Esther 5:3 – 4 “Then the king asked, ‘What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.’
‘If it pleases the king,’ replied Esther, ‘let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him.”
Esther appeared before the king, beautiful, demure and trembling, and her husband’s heart went out to her. He was well aware of the law, and he knew she wouldn’t have taken such a risk for no reason. He reassures her of his devotion, and tries to calm her. “What is it, Sweetheart? What do you need? Anything you want, my dear, and it is yours.”
At this point in the story, we all tend to let out a big sigh of relief. But remember, Esther is not out of danger yet. There is still a decree, signed by her husband, which orders the death of all Jews. And a decree signed by the king cannot be reversed. He can’t even reverse it himself! So Esther has to figure a way out of this predicament.
She has fasted and prayed. Yet, God did not give her written instructions as to how to handle herself or her husband. She simply had to come up with a plan, and do the best she could. And her plan was to butter her husband up, with a big feast.
She bowed humbly before her egotistical husband, and said, “If it pleases you, dear husband, I would like to fix a nice meal for you and for Haman.”
Friends, we are often faced with serious circumstances, and we don’t have instructions in black-and-white, telling us how to handle them. The best we can do is to follow Esther’s example. Pray. Come up with a plan. And do the best we can.
We need to always remember that, when we are seeking to do what God wants us to do, He will guide us. He will go before us, just as He went before Esther, and caused her to find favor with the king. And though we may step forward in trepidation, still, we must act. We must step forward in faith, and expect Him to catch us.
Dear Father, Please help me to seek Your guidance in all things. Please help me to act in faith, even when I’m not sure of the outcome.
Amen
Many times when I go out to face government officials etc I ask the Lord to give me the wisdom and spirit of Esther to complete my task and her special favor too. Isa 4I:IO
That is one of my favorites, Amrita.
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Thank you for bringing that verse to mind.
Well, it seems that I am standing in Esther’s sandals. My crisis isn’t nearly as huge as hers, I know. The lives of other people don’t depend on my decisions. But it’s encouraging to know that I’m doing what Esther did. Pray. Plan. Prepare. Trust God to prevent me from making a wrong turn.
Thanks, Renae.
Jean
I know God is working behind the scenes in your situation, Jean, just as He did with Esther.
–r