Faith and Courage

I recently read the book of Esther in the Bible and was blown away by her selflessness, her faith, and her courage.  Sometimes in life, it may seem easier to walk away from or give up on something that appears to be or actually is dangerous, scary, heartbreaking, or seemingly insurmountable.

Esther had found favor with the King of Persia and was made his wife.  Prior to their meeting, she had been advised to hide her heritage.  However, when her people were threatened to be unjustly persecuted, she asked her community to fast for three days and to pray for her.  After that time, she approached the King ready to accept death in order to save her people, and bravely made her requests known to him as well as her background.  (Just for context, back in that time/somewhere around the end of the fifth century BC, it was life threatening to approach the King without being invited, even for his own queen!)  Esther’s faith in God, trust in Him, and her request of many to pray on her behalf so that she may know how to approach this heavy situation allowed her to overcome her fear and to save the lives of her people.  The King not only made her requests come to fruition, he also brought further justice to the man (a top, right-hand servant of the King) who wrongly accused her trusted cousin, Mordecai, and her people.  (By the way, Mordecai had previously saved the King’s life… all of this hatred began with one person’s jealousy of the King and Mordecai and lead to the hatred, anger and what would have been the persecution of an entire group of people).

Esther had a moment in time when she could have chosen to look the other way and focus on self-preservation, but she chose the more challenging and righteous path with faith and grace.  What challenge are you facing today?  Although possibly tempted to take the easier path (which truly in hindsight is never the best path), consider reaching out to God in prayer and asking Him to show you what His will is for you.  God will never lead you astray.  He will show you the light, the goodness, and provide you with the strength and courage you need to live the life that is waiting for you. ©