It's another beautiful week, and another post about our current Woman in the Bible, Esther! Don't forget to leave comments, share on social media, and tell your family and friends to join us on this awesome ride through God's Word.
Lesson #3: We Must Stand with Courage
"I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish." (Esther 4:16b, NIV)
Courage is a virtue. It is what you use to get something done, even when fear is choking you. Esther was afraid. Very afraid. She could see her death already because she knew the king's stance on uninvited supplicants (or visitors; you get the gist). But she had to do something. Remember Mordecai and his message? (Read the previous blog post here) He told Esther that it was possible she had become queen 'for such a time as this'. That gave Esther the ginger to move. She served the same God as Mordecai and believed in Him wholeheartedly. If God had placed her there to help her people, she would trust Him and do what she must.
Courage has a lot to do with what we believe. Oh, don't let anyone deceive you: you are allowed to feel fear. Fear is no respecter of persons: it will come and attack you in full force. It what YOU do in the midst of that fear that matters. Everyone likes to harp on about Peter sinking when Jesus had told him to come. That really isn't the whole point of that story. Peter was already afraid of capsizing and dying at sea; he and all other men on that boat. Seeing Jesus walking on water made that fear escalate: is it a ghost? When Jesus called out to them and told Peter to come, Peter went. And walked on water. Why? He believed. So the fear came again, hitting him hard, and down he went: but Jesus got him.
See, as long as you believe, you can do ANYTHING. Jesus has already promised to never leave you nor forsake you, so what can anyone do to you? Keep your faith up in spite of the fear, and move. Just like Esther did.
Lesson #4: Fasting and Prayer Brings Clarity and Hope for Deliverance
"Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do." (Esther 4:16a)
There is this misconception about fasting that people have. They think fasting is to show God how earnest you are about something and then get Him to move on your behalf and do it. In this age that we are in now, where each and every one of us who is born again has the Holy Spirit, God doesn't have to be moved to do anything: He has already done EVERYTHING.
So what is the purpose of fasting?
To help you focus and SEE what God wants you to do. To clear your mind so that you can HEAR what the Spirit has been going on and on about (that you haven't been listening to). To bring your body under submission so that your SPIRIT can make things happen. Kinda like making the body weak on purpose so that the spirit can will.
Esther knew that this situation needed something, or someone, bigger than her to fix it. She needed guidance, she needed direction. Fasting and prayer open the portals for spiritual growth, removes all distractions, and places us on a path of humility. This then brings us the clarity we need and the hope for deliverance.
Lesson #5: God Demands Obedience
Esther's obedience saved God's people from genocide. Esther was sure of two things:
Saving her people, and herself, was non-negotiable
Going to the king without royal summons meant death
So everything was up in the air at that point. She didn't have the luxury of what-ifs and if-nots: God needed her to do something, and she was going to do it. She acted in obedience, and by so doing she saved a nation and went down in history as one of the greatest of all time.
To live your best life, you've got to obey God. No ifs, ands, or buts: OBEY. We don't get a pass on this one.
Interactive Session
How often do you let fear override your good sense?
Yes, it sounds very easy to just believe in God and move, but how do you know that you're supposed to do what you are about to do?
Just because God wants us to do certain things (like in Esther's case, save a nation), doesn't mean we should develop a savior complex. How do you stop your ego and pride from taking God's glory?