Jesus Is Lord

Daily Reading: Esther 3

Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage. (Esther 3:2)

Devotional Thought: A few years ago, Jordan Peterson, Canadian clinical psychologist, made quite a stir when he refused to comply with governmental speech codes mandating preferred pronouns for transgendered individuals.  It wasn't the fact of using the pronouns that he protested.  Rather, he refused to bow down to the compelled speech of the Canadian government.  He became quite a sensation in North America and Europe.

Compelled speech is nothing new.  In the days of Esther, the government was compelling citizens' speech - forcing them to bow down and pay homage to Haman, a powerful (and vain) government official.  Mordecai refused and found himself at odds with the government.  Haman was enraged!  Incensed that Mordecai refused to recognize his superiority, he plotted Mordecai's death - and the destruction of Mordecai's people, the Jews.  God delivered the Jews through the intercession of Queen Esther.

There is a lesson for us today.  In America's politically correct environment, speech is both compelled and restricted -   on college campuses, in newsrooms, on internet platforms, and in political discourse.  We are expected to bow down to the mores and messages communicated by the political left or right.  Any deviation is punished through public shaming, name calling, job loss, censoring, and in some cases legal action.  How dare you disagree with "settled science" or "fluid genders" or "sexual accusations"!

But we bow down only to Jesus!  Our message and mores come from the Bible.  And, like the early church, we cannot confess "Caesar is Lord."  No, there is only one Lord.  "Jesus is Lord."

To whom do you bow down?

Prayer: Jesus, you are Lord.  Help me to find out who you are in the Word of God and in daily communication with you.  Give me strength to not bow down or pay homage to any other Lord.

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 117:1-2

1 Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples!

2 For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!