In the kingdom of King Ahasuerus of Persia, many Jewish families lived together with the others. Mordecai was a faithful Jew who passed through the palace gate each day, watching over his people. His adopted daughter Esther lived in the splendid royal palace and had become queen of the whole kingdom. But one day, Mordecai heard heart-breaking news: a cruel man wanted to hurt all the Jews. Mordecai sent word to Esther at once, asking her to take courage for their people. Esther took a deep breath and made up her mind. She put on her most beautiful royal robes and walked toward the king's golden gate. The king held out his golden scepter to welcome her and listened to her words. At the special banquet Esther had prepared, she finally told the king about Haman's wicked plot. The king at once issued a new decree to protect the Jews, and he honored Mordecai with royal robes and a golden crown. When the good news spread across the land, the Jews held one another with tears of joy. Sorrow turned into the greatest gladness. Mordecai sat down and wrote letters to the people everywhere, setting that day each year as the festival of "Purim," so that everyone could come together to share good food, send gifts to friends, and send presents to those in need. This story tells us: God saved His people, so let us, with grateful hearts, remember His wonderful deeds for generations to come.
God saved the Jews at the most dangerous moment. Haman thought he had won, but God had already prepared two brave people, Esther and Mordecai, for His people. When the king issued the new decree and danger was turned upside down, no one boasted, "How clever we are." Everyone bowed in thanks for God's salvation. Mordecai wrote letters to the people, saying, "Remember this day every year." The heart of Purim is not the food, not the gifts. It is to remember God's salvation and pass that gratitude on to the next generation. Let us learn from them. Let us write down each saving act of God in our own lives, whether it is healing from sickness, passing a test, or peace at home, and then tell our parents and friends about them with thankful words. A grateful heart is the gift God loves most.
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