Bloom

In recent days I have felt the Lord leading me to study the life and story
of Esther. Queen Esther was a woman of great boldness, beauty, and love for God
and family. Mordecai adopted Esther after the death of her parents. God in his
infinite wisdom placed her in the role of queen. It would have been easy for
her and Mordecai to question God. Why would he let Esther become the wife,
among many, of a drunken king who had little regard for his wives? Instead of
despair, they had faith. Both, Esther, and Mordecai, trusted that God would
never leave them, nor forsake them.

Esther made the best of the circumstances she was in. She found favor in the
eyes of Hegai, the head eunuch of the king’s harem and the king. Hegai was
surely a busy man. He oversaw the harem of the king. meaning that all the women
the king ever bedded, even once, now lived in the harem and were under Hegai’s
care. He probably had seen and heard almost everything there was to hear and
saw all there was to see, but yet young Esther caught his attention. This
detail provided to us makes me think that Esther was certainly special.

In the commentary in my Life Application Study Bible says, “Esther’s beauty
and character won the heart of the king.” I imagine that her faith filled her
with joy even in tough times, causing her to stand out above the rest. I have
noticed that people who are filled with peace and joy are the people I
naturally go towards, and are attracted to, in life. I think this could be what
happened in Esther’s case. Her character made her the prettiest girl in the
room.

Fear and uncertainty in our lives can cause us to doubt God’s goodness and
rob us of our joy. When I was going through a messy custody battle, I found
that I was living with constant fear and uncertainty. I wish I could say that I
handled it with dignity and grace but I fear that was not always the case. I
found myself questioning God and His goodness. To wrestle with God and to take
our problems to God and to be honest and vulnerable about our struggle is a
good thing. However, living in a world of constant doubt eventually robbed me
of what peace I had. It took all my joy. I became touchy and irritated,
erupting on those closest to me.

We often have faith when we can see what God
is doing. It is easy to be a “good Christian” when things are going well and we
understand the plan. But what about the times when we are left clueless. When
we feel far from God? So often we turn from God, pushing him and other away
when things aren’t working out the way we think they should. I wanted to look
at all the uncertainty in my life and still know in my heart that God is good. I
want to know this fact so deep in my soul that not even the darkest of times
can shake me from my faith.

Had Mordecai been focused on his worries, doubts, and pain he could have
easily missed the clues. The clues lead to saving the king’s life and winning
his favor. If Esther was only worried about herself, she may not have spoken to
the king, even to save his life. However, Mordecai was paying attention. He was
not too busy grumbling or complaining about his situation to overhear the plot
to kill the king. Esther did speak to the king about what Mordecai told her.
She even gave Mordecai all the credit for saving the king. She could have taken
the credit for herself and won herself more favor, but she didn’t. We can see
more of the character that made the king love her. She was humbled and had
integrity.

In my life now I feel I could easily slip into a negative mindset. Grumbling
about how I don’t know why God has let me come to this place in my life. The
fact is though, He has, whether I understand it or not. God doesn’t make
mistakes. He never takes his eyes off us or misses what we are going through.
Everything in our life, God already knows about and has plans for. It is our
job, like Esther and Mordecai, to accept where God has planted us, whether
permanently, or for a season. Easier said than done, I know. In my experience
trusting God is like working out, the more we do it the easier it becomes.

Esther is a story that shows how God works behind the scenes. Often when
reading Old Testament stories, we see God in the fire and smoke, splitting the
Red Sea and setting the captives free nothing behind the scenes about smoke and
fire (okay, there is but it’s not what we focus on). In Esther’s story,
however, God places her and Mordecai in a position before they are needed. God
placed Mordecai in the right place at the right time to overhear the
assassination plot(Esther 2:21-23). Esther finds favor in the King’s eyes,
being the one that he loves above the others(Esther 1:17). No big flashy plan
just a young woman and her uncle placed in the right place at the precise right
time. If you aren’t looking it could be quite easy to miss God working, to see
Him working in the thick of the chaos, but He always is. God weaves beautiful
stories in and through everyday people and their ordinary lives.

I love chapter four, after Mordecai explains to Esther that Haman paid to
have the Jews exterminated. Mordecai says, “Who knows if perhaps you were made
queen for just a time as this” (Esther 4:14). Mordecai saw what God was doing,
he saw God working behind the scenes. His faith was unwavering even in the face
of death.

He also told Esther that even if she did not speak up, someone else would
save the Jew, but She would not be spared because she stayed silent. This verse
speaks to me. Even if we don’t do what God asks us; whether that is sharing our
faith or encouraging a friend, God will still make a way for His plan. His
plans always prosper, but we will miss out. It may not be as dramatic as death,
but it could be a blessing for us and others that we miss out on because we
didn’t do what was asked of us. I know that I do not want to miss out on any
blessing God has for me. I certainly do not want to cause others to miss out on
all He has for them.

I think that we all have been placed where we are for a “time just as this”.
God sees all and he knows all—He is omnipresent. God has a specific purpose for
each of us. He knows when a friend will need encouragement, a hug, or when we
will need to take a stand for our faith. He has given us all talents and placed
us in specific places so that we can be blessings and can be blessed. Most of
all, He has placed us where we are, so that we can take part in revealing His
glory.

Esther can be an amazing encouragement. In this story God used death,
servitude, death threats, and evil plots to reveal the evil intentions of man
and to reveal the sovereignty of God. Like Joseph said in Genesis 50:30 “What
you intended to harm me, God intended it all for good. He brought me to this
position so I could save the lives of many.” The same principle is at work
here, the same God. That very same God is at work in our lives too. What the
world mean to hurt us, destroy us, tear us down, and beat us, so we are no use
to God. That very same thing God is using right now for good. And I know if you
are working with God, you will save the lives of many.

Seeing God’s plans come together in my life strengthens my faith—flexing
that faith muscle. I get boundless joy from seeing God work in my life and the
lives of those around me. The stronger my faith becomes the more effective I
become for God’s kingdom and again my joy and peace are increased, leading to
more blessings for myself and those God has placed in my life.

The story ends with Esther bravely going to the King and asking that he
spare the lives of her and her people. Throughout the story God is not directly
mentioned by name; even so, from page one He is working and He does not stop
until the story is complete. Nothing can stop God from completing His plans or
keeping His promises. That was true for Esther and it is just as true for us
today. “All things work together for good for those who love the Lord, to them
who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

God’s time is perfect. He can see the beginning of our story to its end and
beyond. We must have enough faith to trust Him even when we don’t understand, a
little faith goes a long way. Jesus says in Matthew 17:20 “…If you had faith
the size of a mustard seed, you could say to the mountain move from here to
there and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” Mordecai knew this well.
He knew that God could and would save the Jew regardless of what Esther or
anyone else did. If we hold on to this belief we will find that we have joy and
peace that are beyond anything we ever thought. We too, can have a character
that stands out from the world around us, and we can be the image bearer we
were always meant to be, we can bloom where we have been planted.