“On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king, To bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to shew the people and the princes her beauty: for she was fair to look on. But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s commandment (emphasis added) by his chamberlains: therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in him.” (Esther 1:10-12 KJV)
Imagine these 7 guys going to the queen and telling her the king wants to show you off – and she says NO. Then imagine the scene when they go back to Ahasuerus with the bad news. Somebody might die on the spot. Vashti knows the consequences. It may cost her life. From the queens’ perspective he was asking for something that was not appropriate and she refused.
How many girls today should just say no? No to the demands of ungodly men. Generations have been affected by the horrendous choices of a few. Think about your own family and the likely dysfunction from an ill-advised marriage or an even more ill-advised affair. Devastating consequences have occurred when the fortitude to say NO has been abandoned.
How man of our kids ask to do something that may be extremely harmful and we sit around and converse, ad nauseum, when the two-letter word NO would perfectly suffice.
What if Vashti would have said Yes? We may not have the book of Esther. The Jews may have perished in Babylon without Esther’s intervention. History may have been radically changed and so many suffer as a result. If Joseph wouldn’t have said no to Potiphar’s wife and Daniel hadn’t said No to bowing to the King, what impact would that have had on so many?
How important is it for us to say NO? No to alcohol, no to drugs, no to pornography, no to pre-marital sex, no to dependence on anyone but Jesus. How different might your life have turned out if you said no to so many distractions designed to derail your journey?
How different would your life be if you would have said no to the bizarre choices you made to feel better at the moment and ignore those affected by those choices?
What will you say no to that may change the course of your history for the better?
It’s time to challenge all assumptions that you know better than God. Seek Him in every question that comes your way.
When you Know, Just say No.
And that’s the memo.
Steve
