Do you have Bible heroes? I do. Queen Esther is one of mine.
Imagine this teenage girl who’d already experienced so much trauma being marked for death simply because she was Jewish. And now Esther faced her greatest challenge to date—approaching the king uninvited to plead for her nation’s life.
Esther knew she faced the possibility of the king’s rejection and ultimately death as a result, but she did not retreat in fear. Instead, she devised a plan and set it into action:
“Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: ‘Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die’” (Esther 4:15-16).
Esther didn’t crumple under the weight of impending doom. Instead, she turned to God and sought His wisdom and favor. She demonstrated her dependence on Him and invited His involvement in her life by fasting and praying for three days, and she incorporated others to do the same on her behalf. When the three days ended, she took action and God directed her every step of the way.
Esther’s life speaks volumes to me. Here are three things we can learn from her:
- Don’t panic or respond impulsively when tough times strike. Rather, seek God. Ask for His wisdom. Plead for His perspective.
- Ask others to support us by seeking God on our behalf. We don’t need to fight our battles alone.
- Take action to deal with the challenge, trusting God to answer our prayers for His involvement in the situation.
But what about when challenges strike without giving us the luxury of time to fast and pray for courage and wisdom? That’s a very real possibility. And that possibility underlines the importance of seeking God daily, of making our relationship with Him a priority. When we’re walking in consistent fellowship with Him, then we’ll be better prepared to meet those challenges head-on with the grace and wisdom He promises to supply when we need them.
How does Esther’s example speak to you?
#bgbg2 #devotions #QueenEsther
I agree that we need to be in constant fellowship with the Lord and have His Word in our spirits. It is so much easier to face hard things when we are well grounded.
Thanks, Nancy. And it’s so important to be grounded in the Word BEFORE those hard times hit rather than to try to get grounded in the panic!