Esther 4: King Xerxes of Persia, not knowing his wife is a Jew, has issued an order to destroy all Jews. In this chapter Queen Esther realizes that it’s up to her to reveal her secret to the king and in doing so to save her people.
I am a dreamer, an idealist really. Some say my cup is half full, I say my cup over-flows! But it hasn’t always been that way. I was a latch key kid and checking in with my mom after school often times meant going to the local restaurant or grocery store where she worked. My stepdad was a truck driver which took him away from home days or weeks at a time. Money was always tight and occasionally we were the house that a stranger, a blessing, had left groceries on the step for us to find. Often times I would escape that reality by going into my dream world. In my dream I was a grown up, I had a little family and I was able to stay home with my kids, instead of having to juggle work and child rearing. Every night was family dinner and we’d sit down together to learn about each others day. I didn’t know at the time that it could actually happen...in REAL life. No one on either side of my family was free of divorce or alcohol abuse or just plain drama of some sort! But it was my dream. Now, as an adult living the dream, I often wonder if God Himself placed that dream in my mind at a young age just so He could bless me all these years later. It’s possible, and whether He did or not I thank Him for my blessings each day.
Esther did not have an ideal childhood either. She was raised by her cousin, Mordecai, because her parents had died. She and Mordecai, along with all Jews, were exiled from Jerusalem into the Persian Empire and lived scattered among the people. I wonder if Esther also had a dream. Something so different from what she knew. Something only God could orchestrate. Maybe she wondered what the inside of the kings palace looked like. Or what it would be like to have servants and care takers making sure her every desire was met. Did she dare dream that one day she would be the queen?
Acts 17:26 says that God determined the times set for each one and exact places where they should live. So the question begs- For what purpose did God place Esther in the position of queen? For what purpose did God place me in suburban America, a stay-at-home mom raising these kids? For what purpose did God place you in your circumstances today?
Mordecai warns Esther about the danger to the Jewish people, herself included. He asks her “And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” (v14). I think it boils down to this- while God wants to lavish us with the life of our dreams, once we get it there is still a purpose for which He has brought us to this place. Mordecai was a wise man to point that out to Esther. We know from the rest of this story that Esther’s purpose was to reveal to the king her true identity as a Jew and convince the him to stop the order to murder the entire Jewish nation. Queen Esther succeeded in stopping the Jews from being killed, and in doing so she was able to gain the respect of the king. Between her and Mordecai’s influence on the king they were able to pave the way for the Jews to return to their home in Jerusalem, continuing the line for the Messiah who was still to come.
As I’m writing today I am thankful that a whole nation doesn’t rest on my shoulders. But there is great purpose in raising my family to follow the Lord, to love others and to know that they, too, have a purpose from God.
Dear Heavenly Father- Thank you for making me a dreamer and for giving me the life of my dreams. I am forever grateful to You. ~Beth
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