Despair Part IV

Esther

Esther was a young Jewish girl who had been made queen (married to King Ahasuerus) but the king and his rulers were not aware that she was Jewish.

The king had a chief nobleman named Haman who hated the Jews, and through trickery, convinced the king to allow him to order the massacre of all the Jews.

Letters were sent by couriers to each of the royal provinces telling the officials to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jewish people—young and old, women and children—and plunder their possessions on a single day, the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month.   –Ester 3:13 (HCSB)

Esther’s uncle (Mordecai) sent word to Esther and told her she needed to speak to the king on behalf of her people. The problem here was that if you went before the king without his request, he might have you killed.

Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him to tell Mordecai, “All the royal officials and the people of the royal provinces know that one law applies to every man or woman who approaches the king in the inner courtyard and who has not been summoned—the death penalty. Only if the king extends the gold scepter will that person live. I have not been summoned to appear before the king for the last 30 days.” Esther’s response was reported to Mordecai. -Ester 4:10-12 (HCSB)

Esther was afraid and rightly so. However, her uncle charged her that if her people were destroyed, she herself could not hide in the palace unscathed.

Mordecai told the messenger to reply to Esther, “Don’t think that you will escape the fate of all the Jews because you are in the king’s palace. If you keep silent at this time, liberation and deliverance will come to the Jewish people from another place, but you and your father’s house will be destroyed. Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.” –Ester 4:13-14 (HCSB)

Esther agreed but asked that all the people fast so that the king would receive her.

Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa and fast for me. Don’t eat or drink for three days, day or night. I and my female servants will also fast in the same way. After that, I will go to the king even if it is against the law. If I perish, I perish.” So Mordecai went and did everything Esther had ordered him. –Ester 4:15-17 (HCSB)

Can you imagine how scary this must have been for her? Talk about despair. The fate of this whole race of people was, to some degree, in her hands. But she stepped out in faith and went before the king.

God allows His people to experience hardships, and it is easy for us to question why. I believe it is to build our faith. When we are challenged beyond what we can bare, we turn to God for deliverance. The greater the risk or burden, the greater our view of God’s intervention and then we have greater faith to tackle greater obstacles. Our faith grows and others faith grows as they see God work in and through us, and God is glorified. You might say our trials and tribulations are win-win situation for everyone.

If we really love and trust God, we will have a clearer view of things. We may not see the reason at the time and it probably won’t be pleasant, but as long as we know He is in control and working all things for the good, we can bare whatever lays before us.

Who wouldn’t want to see God work in their life and grow in Him?