For Such A Time As ThisPrøve

As you read through the book of Esther in its entirety, did you notice the name of God was missing? His name is not once mentioned! Perhaps this is to emphasize the truth that God is always at work- even behind the scenes. In fact, the works of His sovereign hand are illustrated all throughout Esther’s story! To wrap up our study of Esther, we are going to take a look at five strong truths we can delight in from her story. 1.) The cause of Esther is a parallel to the cause of Christ. However, Christ is the better Esther. That’s not to say Esther is not to be acknowledged, but it is to say Christ’s risk was far greater. Christ was our Mediator who stood in the ultimate gap. Esther risked her life for her people. Jesus gave His life for the world! He defeated the ultimate adversary and accomplished our deliverance on the cross. Therefore, He is the ultimate Rescuer. (Romans 10:9-10) 2.) God is sovereign. In the story of Esther, God’s sovereignty is revealed as He orchestrates events to bring her, a Jewish woman, into a position of authority over the Gentiles so that His people will ultimately be saved. Every single detail is guided by His sovereign grace! No matter what we think, say, or do, nothing can successfully prevent what God intends to see through. (Isaiah 46:9-10) 3.) God is with us and for us. Even when it does not seem like it, God is with us every step of the way. He is all-powerful, all-knowing and all for us. He is more committed to us than we will ever be to Him. He graciously guides us—compassionately, personally, purposefully, and powerfully—with His spirit and in His love. (Acts 17:28, Romans 8:14) Our Father literally gave His one and only Son for us, because of His great love for us. He will never forget or forsake those who belong to Him. He is faithful forever. (Deuteronomy 31:6) 4.) In Christ, everything we walk through holds purpose. We see this truth played out in the lives of Mordecai and Esther. God wastes nothing- not even our darkest hour. He will give us beauty in exchange for our ashes. (Ecclesiastes 3, Isaiah 61:1-3) 5.) We are truly helpless without Christ. Take Haman, for example. He cared more about his pride and revenge than anything else. Nothing fully satisfied him. What a miserable life. He was lost without Christ. Without Christ, we would be just like Haman. With Christ, we can lean upon His everlasting arms, call upon Him for strength and be sustained by His Spirit. He is truly everything we need and more! (2 Corinthians 12:8-9)