10 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, 11 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. 12 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 1:10-12
In the last section, I have mentioned the King used an age-old strategy to get what he wanted. There is only so much man’s plan can do, before he was defeated in Greece, he was defeated at home. He wanted the queen to come to his banquet but the queen refused. Everything around him fell apart because he could not control the most important thing, his heart.
Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
Proverbs 16:32
He built a great empire, but he has neglected the source of the empire’s strength. We are building many things in our lives, we build up our family, our wealth, and everything else, but do we spend enough time and pay enough attention to build our hearts up in God’s love?
Keep your heart with all vigilance, or from it flow the springs of life.
Proverbs 4:22
But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.
Jude 1:20-21
Raisins & Apples Bible Devotional & more 