Mumbai, the most energetic metropolitan of India was paralyzed with fear when terrorists attacked 11 busy and populated places on 26th November.The Taj luxury hotel, a prestigious 105 year old heritage building was under siege holding in custody many hostages. The Oberoi Trident Hotel was also victim to the same.The Nariman House, which is a Jewish outreach center in the city was seized and assaulted leaving 8 of its inmates killed. The total number of confirmed fatalities of the 2 day Islamic militant attack sized up to 195 and more than 300 people were wounded.
In Tamil Nadu, torrential rains created havoc.86 persons died, and thousands became homeless.Roads became inaccessible, and standing crops in over 100,000 acres of land became totally submerged in flood waters.
I was reading the book of Esther as a part of my daily devotion and in seasons of crisis, such as these times, I've learnt many lessons for my own life from the life of Esther.
"...Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" [Esther 4:14]
The Background
King Xerxes ruled over a kingdom that stretched from India in the east to Egypt in the west.
The lives of all the Jews living in this Persian empire were threatened by the order given by King Xerxes who in-turn was poisoned by minister Haman, an anti-semitic.
One Jew was safe, Haddasah, who rose to be a queen and was later named Esther.
She had a choice, she could reveal her identity and fish an opportunity to save her kindred, but if the King was not convinced she could lose her life instantly. Or ; she could stay silent, and live in safety and comfort while her brethren were being massacred.
We know how Esther fasts and prays for 3 days to boldly confront the situation. She meets the king, despite the high risk involved, plans a perfect banquet inviting Haman, and gently revealed to the king his evil ploy , and further created opportunities to provoke his anger and completely destroyed Haman, along with his plan and secured the safety and progress of the Jews.
The Lessons
Some are called to be a queen in the enemy's palace.
I am graduating in Engineering this year, I plan to do a masters in Business Administration and also want to be certified in various technologies.I see myself as an entrepreneur in the near future handling diversified products and services.
But do you know what I am called for?
I am called to be laborer in the field of the Lord's harvest.This is not my wish list, but my confirmed purpose.
Every work, every degree, every business venture for me is an effort, an act of labor in my Father's vineyard.
Esther used her position to maneuver the decision of the king preventing the annihilation of the Jews.She could not have done this, had she been an ordinary Jew girl.[Esther 5:3]
Sometimes God gives His children extraordinary position and power in this sinful world, not just because He loves to "bless" but because there is an assignment that He intends to complete through the position He's given you.
*God uses those who are willing to be promoted but who are not willing to be assimilated.
Greater the position, higher the responsibility towards the Kingdom.
You need Prayer even if you are a queen.
It is strange how some of us label only a few as "prayer warriors", and conveniently delegate the conscious praying habit to them alone.
She was the queen, but she fasted and prayed for 3 days in order to confront the situation with the king.[Esther 4:15]
Fasting is the act of humbling your whole being to the sovereignty of Almighty God.Prayer is the result of my yearning to be connected without interruption to the Heart of the Master.
Esther did not 'brainstorm' or try 'six thinking hats' or operate on 'metaphorical thinking' ,or 'Fuzzy thinking' or 'mind mapping' or 'Synetics' , to solve her crisis situation; instead she prayed.
I don't deny the power of creative thinking, but that comes second to the power of prayer. Don't just do it, Pray first; a prayer of humble submission.A prayer of total acknowledgment of the authority of God. The Master will then speak His strategy and plan for action.
Because she prayed,
All of this further made way to complete her assignment.
On the day of the banquet, Esther intelligently provoked the king's anger by exposing Haman and his evil plot and caused him to be hung in the gallows that he arranged for Mordecai.[Esther 7:1-10]
Divine providence will not come your way, without continuous conversation with God.
Give up your present and step out in courage and faith.
Hadassah, gave up her comfortable average, ordinary Jew girl's life, and proceeded to venture out into an entirely new world, to become a queen in a pagan palace. She had to undergo 12 months of beauty treatment and preparations before she could enter the contest and qualify to be King Xerxes' new queen.[Esther 2:12-18]
It is easy to play a safe game, and stay secure. But it needs tremendous courage to get out of your comfort zone and dare to take the challenge.It takes preparation and perseverance to be promoted.I believe Hadassah believed that she was not ordinary material, so she stepped out and she made a difference in the lives of millions of Jews.
Once she became queen Esther, she did not settle for luxury, and allow her self to become a slave to the new life that had got hold of her, instead she stepped out in boldness risking her life by deciding to reveal her Jewish origin, saying "If I perish, I perish".[Esther 4:16]
As a Christian, we need to face battles in every day life, because we have a very powerful enemy who is afraid of our very powerful potential given to us by our omnipotent Father.
