Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so. Every day he walked back and forth near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her. Before a young woman’s turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics. And this is how she would go to the king: Anything she wanted was given her to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. In the evening she would go there and in the morning return to another part of the harem to the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and summoned her by name. When the turn came for Esther (the young woman Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her. She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality.
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3 Days
In a time where a king wanted a wife, a Jewish woman named Esther appeared. Looking at the life of Esther helps to give us direction into how we’re supposed to act when God places us in His providentially designed plans. In this 3-day reading plan, Tony Evans teaches the history of Esther, providing an in-depth look at the inner workings of Persian royalty.
One of the most compelling aspects of Jesus' approach to helping others is his indiscriminate compassion. In contemporary society, the call to help others as Jesus did remains as relevant as ever. In just three days, for 10 minutes per day, alone with God and His Word, you will learn we are called to extend a helping hand to all who are in need.
4 Days
How can the heroes of the Bible inspire us to greatness? Join us in this four-day reading plan as Kristi Krauss motivates us with Esther's risk-taking, Job's hidden treasure, Isaiah's hope for good, and Jeremiah's endurance of opposition. Don't be surprised if these testimonies transform your life.
As Black women, we are grieving either our own experience or something going on in the Black community. It’s a constant resurgence of grief and pain. And in our grief, it is easy to feel unseen, unheard, misunderstood, and abandoned by others and by God. In this 4-day devotional, discover hope with biblical truths to encourage you, dear Black woman, to live a God-filled life in a grief-filled world.
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