Esther is a beautiful example to follow in the bible and is often known as the wise queen. Esther’s wisdom guided her people through what could have been devastating waters for the Jews. Her courage led to the deliverance of her people. Queen Esther shows us that we can navigate a crisis with wisdom, bravery, and grace.
Book of Esther Chapter 4, Verses 15-16
15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My attendants and I will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”
The Wisdom of Esther
As Mordecai calls upon Esther to act, her hesitancy does not last long. Knowing that she could surely die, she calls upon all Jews to fast and pray for her. She also commits to fast and pray for three full days, along with her attendants.
She knew that acting without the direction and power of the Lord would be foolish. Her first response to the crisis as Queen was to seek her true King.
Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
We can learn from Queen Esther that our immediate response to any crisis should be to seek the Lord, fast, and pray. Fasting and prayer is a wise response that shows we fear the Lord and value the knowledge of The Lord.
When we fast and pray, we deny our flesh and live unto the Spirit and God promises to respond. In Ezra 8:23, the bible says “We fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer”. A couple of verses before that (verse 21) Ezra says the reason why they fasted and prayed: “To seek from Him the right way for us.”
Sister, if you are facing a crisis, fast and pray!
There is never a wrong time to fast and pray! Esther needed to know how to respond to this crisis, she needed wisdom and she knew where to get it. She needed to know the right way for her to respond in order to save her people. We can do the very same!
Instead of responding with fear, anger, or hasty actions, we can take note of Esther’s example. We can be wise and follow in her footsteps to fast and pray for the right way for us in any circumstance. And God promises to hear and answer us!
The Bravery of Esther
“On the third day, Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. 2 When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.” Esther 5:1-2
Esther knew how risky it was to approach the king without being summoned. In chapter 4, she hesitated while reminding Mordecai of what could happen: ‘any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they are put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives.’
But she gathered herself and decided to be brave instead because she knew that if she did not act, so many more lives could have been lost. She was willing to die to do the right thing for her people, but she knew that, ultimately, the right thing first began with hearing from her God.
Esther shows us that we can be brave and do hard things.
In fact, we are often called upon to do the hard things. Silence in the face of crisis, especially when lives and souls are at stake reveals the fear and a lack of faith in our lives. We must be willing to stand up and speak or act in order to rescue the lost, the oppressed, and the dying.
The bravery of Esther is a powerful example of what our obedience to God can accomplish. She was willing to bet her life on the faithfulness of God and doing right by His people.
God extended favor to Esther so that she could accomplish His will and bring glory to His Name. He will do no less for us who follow in her footsteps.
The Grace of Esther
Oh, my sisters, how the world needs the grace of God from His Daughters!
Esther replied, “My petition and my request is this: 8 If the king regards me with favor and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king’s question.” Esther 5: 7-8
Esther conducted herself with wisdom and bravery in the face of crisis. She also carried herself with grace. She hosted not one, but two banquet dinners for the king and the very person responsible for the edict that was to destroy her people. And she did it with gracious character.
She knew she had a huge request for the king. She was about to ask him to go back on his law! Esther knew Haman was a formidable enemy. He was a trusted advisor to her husband and she needed to proceed carefully and with grace.
Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. 4 For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed, and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.”
We don’t see much grace from women in today’s world, do we? We hear a lot of accusations, hatred, and pain from the voices of women today. And so much of it is justified in the worldly sense and even before the Lord, yes.
But for the woman of God, I believe that conducting ourselves with grace in the face of crisis is key. Upholding the character of Christ in our behavior, speech, and actions will pave the way for us to rightly thwart the enemy just as doing so did for Queen Esther.
She patiently and graciously waited for her moment. The Queen spoke respectfully and graciously to the king. She humbled herself so that God’s plan could be made manifest. She was wise, brave, and graceful- a powerful example for all of us to follow.
Be Wise. Be Brave. & Be Full of Grace in the Face of Crisis. Watch God move on your behalf!
I challenge you today, if you are facing a crisis, seek the Lord and get His direction on how to proceed. He will faithfully answer you and guide you through with wisdom, bravery, and grace!
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