The Book of Esther (in the Bible) is a dramatic account which can give us insight into God’s special plan for your life. As scripture reveals, Esther is a Jewish woman living in Persia and reared by her cousin Mordecai. She was taken to King Xerxes to become a part of his harem. There was something special about Esther. He made her his queen. We might imagine the beautiful Queen Esther with flawless olive skin and a alluring personality.
The villain in this story is Haman, a vengeful and big headed advisor to the king. He hated Mordecai ((Esther’s cousin) )for refusing to bow down to him, so he plotted to murder all Jewish people (not knowing Queen Esther was a Jew). To get all the details of this story, read the ten chapters of the Book of Esther. Below are six lessons this fascinating book can teach you in courage, divine timing, and God’s supreme love for you:
1.
Fasting and prayer
brings clarity and hope for deliverance:
God is not mentioned in the Book of Esther even once. Queen Esther was clear
that in this particular situation, a heavenly response was needed for an
earthly situation.
Queen Esther needed direction. When you need
the Heavenly Father’s grace, fasting and prayer opens the portals for spiritual
growth, removes distractions, and places you on a path to humility.
2.
The Heavenly Father has a plan for your life: God loved the Jewish people. He didn’t create Esther’s
beauty for her alone. Esther was placed in a royal position to assist in the delivery
of God’s divine plan. How does the Heavenly Father have you in His divine plan?
Are you ready?
3.
The Heavenly Father requires obedience to Him: Queen Esther’s obedience saved God’s people from genocide.
The reality is that Queen Esther didn’t know what would happen when she
approached the king. She acted in obedience and by doing so she saved her
nation. The Heavenly Father’s wishes will always come to past.
4.
The Heavenly Father uses everything (and everyone) for His
divine purposes: No part of your life is untouched.
Your Heavenly Father is in control of every aspect, whether we want him to be
or not. And, the best thing you can do for your life is to surrender to His
will.
5.
You are given divine situations to make a difference: As believers, there are no such things as accidents or
coincidences. Your Heavenly Father’s timing is always just right. . Queen
Esther’s divine moment of fate came by accepting her duty to go to the king.
However,
Queen Esther had the choice to save her
people. God will use you if you’re willing, or He will find someone else to do
His will. Why miss out on His blessing?
6.
You must be courageous (even when you don’t feel like it): Queen Esther was
willing to die to save her people, the Jews. Sometimes you must stand in
courage even when it is not popular to do so.
“I
don't believe there's a reason for everything, and having faith doesn't mean
I'm blind. I believe people make poor choices. I believe bad things happen to
good people. I believe there's evil in the word that I will never understand,
but will never stop fighting.” (Tammara Webber)[i]
[i] Inspired by the sermon
“Fight like a Girl: Fight for Your Faith” (installment three, final) Sunday May
27, 2018 Pastor Dave Jansen CenterPoint Gahanna Church Gahanna,
OH. Adapted from: “6 Powerful Life Lessons from the Book of Esther” by
Lisa Ross
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