The other day I was perusing my Amazon Prime movies for something to watch. I came across the story of Queen Esther of the bible. Ever since I was a little girl I have loved this story. It is a story of great bravery and of keeping the faith when times are uncertain in life.
The Story of Esther
Esther is a Jewess and her people are exiled in Persia (Modern day Iran and surrounding areas.) During their exile the king, Xerxes decides to find a new queen after his former queen refused to come dance for his friends. He proceeds to round up all beautiful virgins in the land to be brought to his harem where he will decide upon a new queen to his liking.
Esther, who is protected by her cousin Mordecai, is hidden from the palace guards seeking virgins for the king. They discover her much to the dismay of Mordecai. He knows she may well become just another harem girl for the kings court. Despite his fears, I imagine Mordecai tried to throw his trust upon God. But it wasn’t easy. His whole world was thrown into uncertainty.
Thrown Into Uncertainty
How many of us also feel thrown into uncertainty at this time in life? our lives have certainly been turned upside down by the Corona virus. No one truly knows how long it will last or when things will go back to normal. We have to realize, as hard as it is that we will not have the same normal we once had. This virus has changed so much for us all. Not all the change is bad either, drawing closer to family for instance. The changes for Esther were not all bad either. God was placing her at the right place and time for His purpose.
Where Has Faith Gone?
During times like these, faith in God and hope for the future can seem to languish. Faith is being tested now to see if we are able to truly say we have faith. In scripture, Hebrews 10:22 says, “faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.” Mordecai had to have faith that Esther would make it through this, that God had purpose in the situation. He couldn’t see the purpose or understand why it all was happening but he knew to trust the God who cared for him while in exile.
Esther was having her own faith crisis too. Imagine her feelings at being ripped away from all she knew to become a man’s plaything! No matter what movies make it look romantic, there was most likely more fear than romance going on in her heart. But God had a great plan for this little, beautiful girl. And her faith would come through the test stronger and more resilient than ever.
Your Faith Will Strengthen
That is a key to remember during this pandemic, your faith, my faith will come out stronger than before. That is because we are learning to throw our full trust on God and He is teaching us to see the bigger picture despite our fear. I encourage you to dig into the bible for words of hope and an understanding of what you can do to keep your eyes fixed. There is no better time than now to start. It is never too late either.
Coming Up Next
In the coming weeks, I will expand more on the story of Queen Esther. I want to discover the key points of faith in this story so that we can understand our own in a much deeper way.
I encourage you to follow along with the story and read the first two chapters of Esther in the bible this week. We will continue our devotional next week.
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