Esther 4:12 – 14 “When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: ‘Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?'”
God is never mentioned in the book of Esther. Not once. Yet, His presence fills every nook and cranny of this story! While waiting for Esther’s response, Mordecai has had a chance to reflect. He is thinking more clearly now, and he remembers the promise God made to Abraham – that his descendants would be more numerous than the stars! The Jews were safe. God had said so.
So he gives Esther a little pep talk. Remember, he is her adopted father. He knows her better than anyone. He knows what she is made of. He says, “Remain quiet if you want to, dear one, but it won’t save you. This decree is for all the Jews, and that includes you! You can’t keep your identity a secret forever, you know.”
He continues. “Ultimately, the Jewish people will be spared. God will send help from somewhere. But if you don’t stand with God now, you might not be spared. Perhaps God has been working all along to put you in this position, just so you could be the one to save us!”
Can you imagine it? A pretty little orphan-girl-turned-queen, with nothing better to do with her time than lie around having beauty treatments all day! Could it possibly be? Could the results of that beauty pageant have been controlled by the very hand of God? Surely not. Yet, here she was, perhaps the most unlikely of all the candidates, given her background. There was not another Jew anywhere that could hope for a private audience with the king. Not a single one of them had the influence over Xerxes that she did. Could it possibly be that God was calling her to have a leading role in this drama?
My friends, we are children of the Most High God. We are His ambassadors in this world, and our circumstances are rarely by accident. He often allows us to travel this path or that one because He knows where we will end up, and He has plans for us there. Often, He even helps things along. God is God, and He will have His way, whether we obey Him or not.
We have a choice to make. Will we take the easy way? If we do, God will surely send someone else to do the job. But then, we will miss out on the glory. We will miss the blessings. Or, we can choose to stand for God no matter what. We won’t ever know the outcome of the circumstances ahead of time. But one thing we can know for certain: God will have His way. What will it be? Will we be key players in the drama God has set before us, or will we let someone else be cast into the role that was intended for us?
Dear Father, I want to fulfill Your purpose for my life. Please give me the courage to do so.
Amen
Dear Renae,
I say Amen to that, even if it is hard to know for sure what he’s ways are.
Then again I think that might be an easy excuse. I now the commandments both of the old and the new pact. Sometimes they are a bit hard to follow, though. Somethings may be a bit hard to swallow.
The words about love and forgiveness are shining clear, though.
I’ve experienced wonderful changes when I’ve prayed for help to do his will, the times I know I my heart, that this I am not able to do by myself.
Just now I feel a bit scared to go out on his words alone.
Even though he has said, My grace is enough, my power is fulfilled in weakness.
From Felisol
Felisol, you’re right. It is hard to know His will sometimes. I think that sometimes, we can over analyze things. We can sit around all day trying to figure out His will, and never get anything done! I have done this, and it can be a form of procrastination to say, “I’m still praying about it.” Though prayer is always desirable, there are times when we just have to get up off our knees and act, and say, “Okay, God. I think this is what You want me to do, so I’m going to go ahead and do it.” We can never know for sure, ahead of time, unless – like you say – it is written in His Word in black and white. ‘But I believe He will guide us, and bless our faith in action.
I don’t know if that makes any sense at all. I just mean that I feel so clumsy sometimes, trying to act on His will when I’ question or doubt that I’ve heard Him right. But He knows we are clumsy at best, and works that into the plan, anyway, I think. And He will bless our faith, acted out in spite of our fear. What do you think?
Love you, my friend!
–r
Don’t just carry your cross – EMBRACE it!!
Some times all “do everything as if you are doing it for Christ” means folding the laundry for Him, holding open the door for others . . . we have multiple opportunities every day to act in love for Christ for others. Maybe for the majority of us that is His Will, as we all can’t be Joan of Arc or Mother Teresa’s. WE can be, in little ways, definitely.
I love this series, Renea. I don’t always comment, but I do now and again to let you know I’m still coming by! Bless you!
Dear Renae,
I think it HAS to be the way you say, else it does not make any sense at all to be a disciple.
I also think that when things go wrong, in my eyes, despite my praying, they may not be wrong in his.
Wow, that’s what your answer has made me think.
I have to submit to the fact that his ways are higher and more long-term related, than mine.
Truly I also think that I ,at times, am such an arrogant fool, that he has to keep me on a short leash, to prevent me from stupidities.
My Dad put it otherwise;”If I had not had my migraine, and could take the education I had planned for (he was so gifted, he could have been anything), I might have become proud and not needed God. That would have been worse than anything.”
Now I got astray again.
I think, to round it up, I have to continue to pray and go in belief, and if anything goes wrong, it is not wrong according to God’s plan for my life.
Yours scared and stumbling sister in God; Felisol
If God’s got a particular plan in mind for you, there’s rarely a way out! Oh, you can try – look at Jonah. He gave God a resounding ‘No’ and high-tailed it in the opposite direction, but he ended up where God intended him to be anyway.
Mother Angelica on EWTN says God’s will ‘is what happens’. It’s as simple as that.
Renae,
I’m beginning to think we think a lot alike. Someday I hope we’ll meet face to face.
Blessings,
Jean
http://www.jeanmatthewhall.blogspot.com
Sarah, I agree! The role we play may seem small in our own eyes, but not in God’s eyes! His work is so important, and each little thing we do for Him helps to accomplish His purpose here. Thanks for letting me know you’re still around! 🙂
Felisol, God’s ways are not always our ways, are they? But while we can only see a tiny window, He can see the bigger picture. He knows what He is doing.
Jackie, Jonah is a great example of how God’s will WILL be accomplished. You always come up with such great ones! However, I am reminded that there is a difference in God’s perfect will and His permissive will. He gave us a free will – we are not His puppets. It is His perfect will for us to obey Him and live for Him. But sometimes He lets us disobey, and then we land ourselves in a whole heap o’ trouble! (That’s Texas talk! 😉 ) That’s what happened to Jonah, isn’t it?
I want to be in His perfect will.
Jean, we must have the same connections! Everyone be sure to check out Jean’s blog – find her on the blog roll at “My Conversations with God”. 🙂 Or, just click on the link in her comment.
Felisol and Renae,
This comment – “I have to continue to pray and go in belief, and if anything goes wrong, it is not wrong according to God’s plan for my life” – is really profound.
We don’t understand God’s plan so what we think is wrong may be exactly right. Things we think are tragedies may bring glory in God’s plan. We have to remember that His ways are not our ways, His thoughts not our thoughts.
You are so right, Lillie. I can testify to numerous circumstances in my own life that seemed wrong at the time. Later, however, I could look back and see that God knew exactly what He was doing all along.
Thank you for that insight.