Wednesday October 24, 2018

 

There will always come times in our lives when things do not go our way. I always say this when things are going well. However, it’s just a matter of time and eventually something goes wrong. You might have to face an unexpected health issue, the loss of a job, a loved one… Eventually something goes wrong just like what happened to Esther centuries ago. Things suddenly take a turn for the worst and it always boils down to a matter of good versus evil. Someone or something will eventually rise up against you. In the case of Esther, it was a man named Haman; he was just days away from annihilating all the Jews living in Persia.

 

As you may already know, Esther was a Jewish orphan living in exile; she was being raised and cared for by an older cousin. Imagine for a moment what it must have felt like living in a foreign land, with foreign customs and more than likely in poverty. Imagine a situation so dire that your cousin has to act as your parent. Think about how Esther must have felt whenever she thought about her life. Then one day, unexpectedly, she becomes the Queen of Persia. Suddenly her future is bright, God has blessed her beyond her wildest dreams.

 

As I said earlier, when things are going well, do not get too comfortable it is just a matter of time and things will eventually change. No sooner did Esther settle into her bright new future, Haman, a high official in the Persian Kingdom issued an irrevocable decree ordering the execution of all Jews living in Persia. Esther’s only hope was to beg the King to reverse the irrevocable decree that Haman legally issued under the governmental authority of the Persian Kingdom. Because Esther was blessed by God, she was the only person alive in the unique position to go before the King to intercede on behalf of the Jewish people.

 

“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 3:16 NLT

 

Esther knew what the right thing to do was and she also knew that in doing so she would be breaking the law. What Esther did not know was how things were going to turn out. Esther was so concerned with the outcome that she not only prayed she also fasted. You probably know how things ended; Esther did what was right and left the results in God’s hands. Goodness, God showed up indeed!

 

The lesson today is: if we are going to walk by faith we must be willing to act like Esther. Although she was afraid for her life, she prayed, fasted, and did what was right despite the fact that she had no idea how things would turn out.

 

To walk in Esther’s shoes means doing what is right and leaving the results in God’s hands.