Sometimes there are strategic opportunities in life that drop into your lap. It’s up to you to know what to do with these opportunities. Esther did. She put it all on the line for her people when push came to shove. The Book of Esther is about how God placed the right woman in the right place at the right time to save the Jewish people. It is also about reaping what you sow, both good and bad.
Practical Principles
- When God tells you to do something, do it! God told King Saul to destroy the Amalekites and King Agag, but Saul disobeyed and let him live. Years later, we see Mordecai dealing with Haman, who is a descendant of King Agag. Is the Lord nudging you to do something? To end a relationship, to start a Bible study, or to giveaup something? Do it!
- God gives gifts and talents to each of us that we need to use. Esther had outward beauty and inner character. You need to discover your gifts, cultivate them to their fullest, and use them for God’s glory (1 Timothy 4:14). Many of us never find out what our gifts are because we never try.
- There’s a time to speak up and a time to be quiet. Esther 2:10, “Esther had not told anyone of her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had directed her not to do so” (nlt). Some people almost speak up too much or at times it’s overkill when a Christian talks to a nonbeliever. Sometimes the best thing to do is listen, knowing when it is time to speak up and when to be quiet.
Relevant Reminders
- God is ultimately in control of kings, queens, prime ministers, and presidents.
- God’s plans are not hindered by nonbelieving people in secular settings.
- The godly woman focuses primarily on the internal, but doesn’t forget the external. Esther had the right balance of both.
Applicable Actions
God has put you on this earth for a purpose. He’s put all of us where we are for such a time as this. You can find that purpose and dedicate your life to the glory of God or you can ignore it and chase after the empty promises of this world. It’s your choice.
