Queen Esther

Esther, the queen hero (http://gardenofpraise.com/bibl21s.htm)

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is the classic and thrilling adventure of Esther, the queen hero. Around the late 490 BC during King Xerxes rule, Haman, the king’s chief advisor, planned to kill every Jew in the kingdom. A Jew herself, Queen Esther went to Xerxes pleading the survival of her people. She bravely set out despite a law stating that an uninvited appearance before the king could mean certain death. Instead of an execution, Esther found favor with Xerxes. She invited both he and Haman to a banquet dinner and revealed the truth of Haman’s devious plot. The Jews were spared due to Esther’s obedience in God and her courage to what He wanted in spite of the danger.

The most pivotal point in Esther’s story comes when she must make that decision to save her people or safely keep her life. Esther had to put all of her trust in God because she had no control of the circumstances. I love the fact that Esther knew what she should do and that she did it. She willingly stepped back and let God do His work. Once she was not trying to control her future, God used her miraculously to find favor with King Xerxes, so much that he declared he would give her half of his kingdom if she asked. The Lord worked her situation for the best because of her complete faith in Him.

Queen Esther teaches the important lesson of trusting God even when the circumstances remain unclear. Her story reminds me that God wants us to surrender control. When we step out of the driver’s seat, we allow God to work on our lives and turn our situation around for our good. If Esther had tried to control her circumstances according to her comfort zone, the Jews would not exist today. Jeremiah 29:11 says that God knows all the plans He has for us already. We cannot stop His plans, but we can make it easier for Him by obeying.