Esther

August 16

Esther 2:19-23, 3:1-2

The murder plot

King Xerxes married Esther, and Mordecai her cousin became one of the king’s officials. Esther had not told anyone that she was Jewish.

One day, two officials who guarded the entrance to the king’s rooms became upset about something the king had done, and they planned to kill him.

Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who went to tell the king about it. When the king found out that the two officials had planned to kill him, he had them hanged. Then the king ordered that the whole story be written in a book in which the history of the empire was recorded.

When should I tell on someone?

“I’m going to tell mom what you said!”

“Well then I’m going to tell her about the vase you broke last week!”

What should you do when you know about something wrong that someone has done? You should first ask yourself why you would want to tell on that person. Are you threatening to tell on someone because it makes you feel powerful, or because you want something from the other person?

Before you tell on someone, think about what it will do to your friendship with that person. Rather encourage the person who did wrong to own up. In this way he or she will be in control of the situation and it will keep your relationship friendly. A tattletale is never popular! We all slip up and make mistakes sooner or later, and no one wants to get into trouble.

However, if someone does something dangerous; keeps doing something wrong in secret; or is planning to do something wrong, you should let an adult know about it. In this way you can help the person and keep something bad from happening to him or her.

Verse for today

But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. Matthew 12:36