King Xerxes was the man in charge –
feared by his enemies and his subjects.
Esther was an orphan.
King Xerxes lived in a palace and had
lavish banquets lasting several months.
Esther was taken in by her cousin,
Mordecai, and his family.
When King Xerxes gave a command, he
would not countermand it – even if he regretted the decision.
Esther was a humble Israelite who
followed her cousin's instructions.
They were an unlikely pair. Yet God's
plan was for Esther to be queen, and queen she would be.
God was making provision to thwart an
evil plan that hadn't even been spoken yet. God knew there was a man named
Haman who would eventually convince the king to kill the Jews. And so before
Haman was even promoted to a place of authority, God arranged for Esther to be
chosen as queen.
Don’t you love that God is always out
in front of the enemy? He knows the plan of the enemy before it’s even
formulated!
Haman's plan to execute all the Jews in
King Xerxes' provinces eventually surfaced, and Mordecai came to Esther. She
began to fast and pray. She asked God what He wanted her to do about
it.
Lesson 1: When you need direction, fast and pray.
But not only did she fast and pray, she
instructed her own servants, family and fellow Jews to do so with her. She
instinctively knew that it is better to ask for help than to try to go it
alone.
Lesson 2: We
need each other.
Esther's first notable action as queen
was to enter the king's court without invitation. No one entered King Xerxes'
court without an invitation. Not unless they desired to die. But Esther was
courageous. She took a step of faith, and found favor with the King.
Lesson 3: Walking by faith isn’t for the faint of
heart.
“If you keep quiet at a time like this,
deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you
and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just
such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14 NLT)
Lesson 4: God will make His way happen with or without us.
The Jews would have relief because God
spoke it. Esther's family lived because she chose to be a part of God's plan.
We have the privilege to choose to be a part of His plans!
Esther used wisdom and grace to gain
favor with King Xerxes. She fasted, prayed, and waited on God for a plan to
form. Then she went before the King to tell of Haman's plans to kill her and
her people.
Lesson 5: Sometimes God's plan for us takes time.
We love to hear about the promises of
God, but waiting for them to happen is not our favorite part.
Before she was needed, God put her in
the place she needed to be. And then when it was time for God to use her,
she courageously walked by faith and saved not only her family, but also all
the Israelites living in King Xerxes' provinces.
Humility. Courage. Faith. Timing.
Where has God placed you? And for
what time and purpose? Whose life depends on you to make the right
choices? Will you?
by Brandi Burton
No comments:
Post a Comment