoying the good gifts God gives. The problem begins when we ask a created gift to carry a satisfaction only God can provide. Food, money, success, and attention can temporarily fill us, but none of them can fill the soul. Jesus does not shame this desire; he redirects it. He calls himself the Bread of Life because our deepest hunger can only be satisfied in him. Christ does not merely give us more—he gives us himself, the only source of true and lasting fulfillment. So today, ask: What desire is beginning to control me and redirect my heart away from God? You don't need to satisfy every appetite simply because you feel it. Sometimes the most freeing response to desire is not indulgence, but restraint. The king's feast declared, "Do as you desire." But your Heavenly King says, "Come to me and be truly satisfied." DO THIS: Choose one appetite you usually satisfy immediately—food, scrolling, spending, entertainment, or attention—and delay it today. Use the pause to thank God and remember that Christ is enough. ASK THIS:

Welcome to The Daily. I want to give a shout today to Robert Beauchemin from Alexis, NC. Thanks for being a Project23 donor as we teach through every book of the Bible over 23 years. We cannot do this without you. Read more about Project23. Our text today is Esther 1:1–4 Now in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces, in those days when King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne in Susa, the citadel, in the third year of his reign he gave a feast for all his officials and servants. The army of Persia and Media and the nobles and governors of the provinces were before him, while he showed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor and pomp of his greatness for many days, 180 days. — Esther 1:1–4 Imagine spending six months showing people how impressive you are. That's how this book begins. King Ahasuerus rules 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia. He sits on a royal throne in a fortified capital. His officials, military leaders, nobles, and governors all gather before him. And for 180 days, he shows them "the riches of his royal glory and the splendor and pomp of his greatness." Six months of parading his wealth. That's an extraordinary display of pride. The text doesn't tell us everything happening in his heart, but it does linger on the duration of his display. His wealth isn't merely possessed—it must be seen. Most of us will never experience this level of wealth, and we will probably never host such an extravagant display. But we understand the impulse. We want people to notice our house, our new title, our physical transformation, our family success, our growing ministry, even our spirituality. This reveals a deep need to impress, which can mature into a proud display. We don't just want to be blessed—we want to be seen as blessed. Even I know how subtle and deceptive this can be. I can take something God has entrusted to me and, without anyone realizing it, turn it into evidence that I matter. Then approval becomes my oxygen. So I check the response. I start looking for the reaction. But, like you, I've learned that anything we use to secure our identity will eventually control us. So back to Ahasuerus. He really did possess enormous wealth, influence, and power. The issue wasn't his wealth itself—it was making his glory the center of the room. The point is this: don't diminish what God has given you. The time, talents, and treasures God has entrusted to you can be powerful. But we must deflect the glory to God and let go of the need to be seen. And don't miss the contrast in this book. We begin with Ahasuerus spending 180 days displaying his glory. Yet God never announces himself in the Book of Esther. Still, God is the one quietly directing the story—not Ahasuerus. You don't have to prove your worth. In Christ, your identity isn't earned through effort or applause—it is received by God's grace, not your performance. Stop trying to impress others like a human king. Be faithful because of your Heavenly King's greatness. Remember, you are not a king—you are a child of the King. Live out of that identity today. DO THIS: Do one meaningful act of faithfulness today without announcing it, posting it, or waiting for someone to notice. ASK THIS: