ESTHER 3:8-9 :Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and
dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from all
other people’s, and they do not keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them
remain. If it pleases the king, let a decree be written that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten
thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work, to bring it into the king’s
treasuries.”
In his book Feelings: Our Vital Signs, Dr. William Gaylin points out that “resentment often arises when
we believe we aren’t getting what is due us from another person. We feel unfairly cheated or
betrayed. And brooding leads to all kinds of trouble.”
Gaylin’s description fits Haman perfectly. Because Mordecai refused to bow to him, Haman’s
resentment grew into bitterness.
He became embittered not only with Mordecai but toward all those of Jewish descent. His bitterness
festered until he was willing to pay 10,000 talents (about $20 million) of silver to extract his revenge.
Bitterness, however, costs much more than money. It robs us of our health. Medical doctors link
harboring resentment to such physical maladies as ulcers and high blood pressure
But more than that, in the life of a Christian, bitterness destroys our intimacy with the Lord. The Bible
teaches that bitterness is a sin (Eph. 4:31, Heb. 12:15). Unconfessed sin blocks our access to the
Father and becomes a hindrance to our prayer (lsa.1:11-16).
If you have allowed a spirit of bitterness to grow in your heart, confess it at once. Share your struggle
with someone you trust. Do something kind for the one toward whom you’ve harbored bitter feelings.
Whatever you do, don’t allow a grudge to become a stumbling block in your walk with the Lord. Rip
out every root of bitterness in your life and rediscover the joy of the Lord.
WHEN THE ROOT IS BITTERNESS, IMAGINE WHAT THE FRUIT MIGHT BE