Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:21
This post will finish our devotional on faith and the book of Esther. We will go through chapters 7,8,9 and 10.
The last devotional touched on courage and how faith was a support for courage. Queen Esther had to have faith in order to face the King and possible death. Now, she had to have faith that the king would listen to her and be sympathetic. Faith that there would be results and victory over the darkness that threatened to engulf her and her people.
Evil’s False Confidence
Haman is feeling good and confident because the queen has singled him out with the king to come to a dinner. He believes his plan for evil against the Jews will absolutely work and he feels very powerful. His pride is very apparent. Little does he know Esther also has a plan!
Haman wishes to kill Mordecai because Mordecai will not revere him as others do. He decides to hang Mordecai on gallows he himself orders to be built. But God has another plan for Mordecai. A plan of greatness and victory.
What is Meant For Evil Will Be Turned to Good
Many times in life, we see the hardships as quite impossible to overcome, we see evil people, or evil times arising and we feel defeated with no hope. But God has to come to us and teach us to stand, to speak up, to not be afraid and to trust His complete power and control. God is sovereign over all things in life, even the most evil of the enemy’s plans for you. What was meant for evil, God will turn for your good! (Genesis 50:20)
Esther places her request before the king, knowing full well the king could have her killed, but instead the king honors her with favor. He tells her even half of the kingdom will be hers whatever she asks for! That must’ve been some awesome love he had for her to give her half the kingdom!
She tells him the evil plot and the king is appalled not realizing Esther was a Jew. Now that he knows, he is outraged that Haman would do such a thing. He reacts in anger and fury and goes to walk in his garden and think over what to do. When he returns, he sees Haman begging Esther for mercy but believes he is trying to hurt her. Haman is taken away and readied to be hung on the same gallows he created for Mordecai! Oh, the irony!! I love that God turns the tables on Haman and his evil and brings him to swift justice under the king.
Justice Will Be Served
God will bring justice to your situation in ways you will be surprised. He will turn the tables and uplift you above the thing that sought to bring you down. Trust in His justice.
The king gives Esther Haman’s full estate to do with as she pleases and he issues new decrees telling the Jews they have the right to defend themselves wherever they may be attacked. Mordecai is made to be second to the king with high honor. He is able to use his position for the good of his people and his niece the queen. Mordecai establishes celebrations each year for this victory which resulted in what the modern Jews now celebrate as Purim each Spring in March.
A Victorious Faith
This is all a result of the faith and courage it took for Esther to stand and Mordecai to continue to stand for their people. I am sure that it took all they had to see the victory that could come out of their situation and they had to have a deep trust in Almighty God to help them.
We must also have this same trust as life gets more difficult and days become darker. We cannot see the way, but God can and as our loving Father, He desires to guide us to victory and bless us beyond what we can imagine. Sometimes those blessings come disguised as hard times, but this is where our faith grows and results in the ultimate and timely victory God intended for our lives.
Thank you for being a part of this devotional these last weeks. I know it took me awhile to finish it with being a new mother, but I dearly hope you were encouraged in some way by these devotionals through the book of Esther. Please leave some comments or send me an email and let me know what you liked or didn’t like and what you would like to see in the future.
Blessings of Beauty
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