The Orphan

Esther 2:5 – 7 “Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin king of Judah. Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This girl, who was also known as Esther, was lovely in form and features, and Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.”

Ahah! At last we are getting a glimpse of why God was so concerned with the goings-on of this pagan court. His people were living there, right in the middle of it all! They had been brought there decades before, and many of them had stayed, though they were no longer slaves. They had built businesses and homes for themselves. And they were important to God.

Among these Jewish people was a man named Mordecai, and his adopted daughter, Hadassah. Hadassah was a Jewish name, but she was also known by a Persian name, Esther. This poor girl had been through the wringer, hadn’t she? She had lost her mother and her father. But God placed her with her cousin Mordecai, who adopted her and loved her as his own. And it was through the close parent-child relationship of these two that God worked, to save Israel. But, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Many things about Esther’s life, up to this point, seem tragic. She was an orphan, raised by her cousin. She didn’t even have a mother figure in her life, that we know of. But God worked through her tragedy, and placed her in the exact place to do His important work. Who knows? If she had not been orphaned, if she had not been adopted by Mordecai, things could have been very different. Perhaps her parents would have moved away from the area. Perhaps she would have been married or betrothed to another. The what if’s are endless, and pointless. God had an important plan for Esther’s life, and He worked through her tragedy to prepare her for this role.

Her orphan status probably caused her to be very humble. And after Vashti’s stubborn shenanigan, Esther’s humility was perhaps the thing that made her most attractive to the king. It was her sweet, servant-like attitude that eventually caused Xerxes to offer her anything she wanted – she could name her claim.

I don’t mean to give too much of the story away. But I do want you to know, dear reader, that God has an important plan for your life. Perhaps you have experienced loss or heartache or suffering, and you don’t understand why. Perhaps you feel abandoned by God. But friend, He has not abandoned you. He has never left you for a moment. And someday, like Esther, you will be able to look back and see the reasons for the particular path on which God has led you.

And like Esther, you will praise Him, knowing that God had a good, wonderful plan, all along.

Dear Father, Thank You for my past, my present, and my future. Please help me to stay close to You, and to live out Your purposes in my life.

Amen

 

3 Responses to The Orphan

  1. June 5, 2008 #

    If only we could remember and accept a life plan set up by the King of Kings we would bound out of bed each morning to see what the day held for us. God says that men give good gifts to their children and He gives so much more to us. Life is, can be and is meant to be exciting. Let’s try to anticipate it that way for a while. He will not fail us.

  2. June 5, 2008 #

    Believing that right here, right where I am, is where I’m supposed to be is often difficult because it doesn’t look like the plan I had in mind for my life. But I’m grateful for God’s presence each and every day so that I don’t have to go it alone.

  3. June 5, 2008 #

    Mom, Wow! You’ve got the right attitude! That kind of enthusiasm is contagious. Thanks!

    Alyssa, God has big things in store for you, friend. I just feel it! 😉 No, you don’t have to go it alone. And though you may not see it, everyone around you is so blessed – just because you’re . . . you! I have no idea what your plans entailed, but I am glad for every step you have taken that has led you to be exactly who you are today.

    Love you both!

    –r

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