One thing that stands out to me about Esther is her unwavering faith. Throughout everything she encountered, she continued to trust God and His plan when she could have stayed silent and given up. Instead, she took the next right step in every situation she faced. Even when things were difficult, confusing, and risky, trusting God every step of the way. She is an example to us in our situations to continue to have unwavering faith throughout every situation.
Over the past two weeks in our Bible study together, we have seen God faithfully take care of the Israelites when an order went out in Persia to destroy all Jewish people. He provided Esther as the new queen at just the right time. He gave Esther favor with the king and allowed the Israelites to be victorious against their enemies when they set out to destroy the Israelites when the order came into effect. We also saw Esther and Mordecai, Esther's cousin, show great faith in God. They took risks and trusted God through everything. Then, as they saw God help the Israelites successfully fight against the Israelites in Esther 9, they celebrated. They held a festival that would become an annual 2-day festival where they would remember and celebrate God’s faithfulness (verse 22).
What if we had the faith of Esther, who took risks to obey God and help the people around us? What if we demonstrated the faith of Mordecai, who knew without a doubt that God would take care of the Israelites? Friends, God is faithful. He takes care of us. He is in control. Nothing can stop His plan. So let's celebrate God's faithfulness today. He is faithful and worthy of our faithfulness in response to His faithfulness.
Sometimes in the middle of uncertainty, we must keep walking and taking the next step God is leading us. One of the ways we can demonstrate faith in Him is by worshiping Him in the middle of our uncertainties. So please plan to join us for one of our services this weekend and bring a friend! We can’t wait to see you there.
"Mordecai recorded these events and sent letters to the Jews near and far, throughout all the provinces of King Xerxes, 21 calling on them to celebrate an annual festival on these two days. 22 He told them to celebrate these days with feasting and gladness and by giving gifts of food to each other and presents to the poor. This would commemorate a time when the Jews gained relief from their enemies, when their sorrow was turned into gladness and their mourning into joy.
23 So the Jews accepted Mordecai’s proposal and adopted this annual custom. 24 Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews, had plotted to crush and destroy them on the date determined by casting lots (the lots were called purim). 25 But when Esther came before the king, he issued a decree causing Haman’s evil plot to backfire, and Haman and his sons were impaled on a sharpened pole. 26 That is why this celebration is called Purim, because it is the ancient word for casting lots.
So because of Mordecai’s letter and because of what they had experienced, 27 the Jews throughout the realm agreed to inaugurate this tradition and to pass it on to their descendants and to all who became Jews. They declared they would never fail to celebrate these two prescribed days at the appointed time each year. 28 These days would be remembered and kept from generation to generation and celebrated by every family throughout the provinces and cities of the empire. This Festival of Purim would never cease to be celebrated among the Jews, nor would the memory of what happened ever die out among their descendants.
29 Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote another letter putting the queen’s full authority behind Mordecai’s letter to establish the Festival of Purim. 30 Letters wishing peace and security were sent to the Jews throughout the 127 provinces of the empire of Xerxes. 31 These letters established the Festival of Purim—an annual celebration of these days at the appointed time, decreed by both Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther. (The people decided to observe this festival, just as they had decided for themselves and their descendants to establish the times of fasting and mourning.) 32 So the command of Esther confirmed the practices of Purim, and it was all written down in the records.
10 King Xerxes imposed a tribute throughout his empire, even to the distant coastlands. 2 His great achievements and the full account of the greatness of Mordecai, whom the king had promoted, are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Media and Persia. 3 Mordecai the Jew became the prime minister, with authority next to that of King Xerxes himself. He was very great among the Jews, who held him in high esteem, because he continued to work for the good of his people and to speak up for the welfare of all their descendants."
