Take me to the King

Her heart began to race. The words her cousin had just said echoed throughout her mind. The Jews were to be killed. There was no mistaking the message that had just come to her. But what could she do? She was a Jew, living in a Persian palace, but no one knew her identity. How could she stop this? She sent a message back to her cousin, expressing her concerns. Eternity seemed to pass before she got the reply, and when she got it, she knew that life was going to change forever...

This week, I had been thinking of the story of Esther. It's kind of ironic, especially as in two weeks, Jews will be celebrating the festival of Purim. 

In the story of Esther, we hear of a young Jewish woman who marries a Persian King. However her identity as a Jew is unknown to the king. Amongst the King's officials is a man called Haman who agrees with the king, to have all of the Jews living there killed as they do not follow the king's laws. Haman constructed this lie to have the Jews killed for his own gain, since earlier Esther's cousin refused to bow to him. Mordecai, Esther's cousin, hears of this and passes this information to her. If Esther reveals her identity to save her people she could die! But Mordecai says something to Esther that changes the course of history.'Who knows, but perhaps you have been given a royal position for just such a time as this?' Immediately, Esther tells Mordecai to tell the people to fast as she is going to go before the king.

Reading this story this week has challenged. Sometimes I can be very passive and it's usually in the middle of a crisis. Once I was walking down with the road with a friend and in the corner of my eye I could see a car quickly approaching us. It jumped the curb and stopped. So did we. There was no screaming and running away from the danger. In our fear we froze, but by the grace of God the car didn't hit us. I'm the person who would be on the Titanic, moping in the corner upon hearing that the ship is sinking. In times of a crisis I freeze. But this story has challenged me to do a number of things:

1) Pray
Now this may be the most obvious one, forgive me. But when in the midst of my fear, and I am still as a statue, prayer can be a difficult task. I really have to encourage myself to get my lips to move! Matthew 7:7 reads Ask and it shall be given unto you. Philippians 4 speaks of making our request known to God. We need to bring our troubles to God. When the Jews heard of Haman's plans, they didn't just sit in the corner and weep. They prayed and they fasted. They did something about where they was. They brought it to God. In prayer we also get wisdom from God about what to do. Which leads us nicely to the next point :)

2) Look for the solution
In the midst of the crisis I usually think 'well what am I supposed to do now?' Often times we need to speak to people with more wisdom in a certain area. Or speak to a person in position who can do something about it.  Mordecai decides to go and speak to his cousin, Esther. She is in a prime position to do something. Esther also makes the decision to go and speak to the king and she does it with such wisdom. 

3) Trust in God
This last point runs through the last two points, for we won't do them if we have no faith. Praying and looking for the solution requires such faith. As Esther went before the king, it was possible that he would order her death, as no one could just approach the king. She had to trust in God. However, I love what Mordecai says to Esther before she goes to the king. "Do not imagine that you in the king's palace can escape any more than all the Jews. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father's house will perish."  Mordecai believed that God would deliver them.

Hebrews 11:6 reads that without faith we cannot please God. We have to believe He is who He says He is, and that He will reward those who diligently seek Him. We must believe. In a time where there are many wars and disasters...a lot of national crises as well as personal crises we must believe. James says that faith without works is dead, so we can not be passive, but active. What are we doing? As Haman wasn't shy to execute a plan to kill all of the Jews, the enemy isn't shy in bringing about things to destroy our hope. In the midst of a crisis what are we going to do about it?

.....Take me to the King...

Beyond the rocks (2) ......

I'm the man standing on the rock. Staring into the horizon. Wait! Where is the horizon? It was there a moment ago!! And what's that touching my toes?! ... Water.... The water's rising. But I'm on the rock. Doesn't that mean I should see beyond the rock? I close my eyes... Take a deep breath... I picture myself seeing the horizon. I imagine the warmth of the sun exploding through the clouds hanging over me. I imagine the goodness of God. I do not lose heart. And I thank God that in the midst of the storm, my house is still standing!

Funny how, God will reveal things to you when the sun is shining and you receive them with joy. But when it rains, you look at the revelations, wondering where the truth is in your situation. Can I be real? We don't always see the sun shine! Theres a really good quote I remember. Don't forget in the dark what God told you in light.

I can't see the light at the moment, but I remember what it looks like and I remember His promises. David said I would have lost heart, had I not believed that I would see the goodness of God in the land of the living! The problem is that in the midst of the storm, standing on the rock, we forget the sun used to shine. I love this quote. Don't forget in the dark what God told you a light!

Fear has a nasty habit of crippling and blinding us. Recently I have been meditating on Psalms 23. There is a verse that reads 'Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil'. Now I know I'm having problems when even in the light I am fearing evil. But I know I have had an awful habit of fearing evil. 'What if?' plagues my mind and this common disease takes delight in capturing its prisoners. So you know when the clouds overshadow, my mind is screaming, here you go - a reason to fear evil! And I am worried about the worse that could happen. But this scripture is teaching that in the midst of the storm, I don't need to fear evil! In fact, the writer says it with such conviction! 'I will fear no evil'! This has encouraged, yet challenged me. I will fear no evil.

Fear reflects our expectations. I expect the water to drown me, and so I am afraid. We shouldn't fear evil, because God is with us. He loves us and there is no fear in love - perfect love casts out all fear. So I will fear no evil when I understand the Lord is my shepherd and He loves me. Because He loves me and expects the best, I should expect the best as well, and not the worst. I can be real about where I am, but walk by faith that the best is coming. Even with the water surrounding me, about to overtake me....the best is yet to come....I believe I will see the goodness of God!