When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is
against the law. And if I perish, I perish. Esther 4:16
Esther
decided to approach the king uninvited once the people had fasted. Surely, if
everyone was serious about this and determined that Esther’s intervention was
the right course of action, then she would move forward.
Her
words can be taken in several different ways. Some take “if I perish, I perish”
to mean that Esther was resigned to face her fate. She and her people were
backed into a corner, so she really didn’t have any other choice. This is sort of the Doris Day version of the
story, “Que sera sera, whatever will be, will be, the future’s not ours, to
see…” (Wow, that’s a throwback. I don’t even know how I knew that song. It’s
not on my iPod…). Life just happens. It’s fate or dumb luck or whatever. It
doesn’t sound like there’s much that we can do about it.
But,
Esther’s tone here is not resignation. Esther is showing great courage. She is
willing to lay down her life, if necessary, for the sake of her people. There is
no greater love than this (John 15:13).
There
was no easy solution to this situation. Esther couldn’t just waltz into the
throne room and give the king a piece of her mind, considering the fate of the
last queen who mouthed off. An uninvited appearance could result in death. Her
silence would also result in death. The crucible of her situation forged
courage that she might have lacked otherwise.
To
use an overused quote, “Desperate times call for desperate measures.” Esther
didn’t have much choice, except the choice to take action rather than passively
submit to fate.
When
circumstances are stacked against us, it’s easy to feel like just giving up.
The temptation is just to walk away, to escape. But, the path of least
resistance makes both men and rivers crooked. God did not place us on this
earth merely to let life happen to us. God put us here to make a difference, to
build our character, and to glorify Him. Cowardice doesn’t glorify God. Courage
wrought by faith does.
What
corner do you find yourself backed into today? What overwhelming circumstance
are you tempted just to give in to? What is making you entertain the idea of
running away or cashing it in? It’s time to take courage and do something about
the situation. Giving up may mean giving the outcome over to God, and fully
submitting to His will.
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