Believe It Or Not!

“And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14b

I love reading the Bible from cover to cover. It may take over one year to do so, but what a grand picture of God’s love for us and His sovereignty when we read the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation - systematically.

This morning, I opened up the Bible and began the book of Esther - talk about a love story! My heart was captivated as I saw the providence of God!

“The book of Esther is an example of God’s divine guidance and care over our lives. God’s sovereignty and power are seen throughout this book. Although we may question certain circumstances in our lives, we must have faith that God is in control, working through both the pleasant and difficult times so that we can serve Him effectively.” Commentary

What caught my eye in just the first two chapters of the book of Esther is the favor that God placed upon Esther’s life! Here are three examples:

(1) “Now the young woman pleased him, and she obtained his favor; so he readily gave beauty preparations to her, besides her allowance. Then seven choice maidservants were provided for her from the king’s palace, and he moved her and her maidservants to the best place in the house of the women.” Esther 2:9

(2) “And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her.” Esther 2:15b

(3) “The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.” Esther 2:17

When man initiates his favor upon you, it is usually for personal gain, but when God places His favor upon you, it is so that many may be blessed! God allowed Esther to have favor so that the royal crown would be placed upon her head. That crown was not just to make Esther look more beautiful, NO; it was for a divine purpose of being placed in a position in order to save the Jewish people from complete destruction!

“God placed Esther on the throne even before the Jews faced the possibility of complete destruction (3:5), so that when trouble came, a person would already be in the position to help. No human effort could thwart God’s plan to send the Messiah to earth as a Jew. If you are changing jobs, position, or location and can’t see God’s purpose in your situation, understand that God is in control, He may be placing you in a position so you can help when the need arises.” Commentary

Believe it or not, God has placed you right where you are for a bigger purpose! You are being prepared to bless many!  Don’t be discouraged if you can not see God’s purpose in your situation, instead understand that God is in control and is positioning you to be used mightily by Him in His time.

God is sitting at the circle of the universe directing the affairs of your life with wise benevolence! Let’s be encouraged as we read the stories in the Bible of men and women who were courageously offering their lives for God’s purposes and glory!

self-LESS

I came across a beautiful encouragement that is a must read written by Charles R. Swindoll.  See below:

SELFlessNESS 

“Douglas Southhall Freeman ends his four-volume work on Robert E. Lee with a touching scene. General Lee was wrinkled and gray and stooped over-very close to death-when a young mother came to see him with her infant cradled in her arms. When Lee reached out for her baby, she responded by placing the infant in Lee’s still-strong arms. The great general looked deeply into the child’s eyes and then slowly turned to the mother and said, “Teach him he must deny himself.”

The path to greatness in the kingdom of God will lead you through the valley of selflessness. Christlike humility will emerge on its own.” 

I could only imagine what the general was thinking when he looked deeply into the child's eyes...he must have quickly relived all of his life experiences. Perhaps all of his successes and all of his failures he accounted to when he either denied himself or when he did not deny himself. Perhaps what motivated this general's advice was remembering the pain from his failures. Nevertheless, whichever the case, at the end of this great general's life, this pearl came from his heart, “Teach him he must deny himself.”

“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.” Luke 9:23-24