Esther. What a great reminder of God’s providential care!

Here’s some points of God’s Providence:

• Queen Vashti is deposed when she refuses to appear before King Xerxes.
• Esther, a worshiper of God, is chosen as Queen.
• Mordecai overhears a plot to kill the king and saves his life.
• Mordecai doesn’t bow to Haman and so Haman plots to kill the Jews.
• Xerxes can’t sleep and wants to read a story, out of all the history books, it’s the one which records Mordecai’s saving the king’s life. The king remembers Mordecai wasn’t rewarded and asks Haman how to reward such a wonderful man.
• Esther appears before the King and is welcomed instead of killed.
• There’s special timing of Queen Esther’s two banquets and Haman’s plans to kill Mordecai.
• Mordecai ends up being honored and first Haman is humbled, then killed on the gallows intended for Mordecai.
• The Jews survived and overthrew their enemies.

We’ve heard the passage from Esther 4:14, where Mordecai asks Esther “…And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”  What about us? Are we willing to be used by God in whatever way He has planned?  Do you ever wonder what God has planned for you – in the future? today? this hour?

 Jeremiah 29:11 says:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Before Haman even had the idea to wipe out the Jews, God had placed Esther in position to be used to save His people. She didn’t know it. She had to go forward in trust to King Xerxes.

Listening & Worshiping God

She prepared herself before she did that by fasting and prayer.

In the Bible study book Following God-Women of the Bible – Esther, the authors write, “God wants to accomplish His purposes through us, but if we do not cooperate, His plan will still be carried out. He will simply use someone else to do it. “ It takes listening to God, spending time in His word, talking with Him, and once again, listening to God’s leading.

To the unbeliever hearing the story of Esther, they would describe what happened as amazing coincidences, but the believer sees the hand of God’s providence through the timing, people, places, circumstances.

Coincidence … when God chooses to remain anonymous.

Have you seen God’s abundant blessings through His providential hand throughout your life? He’s always there. Make sure you take some time to look for Him today!

God’s abundant blessings ~ Faye