Esther 5:12–13: “Moreover Haman said, ‘Besides, Queen Esther invited no one but me to come in with the king to the banquet that she prepared; and tomorrow I am again invited by her, along with the king. Yet all this avails me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.’”

November 20th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Haman believed he was receiving special notice and honor from the queen, but he was unable to find satisfaction in that notice. “Yet all this avails me nothing,” he said, blindly believing that Mordecai’s continued lack of reverence toward him stood in the way of his complete joy. Have you ever had a little thing you thought was standing in the way of your joy, only to discover that once it was removed and you got what you wanted, you weren’t anymore satisfied than you were before? The flesh is always in rebellion against God and demanding more. It is a compulsive force inherited from Adam’s fall. The Rolling Stones sang about it, “I tried—and I tried—and I tried—and I tried, and I can’t get no satisfaction.” The flesh can never be completely satisfied. It might seem like it is for a few moments or even a few days, but before long it is craving again for even more.

If we try to get satisfaction through the pursuit of happiness, thrills, power, prestige, or pleasure, something will always be missing. In fact, the pursuit of these things only serves to further fuel our fruitless pursuit of satisfaction. Material or sensual things are incapable of reaching into our souls and spirits and bringing us lasting joy and peace. Haman was caught up in a futile chase after something that was not attainable by the methods he was employing. He never discovered that what he was really lacking was relationship. What Haman really wanted was joy, and that only comes as a result of faith and trust in God.

“LORD, please help us to stay focused on serving You in everything we say and do this day.”