Daily Devotion: The Heart of Esther

Scripture:
Esther 4-8

Main Verse:
Esther 4: 14
"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?"

Observation:
I've been following a Bible reading plan these days about strong women in the Bible, and it's amazing to see how God uses people's lives unexpectedly. Thus was the case of Esther, an orphan who rose to become queen of Xerxes' empire. I believe that God will never put someone in a position or situation by accident. When God works, there are no accidents. Everything He does, He does according to His divine will.

We can see in Esther an obedient, courageous, and humble heart. When Mordecai asked her to speak with the King to save the Jews from the wrath of Haman, she followed Mordecai's instructions. She knew that it was not easy to speak with the King, and she could die unless the king favored her. She fasted and requested all the Jews to do the same. At this moment, she could only depend on the Lord. Perhaps, just like what Mordecai has said, God had sent her in that royal position so she could rescue the Jews.

Application:
When Joseph's brother's sold him as a slave, God allowed it because he will save all of Israel from the famine. When God sent Moses back to Egypt, God did it to deliver the Hebrews from slavery. Esther may be lacking in many things as an orphan, but God chose her to become queen for a very specific purpose--to save the Jews from annihilation. When God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross, He did it to deliver us from death.

When God puts us in a specific position or a special circumstance, He does it because we have a crucial purpose in his divine plan. Let's have a heart like that of Esther's--obedient, courageous, humble--a heart with the willingness to be used to perfom God's miracle in the lives of others.

Prayer:
Father, I can never thank you enough for your rich blessings and favor in my life. You have been so gracious to me. Thank you for your love and kindness. I pray, oh Lord, that I may always have a compliant heart, a heart that loves to obey your Word and your instructions. May I be able to act courageously like Esther when I'm in a challenging circumstance. In Jesus' mighty name I pray. AMEN.