We have a choice, we can fight and move forward or grumble and remain where we are.
You make the decision.
Will you step out in faith and take a risk, and reap the benefit, for yourself and many others whose whose eternity depends on you?
"...Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"[Esther 4:14]
The lives of all the Jews living in this Persian empire were threatened by the order given by King Xerxes who in-turn was poisoned by minister Haman, an anti-semitic.
One Jew was safe, Haddasah, who rose to be a queen and was later named Esther.
She had a choice, she could reveal her identity and fish an opportunity to save her kindred, but if the King was not convinced she could lose her life instantly. Or ; she could stay silent, and live in safety and comfort while her brethren were being massacred.
We know how Esther fasts and prays for 3 days to boldly confront the situation. She meets the king, despite the high risk involved, plans a perfect banquet inviting Haman, and gently revealed to the king his evil ploy , and further created opportunities to provoke his anger and completely destroyed Haman, along with his plan and secured the safety and progress of the Jews.
The Lessons
Some are called to be a queen in the enemy's palace.
I am graduating in Engineering this year, I plan to do a masters in Business Administration and also want to be certified in various technologies.I see myself as an entrepreneur in the near future handling diversified products and services.
But do you know what I am called for?
I am called to be laborer in the field of the Lord's harvest.This is not my wish list, but my confirmed purpose.
Every work, every degree, every business venture for me is an effort, an act of labor in my Father's vineyard.
Esther used her position to maneuver the decision of the king preventing the annihilation of the Jews.She could not have done this, had she been an ordinary Jew girl.[Esther 5:3]
Sometimes God gives His children extraordinary position and power in this sinful world, not just because He loves to "bless" but because there is an assignment that He intends to complete through the position He's given you.
*God uses those who are willing to be promoted but who are not willing to be assimilated.
Greater the position, higher the responsibility towards the Kingdom.
You need Prayer even if you are a queen.
It is strange how some of us label only a few as "prayer warriors", and conveniently delegate the conscious praying habit to them alone.
She was the queen, but she fasted and prayed for 3 days in order to confront the situation with the king.[Esther 4:15]
Fasting is the act of humbling your whole being to the sovereignty of Almighty God.Prayer is the result of my yearning to be connected without interruption to the Heart of the Master.
Esther did not 'brainstorm' or try 'six thinking hats' or operate on 'metaphorical thinking' ,or 'Fuzzy thinking' or 'mind mapping' or 'Synetics' , to solve her crisis situation; instead she prayed.
I don't deny the power of creative thinking, but that comes second to the power of prayer. Don't just do it, Pray first; a prayer of humble submission.A prayer of total acknowledgment of the authority of God. The Master will then speak His strategy and plan for action.
Because she prayed,
- she found favor in the eyes of the king and found an opportunity to meet him,[Esther 5:2]
- she came up with a strategy to throw a banquet inviting Haman ;[Esther 5:4]
- God made the king have swings of insomnia which compelled him to read the old diaries where he read the account of how Mordecai had saved his life from an assassination plot years before.He was reminded that he never rewarded him,so early next morning the king make arrangements to reward him.[Esther 6:1-10]
All of this further made way to complete her assignment.
On the day of the banquet, Esther intelligently provoked the king's anger by exposing Haman and his evil plot and caused him to be hung in the gallows that he arranged for Mordecai.[Esther 7:1-10]
Divine providence will not come your way, without continuous conversation with God.
Give up your present and step out in courage and faith.
Hadassah, gave up her comfortable average, ordinary Jew girl's life, and proceeded to venture out into an entirely new world, to become a queen in a pagan palace. She had to undergo 12 months of beauty treatment and preparations before she could enter the contest and qualify to be King Xerxes' new queen.[Esther 2:12-18]
It is easy to play a safe game, and stay secure. But it needs tremendous courage to get out of your comfort zone and dare to take the challenge.It takes preparation and perseverance to be promoted.I believe Hadassah believed that she was not ordinary material, so she stepped out and she made a difference in the lives of millions of Jews.
Once she became queen Esther, she did not settle for luxury, and allow her self to become a slave to the new life that had got hold of her, instead she stepped out in boldness risking her life by deciding to reveal her Jewish origin, saying "If I perish, I perish".[Esther 4:16]
As a Christian, we need to face battles in every day life, because we have a very powerful enemy who is afraid of our very powerful potential given to us by our omnipotent Father.
We have a choice, we can fight and move forward or grumble and remain where we are.
You make the decision.
Will you step out in faith and take a risk, and reap the benefit, for yourself and many others whose whose eternity depends on you?
"...Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"[Esther 4:14]
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