Esther 4:10-16
[10] Again Esther spake unto Hatach, and gave him commandment unto Mordecai;
[11] All the king’s servants, and the people of the king’s provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.
[12] And they told to Mordecai Esther’s words.
[13] Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews.
[14] For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
[15] Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer,
[16] Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.
There are many times in our lives when it seems easy to essentially “stay out of the way” or “let someone else deal with it”. And by our common nature and by popular opinion, this seems very fair to do to others. My eyes were opened in a greater way from a wonderful message brought recently, so I wanted to bring out the points that stood out to me. I hope this speaks to you like it did to me.
The story of Esther can be even related to us in the modern days we live in. She came into greatness, becoming the Queen of Persia with King Xerxes. And just like we all have sometimes, she carried a great secret, being an Isrealite. There was a man, Haman, who became angry at Esther’s adopted father, Mordecai. Haman’s hate went as far as to consult King Xerxes to make it legal to kill all Isrealites. Esther had a dilemma before her: she could have easily sat by and let this measure of hatred be carried out on her own people, or she could try to do all that she could. As indicated by the verses above, she took the selfless attitude that I have came to admire. “If I perish, I perish.”
Many of you out there have a call in your life to make a difference to others, but the presence of many enemies around you leave you to be in fear of what impact you could make if you actually tried. I know that none of us want to see anyone lose their life without being free from their bondage and coming to find salvation. However, there are many that suffer primarily from our lack of efforts as the loving, caring Christians that people look to us to be. If we but take this attitude to heart and remember that it is better to try then not at all, there will be many lives changed! Don’t forget the great calling that you have came into, and trust God and follow the leadership of the spirit.
There is nothing that you cannot conquer when God gives you the favor just as Esther received. After the fasting and efforts preparing their hearts for what was to come, Esther did her part, and spoke to the King about this matter concerning Haman’s plot. The King heard her, and her people were safe.
There are many people out there that need you to have that attitude and stand in the gap for them. Otherwise they may never receive the help that they need, allowing them to leave without ever knowing Christ. Let’s make it a personal goal to never let anyone perish that we are a part of. They mean too much to us to just let them rot away in their despair. Let’s rise and stand against the enemies we face and trust God, for through his favor and divine power there is nothing or no one that He cannot reach!