Focal Passage: Esther 4:6-17
Have you ever heard the adage: “Caught between a rock and a hard place?” That statement indicates a situation wherein a person has two options available to them, neither of which is desirable. You likely have been in such a situation at some point in your life. So what will you decide? And, what things will you take into account in order to help you make your final decision?
There are many resources you can use when considering your course of action. You can simply weigh the pros and cons of each option and try to determine which has the best outcome or the least undesirable outcome. Hopefully, you will seek God’s wisdom and direction in His Word and in prayer.
Esther is caught between that proverbial rock and a hard place. On the one hand, Haman is seeking to have Esther’s people (the Israelites) killed because of his retaliation against Mordecai. On the other hand, Esther has not been in the presence of her husband, the king, in over 30 days. To go before him uninvited could cost Esther her life. To do nothing would mean the death of her people and her death as well. She sought the wisdom of Mordecai. She, along with those around her, fasted and prayed as she approached the necessity of action.
While Mordecai challenged Esther to consider the fact that she could have become queen “for such a time as this,” and while Esther risked her life by going uninvited before the king, the real hero in this story is the covenant-keeping God of Israel. God’s providence is seen at every step. His faithfulness is seen in His rescue of His people from the hand of Haman. God made a promise to Abraham to bring from him a great nation – a nation from whom the Savior would come. No earthly tyrant would thwart the redemption plan of our covenant-making, covenant-keeping God.
While God may sometimes call us to walk in great faith and trust Him in the midst of extremely challenging circumstances, we can trust Him to be faithful to keep His promises and to providentially work in a way that is both for our good and His glory.